Harrison Review 8-14-2015

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August 14, 2015 | Vol. 3, Number 31 | www.harrisonreview.com Harrison REVIEW T HE have planned over the next two years, we are hoping that we can succeed in making Harrison a destination shopping experi- ence,” Sharpe said. The chamber has been around since 1964 and has seen several incarnations depending on who was leading the charge, accord- ing to Sharpe. The organiza- tion morphed from a place that planned special events and com- munity promotions to a more civic-minded pulpit. The presi- dent speculated that since the organization’s executive board is volunteer-based, the organiza- tion lost dedicated members and ran out of steam. “Over the years, there was a lack of interest, no one [was] at the helm and [there was] no membership base,” Sharpe said. “Today we have approximately three-fourths of our total mem- ber base who have already joined and we are hoping to reach 100 percent by the end of 2016.” The chamber, Sharpe said, fizzled about two years ago when it was going through a transition period between presidents. Sharpe said the chamber’s intended goal is to “help the town’s businesses prosper.” She said this will be a multi-prong approach to push for more park- ing, diversify the district’s shops and increase the restaurant options so there isn’t an exodus from Harrison for goods and services. “Revitalizing the chamber has given [local merchants and busi- ness owners] the opportunity to spearhead their thoughts and con- tributions with the backing of one organized group who will fight for their needs,” Sharpe said. To the affect of diversifying the streetscape, the chamber has launched an outreach campaign, which includes a letter-writing effort, to notify and attract differ- ent types of businesses not found in the town’s boundary of vacant storefronts. Sharpe said there are criteria for the type and size of the business, to make sure it could provide much-needed ser- vices while not stepping on the Follow us on Twitter @harrisonreview Like us on facebook.com/harrisonreview CHAMBER continued on page 8 Meanwhile, those named in the case—Belmont, councilmen Fred Sciliano and Stephen Mal- fitano, Town Clerk Jacqueline Greer, town justice candidates, Councilman Joseph Cannella and Pasquale Gizzo and incum- bent Town Justice Nelson Can- ter—claimed there was no rea- sonable time given to start the proceedings. Though Dibella dismissed the case, he still addressed Marrac- cini’s charges levied against the Republican slate. According to court papers, both Marraccini and his wife accused some candidates of being implicit in fraud during the procurement of signatures, including failing to administer an oath to residents and altering certain dates. Another charge claimed that Republican dis- trict leaders of the nominating caucus failed to follow prop- er procedures in nominating candidates for their slate back in April. The mayoral hopeful targeted Belmont, who is a notary, for failing to read an oath to vot- ers he was seeking signatures from. According to the court documents, Dibella found that although the mayor “did not PETITION continued on page 11 Judge dismisses petition challenges Harrison Chamber of Commerce back in play By JOHN BRANDI Staff Writer With a renewed sense of pur- pose and some fresh faces, the Harrison Chamber of Commerce is back in a big way with some pro-business initiatives. Holly Sharpe, the new presi- dent of the chamber, is taking over the reigns of an organiza- tion that has lain dormant and has fallen from view for resi- dents and merchants alike. The organization is starting from square one, and although it doesn’t have a physical location yet, it has already mapped out the next two years to spruce up the downtown business district. “With the many events we By JOHN BRANDI Staff Writer Republican mayoral candi- date Philip Marraccini’s efforts to knock off candidates on the Republican and Conservative lines ahead of the GOP mayoral primary has proved unsuccess- ful, as a judge in New York’s Su- preme Court dismissed the case earlier this month. Marraccini, a former Harrison mayor, and his wife, Jayne, each filed objections against several Republican-backed candidates including Mayor Ron Belmont ahead of a September showdown for the right to carry certain lines in the general election. Marrac- cini contested their voter petition efforts to invalidate their chances of appearing on the Conservative and Republican ballot line ahead of the primary. The mayoral candidate said Judge Robert Dibella dismissed the case on the grounds that his physical paperwork didn’t reach those candidates named in the case in time, as the paper- work was shipped overnight on July 23. According to election law, there is a 14-day statute of limitations from the first filing to initial proceedings. In this case, Marraccini’s original objection filings were submitted on July 9. The dead- line would have been 14 days from that, July 23, for those being challenged to receive the notice. Marraccini said passing the deadline represented a service issue and a “fatal defect” pre- venting Dibella from ruling in his favor. Fight to the finish Emily Gjertsen of the Lake Isle Swim Team gets ready to compete on Aug. 6 at the Westchester County Swim Championships. Lake Isle held off a late challenge from Wykagyl to win the county title last week at Rye Playland. For more, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith

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Transcript of Harrison Review 8-14-2015

Page 1: Harrison Review 8-14-2015

August 14, 2015 | Vol. 3, Number 31 | www.harrisonreview.com

Harrison REVIEWTHE

have planned over the next two years, we are hoping that we can succeed in making Harrison a destination shopping experi-ence,” Sharpe said.

The chamber has been around since 1964 and has seen several incarnations depending on who was leading the charge, accord-ing to Sharpe. The organiza-tion morphed from a place that planned special events and com-munity promotions to a more civic-minded pulpit. The presi-dent speculated that since the organization’s executive board is volunteer-based, the organiza-tion lost dedicated members and ran out of steam.

“Over the years, there was a lack of interest, no one [was]

at the helm and [there was] no membership base,” Sharpe said. “Today we have approximately three-fourths of our total mem-ber base who have already joined and we are hoping to reach 100 percent by the end of 2016.”

The chamber, Sharpe said, fizzled about two years ago when it was going through a transition period between presidents.

Sharpe said the chamber’s intended goal is to “help the town’s businesses prosper.” She said this will be a multi-prong approach to push for more park-ing, diversify the district’s shops and increase the restaurant options so there isn’t an exodus from Harrison for goods and services.

“Revitalizing the chamber has given [local merchants and busi-ness owners] the opportunity to spearhead their thoughts and con-tributions with the backing of one organized group who will fight for their needs,” Sharpe said.

To the affect of diversifying the streetscape, the chamber has launched an outreach campaign, which includes a letter-writing effort, to notify and attract differ-ent types of businesses not found in the town’s boundary of vacant storefronts. Sharpe said there are criteria for the type and size of the business, to make sure it could provide much-needed ser-vices while not stepping on the

Follow us on Twitter @harrisonreview

Like us on facebook.com/harrisonreviewCHAMBER continued on page 8

Meanwhile, those named in the case—Belmont, councilmen Fred Sciliano and Stephen Mal-fitano, Town Clerk Jacqueline Greer, town justice candidates, Councilman Joseph Cannella and Pasquale Gizzo and incum-bent Town Justice Nelson Can-ter—claimed there was no rea-sonable time given to start the proceedings.

Though Dibella dismissed the case, he still addressed Marrac-cini’s charges levied against the Republican slate.

According to court papers, both Marraccini and his wife accused some candidates of being implicit in fraud during the procurement of signatures, including failing to administer an oath to residents and altering certain dates. Another charge claimed that Republican dis-trict leaders of the nominating caucus failed to follow prop-er procedures in nominating candidates for their slate back in April.

The mayoral hopeful targeted Belmont, who is a notary, for failing to read an oath to vot-ers he was seeking signatures from. According to the court documents, Dibella found that although the mayor “did not

PETITION continued on page 11

Judge dismisses petition challenges

Harrison Chamber of Commerce back in playBy JOHN BRANDI

Staff Writer

With a renewed sense of pur-pose and some fresh faces, the Harrison Chamber of Commerce is back in a big way with some pro-business initiatives.

Holly Sharpe, the new presi-dent of the chamber, is taking over the reigns of an organiza-tion that has lain dormant and has fallen from view for resi-dents and merchants alike. The organization is starting from square one, and although it doesn’t have a physical location yet, it has already mapped out the next two years to spruce up the downtown business district.

“With the many events we

By JOHN BRANDIStaff Writer

Republican mayoral candi-date Philip Marraccini’s efforts to knock off candidates on the Republican and Conservative lines ahead of the GOP mayoral primary has proved unsuccess-ful, as a judge in New York’s Su-preme Court dismissed the case earlier this month.

Marraccini, a former Harrison mayor, and his wife, Jayne, each filed objections against several Republican-backed candidates including Mayor Ron Belmont ahead of a September showdown for the right to carry certain lines in the general election. Marrac-cini contested their voter petition efforts to invalidate their chances of appearing on the Conservative and Republican ballot line ahead of the primary.

The mayoral candidate said Judge Robert Dibella dismissed the case on the grounds that his physical paperwork didn’t reach those candidates named in the case in time, as the paper-work was shipped overnight on July 23. According to election law, there is a 14-day statute of limitations from the first filing to initial proceedings.

In this case, Marraccini’s original objection filings were submitted on July 9. The dead-line would have been 14 days from that, July 23, for those being challenged to receive the notice.

Marraccini said passing the deadline represented a service issue and a “fatal defect” pre-venting Dibella from ruling in his favor.

Fight to the finishEmily Gjertsen of the Lake Isle Swim Team gets ready to compete on Aug. 6 at the Westchester County Swim Championships. Lake Isle held off a late challenge from Wykagyl to win the county title last week at Rye Playland. For more, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith

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By JACKsON CHENStaff Writer

Scott Yandrasevich, the dis-graced former general manager of the Rye Golf Club, will serve a one-to-three-year sentence in state prison for grand larceny and two counts of falsifying records.

The sentence was handed down on Aug. 6 by Supervis-ing Judge of Criminal Courts Barry Warhit after he denied another request by Yandrasev-ich’s lawyer, Kerry Lawrence, to adjourn the case once again in Westchester County Supreme Court in White Plains. With three charges, the former gen-eral manager will serve each of his one-to-three year sentences concurrently.

Following the sentencing, which was attended by Yandra-seivch’s wife Anna, he was hand-cuffed, escorted out of the court-room and taken into custody.

While the former manager would have received a lower sentence if he paid back resti-tution to the City of Rye, Yan-drasevich was unable to come

Ex-Rye Golf GM sentenced to state prison

After two adjournments, former City of Rye Golf Club General Manager Scott Yandrasevich will serve a sentence of one to three years in state prison for failing to make restitution to the City of Rye in the amount of $271,120. The sentence was handed down in Westchester County Supreme Court in White Plains on Aug. 6, where Yandrasevich, seen here with wife Anna, was handcuffed and taken into custody. Photo/Andrew Dapolite

up with the $271,120 within the time allowed after multiple adjournments. Furthermore, he seemed to show a lack of re-morse, according to prosecutors

with the Westchester County District Attorney’s office.

The former golf club man-ager, according to Warhit, was allowed four months’ time since

the first adjournment on April 9, 2015. As a defense, Yandrase-vich’s attorney said he was un-able to pay up due to the re-cent passing of his mother, who he expected to be a source of restitution.

However, Warhit said that given a four-month timeframe, Yandrasevich’s mother would have given him the money, but didn’t. On top of his mother’s money, the judge added that Yandrasevich made no effort in liquidating his own real estate assets to attempt to reach the restitution amount, leading to his ultimate denial of another adjournment.

“The case was really about decisions and choices that were made,” Warhit said. “It hap-pened over a long period of time and involved many steps on his part, many deceitful acts and of course couple with that under-mining relationships with people who trusted him.

“He had to, in order to pull this off, lied to them all the time, routinely. And he did it for greed and he’s now going to go to state prison as a result.”

In assessing the impact that Yandrasevich had on the city,

Mayor Joe Sack, a Republican testified in court on Aug. 6 that the former golf club manager contributed to a “severe under-mining of trust in our commu-nity, our government in general and has caused turmoil with other issues related to the trust of the City of Rye government.”

In Sack’s eyes, the restitution amount was a far more conser-vative estimation regarding the money he believes Yandrasevich stole from the city during a six-year period—2007 to 2013—in question. According to a Rye City Council commissioned re-port that investigated Yandrase-vich’s actions, the former man-ager may have stolen upwards of $7 million through invoices from a bogus shell company called RM Staffing.

Unable to recoup any of the money to date, the city filed a lawsuit against its own insur-ance company, Travelers, to at-tempt to expedite a $2.1 million insurance claim that has seen no movement since August 2013, back when Yaandrasevich was originally being investigated.

For Leon Sculti, chairman of the Rye Golf Club Commis-sion, Yandrasevich’s sentencing

was representative of the ef-forts of the club’s membership to speak out about the suspicion of wrongdoing initially.

“We had to fight the city manager and the council who did not want this exposed,” Sculti said. “The fact that the Rye Golf Club members could fight through and have a gen-eral manager be found guilty of grand larceny just says a lot about the character of the members.”

Yandrasevich was originally charged with 10 felony counts of falsifying records and one felony count of grand larceny in the second degree after forming several shell staffing companies which allowed him to embezzle approximately $342,120 from the city’s golf club.

The former golf club manag-er, who resigned from the club in January 2013 and was arrest-ed in November of that year, accepted a plea deal on Nov. 6, 2014 and as part of the agree-ment was required to pay resti-tution to the city for the money he stole from the golf club and its members.

CONTACT: [email protected]

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What’s going on...Harrison library events going to “Events & Programs/Juried Art Program”

or contact Dan Briem at the library at [email protected] or 835-0324, or Connie Perrotta at [email protected] or 315-1922.

West Harrison library events

Hours starting Monday, Aug. 3: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thurs-days and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; closed on Sundays.

Story TimeGreat stories, music and fun for ages 1 to 5. No

registration necessary, bring your friends. Mon-days at 10:30 a.m. for 30 minutes.

Mommy and Me YogaCome and participate in a special yoga class

with your baby. Mats and blankets will be provid-ed or you may bring your own. For babies under 12 months and their mother or caregiver. Open to all. On Tuesday, Aug. 25 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Children’s Room. Call 948-2092 to sign up or for more information.

Open Play TimeCome into the library and meet other parents,

grandparents, caregivers and children. Open for children ages 1 to 5. Make new friends, play, read and have fun with some special toys. Meets Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

Crochet and knitting classWant to learn how to knit or crochet a simple

scarf? Join our class. Come anytime between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Bring hooks, needles and yarn or practice with ours. Walk-ins are welcome. No registration needed. Call 948-2092 for more information.

Mahjong classLearn mahjong at the West Harrison Library

every Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Classes for beginners and people who need to refresh their skills. For more information, visit the library or call 948-2092.

Mother Goose TimeSongs, dancing and fun for the little ones ages

3 and under. Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Harrison Recreation

Download brochures and applications for all rec-reation programs, unless stated otherwise, at harri-son-ny.gov. For more in-formation, questions, sug- gestions and/or comments, email [email protected].

Basketball campFor boys and girls third through eighth grade.

Camp runs from Monday, Aug. 17 through Friday, Aug. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Sollazzo Cen-ter at 270 Harrison Ave. Camp will help children develop techniques including ball handling, shoot-ing, dribbling and passing, instructed by Gary Chiarella. Camp fee is $220. Checks can be made payable to the Town/Village of Harrison. Children should be sent to camp with their lunches; lunches will be refrigerated.

Event rentalsAvailable at both the West Harrison Senior An-

nex and the Veteran’s Memorial Building in down-town Harrison, the building rental fee for events is $450 for 5 hours with a $300 security deposit. Add on additional space at either center for $100 plus an additional $100 security deposit. For ques-tions and available dates call 670-3035. To rent the facility, you must have a 2015 Harrison resident identification card.

Volunteer opportunitiesThe Harrison Recreation Department has many

opportunities for high school students through senior citizens to volunteer with youth programs and senior programs. For more information, call 670-3035.

Harrison Senior Center

Harrison has two very active senior citizen clubs sponsored by the Recreation Department.

The West Harrison Group meets on Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. at the Leo Mintzer Senior An-nex Building, located at 251 Underhill Ave., to discuss items of interest, play bingo and discuss activities coming up in the near future.

The Downtown Group meets every Friday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, located at 210 Halstead Ave.

The membership fee for both groups is $24 per year and refreshments are served at gatherings.

There is also a drop-in center at the Harrison Community Center, at 216 Halstead Ave., Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. where you may enjoy television, cards and socializing.

Come by the Tuesday exercise classes from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the community center.

For more information on recreation and social activities, call the Senior Citizen Center at 670-3000 ext. 3172.

South East Consortium

The Harrison Recreation Department is a member of the South East Consortium for Special Services, Inc., a nonprofit organi-zation that provides year-round therapeutic recreation programs for children and adults with disabilities. South East offers a variety of programs and activities designed to devel-op physical, social, cognitive and emotional skills. These programs and services are open to all residents in the member communities. Children and adults are also allowed to par-ticipate in the regular recreation programs if some accommodations are made in coopera-tion with SEC on a case-by-case basis. For more information regarding inclusion pro-

grams, contact the SEC at 698-5232 or visit secrec.org.

Summer Concert Series

The summer concert series ends the season with two more performances. On Wednesday, Aug. 19, rhythm and blues band Reunion will bring the beat on the corners of Thatcher and Halstead Avenues, and on Thursday, Aug. 20, southern rock band Sundown will be playing at the West Harrison Vil-lage Green. Both concerts will begin at 7 p.m. Call the Harrison recreation hotline at 670-3039 for more information.

Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic

Westchester County residents can bring their dogs, cats and ferrets in for free rabies vacci-nations on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the SPCA of Westchester, 590 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor. Call 941-2896, Ext. 10 to schedule a required appointment.

Cats and ferrets must be in carriers and dogs must be on a leash. Aggressive dogs must be muzzled. No examinations will be given and all pets must be supervised by an adult.

Under New York State law, dogs and cats must receive their first rabies vaccine no later than four months after birth. A second rabies shot must be given within one year of the first vaccine, with additional booster shots given every one or three years after that, depending on the vaccine used. Owners who fail to get their pets vaccinated and keep the vaccinations up-to-date may be fined up to $2,000.

Rabies is a fatal disease that is spread through the bite or saliva of infected animals. Those animals most commonly infected are raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes. However, domestic animals such as cats and dogs are also at risk because they can easily contract rabies from wild or stray animals.

A pet that is up-to-date with its rabies vacci-nations would only need to get a booster dose of vaccine within five days of the pet’s expo-sure to a known or suspect rabid animal. Ani-mals not up-to-date with rabies vaccinations would need to be quarantined or potentially euthanized following contact with a rabid or suspect rabid animal.

The Harrison Public Library will be closed for renovations and is scheduled to reopen on Satur-day, Sept. 12, 2015. Visit harrisonpl.org for up-dates and more information.

English conversation group Non-native English speakers can practice their

English and make new friends in an informal, vol-unteer-led setting and learn about the Harrison li-brary, too. No registration necessary. Group meets Mondays from 11 a.m. to noon at Uncle Henry’s Bar and Grill, 309 Halstead Ave.

Wiggle and GiggleOn Tuesdays with Dawny Dew. There will be

two 30-minute sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The event will include songs, puppets, mu-sic and laughs for ages 6 months to 5 years. Spon-sored by the Friends of the Harrison Public Li-brary. Meets at the Harrison Jewish Community Center, 130 Union Ave.

Laptime for BabiesSongs and fingerplays with Miss Claudia. This

20-minute program is specifically designed for non-walkers. Caregiver participation is required. Meets Wednesdays at 11 a.m. at the Harrison Se-nior Center, 216 Halstead Ave.

Movers and ShakersMeets Wednesdays at 10 a.m. for 30 minutes

of songs, rhymes, finger plays, dancing and fun. For ages 1 to 3. At the Harrison Senior Center, 216 Halstead Ave.

Calling all artistsArtists who are interested in exhibiting at the

Harrison Public Library, located at 2 Bruce Ave., for approximately one month during 2016 are in-vited to submit samples of their artwork for review by a Juried Art Committee sponsored by the Har-rison Council for the Arts.

The samples and related items may be submit-ted in person at the library on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015 after 9:30 a.m. and must be picked up the next day, Saturday, Oct. 3, after noon. No sign up or appointment required. Two-dimensional art only is eligible. The samples must include two differ-ent pieces of the actual art, preferably framed, the artist’s resume and 12 copies, all different, of the artist’s work in the form of 35 mm slides, photos or prints.

All entrants will be notified by Monday, Nov. 16, 2015 via U.S. mail. Ten winners will be select-ed, plus three alternates. Choice of month will be on a first come, first served basis—February and March are not available.

For more details, visit harrisonpl.org by

Deadline for our What’s Going On section is every Thursday at noon. Though

space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accommodate your listing. Please send

all items to [email protected].

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Q: What type of relationship, if any, do you have with the current mayor?

A: Back when I was mayor, [Ron Belmont] was in the Recreation Department and I got to know him on a working basis.

Q: How would you describe your experi-ences as town mayor?

A: I think I tended to be hands on. We had a business approach to government, as opposed to a political one. We instituted rea-sonable measures for saving, most notably in the legal area. In addition, we put in place finan-cial controls and financial plan-ning that haven’t been instituted to my knowledge in the town since. We had a five-year finan-cial plan, a five-year capital plan and I was very active in attract-ing businesses into the town not by happenstance. I went out to get MasterCard into Harrison. When I saw they were looking to move into White Plains, I brought them up, gave them a tour and showed them the IBM building that was going to be vacant. It was more being proactive with a result- oriented approach.

Q: What are your priorities, if elected?

A: We have to increase the Harri-son brand and bring back finan-cial stability to the town. People are concerned about the rising property taxes, declining servic-es and decreasing property val-ues. There was an article from Houlihan Lawrence that showed while all the other communities around us were going up, Harri-son property values declined 26 percent. It’s reflective of the fact that we don’t have a town board that’s involved with the planning for the fiscal stability and elevat-ing the brand. We’ve had tax increases that are within the tax cap, but that’s not something I’d necessar-ily beat my chest about when there’s pot holes in the roads, when there’s a reduction in the workforce that compromises services. All of the things that make this a premier community to live in have eroded over time. It’s not easy, it’s not going to be done overnight, but we need to have a plan in place.

Q: As development continues to dominate Harrison’s downtown landscape, like the Playhouse Lofts and 249 Halstead Ave.,

this is ushering in an unprecedented buildup of Halstead and Harrison ave-nues. If elected, how would your adminis-tration ensure smart development, while also adhering to the concerns of residents in the Purchase and West Harrison areas that would like to retain a farm-like community?

A: I would have an architectural plan of what our business district should look like. I would have a streamlined process through our Building Department that would encourage development that is consistent with that plan. If you take a look at how our business district develops, it doesn’t de-velop according to anything but happenstance. There’s no longevity. You have to see what draws people to the downtown and right now there’s nothing. This development at the train station [Avalon Harrison] is not going to draw people into town; it’s going to have a negative ef-fect. When there’s intensive residential development, that puts the biggest strain on our services. Part of what the town has is

Q: It is extremely unusual for a sitting mayor to face a primary challenge. How surprising was it to hear that Philip Mar-raccini was back in the fold?

A: It was surprising to realize and to find out he was challenging me in the primary.

Q: What type of relationship, if any, do you have with the former mayor?

A: We’ve always had a good rela-tionship. I was superintendent of [recreation] when he was mayor, so we’ll just let it go at that.

Q: What do you remember of his tenure as Harrison’s mayor?

A: I’d rather not talk about the past.

Q: How would you describe your experi-ences as mayor?

A: I think it’s been great. I started calling residents last night, and my wife was helping me, the re-sponse was overwhelmingly posi-tive. My people don’t know why this [primary] is happening, but it’s all part of the political process. Ma Riis Park has been reju-

venated, the library is going to open Sept. 12, that was a great combination of the community, a private individual and the town pooling all the resources to-gether. Verizon FiOS is in town, no other mayor could do that. I don’t boast my accomplish-ments, but FiOS, I started that before I was sworn in and we got it done. The Metro-North proj-ect, it has been in existence for 20-plus years, everyone wanted to do something there, but noth-ing was ever done. It got done. I’ll be a lot happier when I cut the ribbon and people start living there, but we’re on our way. These are some of the things that I’ve done, but I don’t say “I”, I say “we” because some people don’t like the way I govern, where everyone’s in-volved. Fred Sciliano’s been involved, he’s a construction guru, he’s been involved with the library, he’s there two, three times a week. Negotia-tions, [Councilman] Cannella has experience with that. When it comes to finances,

that’s [Councilman] Mal-fitano’s forte. Councilwoman Amelio has her specialties, the downtown revitilization efforts that have been done. Our bond rating has gone up three points, now it’s a AA1, hopefully maybe we can get triple A.

Q: What are your priorities going forward if you are re-elected to a third term?

A: I’m going to try and help everyone, and that’s huge. If you live in an area that floods, that’s a priority for you. It’s got to be a priority for me. We’ve done some small flood relief projects; we’re still waiting to do the big ones. We’re in final design for those, once those are done and working with the army corps of engineers, that’s a reality. If you’re a business owner downtown, our business dis-trict needs to be rejuvenated. It looks the same as it did 20 years ago, so it’s in the process

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Editor-in-Chief | Christian Falconeext. 19, [email protected]

Sports Editor | Mike Smithext. 22, [email protected]

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Staff WritersChris Eberhart, Jackson Chen,

James Pero

Staff PhotographerBobby Begun

ColumnistsRon Belmont, Tonia Tagliaferro

HarrisonTHE

REVIEW 5

Ron Belmont

AgE: 62FAmily: Married; two children, Michelle and Matthew StAtuS: IncumbentPolitiCAl AFFiliAtion: Non-affiliated PolitiCAl ExPERiEnCE: Four years as mayor/supervisor of Town/Village of HarrisonCommunity AFFiliAtionS: Former supervisor for the Department of Recreation for 20 yearsyEARS in HARRiSon: Lifelong resident

File photo

Philip marraccini

AgE: 64FAmily: Wife, Jayne; three daughters, Toni, Maggie and ChristiStAtuS: ChallengerPolitiCAl AFFiliAtion: Registered RepublicanCuRREnt EmPloymEnt: Aviation consulting and legal workPolitiCAl ExPERiEnCE: Former town mayor, 1994-1998; served on airport advisory boardCommunity AFFiliAtionS: Knights of Columbus, a former member of the Harrison Zoning Board of AppealsyEARS in HARRiSon: Lifelong resident

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BElMONT continued on page 11

MARRACCINI continued on page 10

Republican primary mayoral candidates

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August 14, 2015 • THE HARRIsON REvIEw • 7

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8 • The harrison review • August 14, 2015

Upcoming events and reminders

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a sneak preview of the nearly completed Harrison Public Library. It was wonder-ful to see the incredible transfor-mation. The rehabbed structure is a fantastic example of com-munity and municipal govern-ment working together toward a defined goal. The new and improved library, which is set to open mid-September, has sepa-rate adult and children’s sec-tions, an expanded collection of books and materials, a com-munity meeting room and new computer technology.

The design for this facility highlights the importance and benefits of maintaining an up-to-date community and cultural center. The improved accom-modations are a wonderful ex-ample of this trend. The features are impressive and I’m sure that the library will be regarded as a premier property in our commu-nity, advancing our slogan, “It’s Great to Live in Harrison.” New programs will provide a broad appeal and these additions, combined with a facility of this

caliber, has the potential to draw newcomers to our town. I look forward to watching the library provide our community with a meeting place that offers won-derful informational and educa-tional opportunities.

While the library remains closed, Harrison residents are encouraged to utilize library services at the West Harrison branch. Patrons are invited to learn more, follow the renova-tion progress, and participate in the transformation of the library by visiting harrisonpl.org/reno-vation, signing up for our email newsletter, and following the li-brary on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit har-risonpl.org or call 835-0324.

I am happy to announce that the Harrison Food Pantry has been awarded two grants by the Hunger Prevention and Nutri-tion Assistance Program. Both grants will be used to make bulk purchases at the Food Bank for Westchester. The mis-sion of Harrison’s Food Pantry is to address health-related is-sues by meeting the needs of nutritionally challenged mem-bers of our community. Our food pantry operates as a client choice pantry, allowing those in

need to gain access to healthy provisions. For additional in-formation about Harrison’s Food Pantry, please call our Community Services Depart-ment at 670-3026/3028.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to suggest that all residents examine the trees on their property, checking for dead or diseased limbs. Dur-ing inclement weather, damaged trees can fall on homes and util-ity lines, causing power outages and property damage. Before storm season arrives, it would be prudent for homeowners to prune trees and trim, cut back or tie up any unhealthy offshoots. In the same fashion, please make sure to trim bushes and flower-ing shrubs that impede neighbor-hood sidewalks. Unruly plant-ings often cause people to walk in the street, creating a danger-ous situation for motorists and pedestrians.

The next “Lunch with the Mayor” is on Friday, Aug. 14 and I will be at Sophia’s lo- cated at 212 Harrison Ave. in downtown Harrison from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and I look forward to meeting with residents and talking about is-sues facing our community.

toes of well-established niche businesses that already call the town home.

The idea is to also raise vis-ibility of the organization and the 20 participating businesses. Sharpe said the chamber has two possible upcoming events in the months ahead. Those in-clude events to draw residents out onto the main thoroughfare where merchants can sell their crafts, food and display their services to drum up a base of support. The first of these events is called “Marketplace” and is set to run sometime in September. Another event, coinciding with “It’s Great to Live in Harrison,” is a restau-rant pub crawl in the midst of Columbus Day weekend.

Other long-term events in-clude a farmers market set to begin in spring 2016, business networking opportunities and a “first Fridays” campaign, the details of which have yet to be sorted out, according to Sharpe.

Meanwhile, Sharpe has been keeping an eye on the upcoming election cycle and said she hopes whoever holds the title of mayor next focus on pro-business approaches, in-cluding “easier documentation and systems for businesses

filling vacant storefronts, less red tape and more simplified upstart.”

“Breaking down the road-blocks and barriers to business should be the first order of busi-ness regardless of who is in of-fice,” Sharpe said.

The chamber president said the current administration has been supportive of the cham-ber’s resurgence. Mayor Ron Belmont, a Republican, said although the chamber operates on its own, his administration is there for whatever assistance the organization may need in terms of signage, parking or sanitation.

However, the success of small businesses may not hinge upon the chamber, as NerdWal-let, a consumer-driven and fi-nancial analysis website, ana-lyzed U.S. Census data and recently released a list ranking Harrison—out of 83 commu-nities in New York—as a top contender to set up shop. Har-rison was ahead of its neighbor, White Plains, with both claim-ing the fifth and sixth spots, respectively.

“We’re always looking for things to help development; you don’t get [the distinction] of top [five] places to do business

in the state for nothing,” Bel-mont, who is up for re-election this year, said.

Philip Marraccini, Belmont’s opponent in the upcoming Sep-tember Republican primary, disagreed with the incumbent mayor’s efforts and said the town currently lacks any com-prehensive business plan.

“There’s nothing to encour-age growth,” Marraccini, a for-mer mayor, said.

However, Marraccini said he was supportive of an active chamber and thought collabo-ration among businesses is an important step to building a healthy business district. He previously told the Review that one of his campaign priorities would be to establish a cham-ber for the businesses in the Sil-ver Lake area.

Elizabeth Schaper, the Dem-ocratic mayoral candidate, said it’s important for an organiza-tion like the chamber to exist where businesses can address their concerns and needs.

“Having a strong chamber can foster growth, while at-tracting news businesses and reinforcing the businesses that are already here,” she said.

CONTACT: [email protected]

CHAMBER from page 1

The Harrison Chamber of Commerce has once again come alive after an extended dormant period, with new initiatives to spur local business growth on Halstead and Harrison avenues. Pictured are Holly Sharpe, chamber president, right, and Brenda Maeda, the chamber’s vice president and owner of Hair Creations. Photo courtesy Holly Sharpe

have a news tip? ContaCt john brandi [email protected]

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August 14, 2015 • THE HARRIsON REvIEw • 9

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10 • The harrison review • August 14, 2015

NOTICE OF SALESTATE OF NEW YORK EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES

SALE OF REAL PROPERTYPursuant to Section 33 of the Public Lands Law and Findings of the Commissioner of General Services in the Executive Department of the State of New York dated, July 13, 2015, I shall offer for sale at public auction all the right, title and interest of the People of the State of New York in and to the following improved parcels, at the place and time indi-

cated or at such other place and time to which the sale may be adjourned:

All that certain piece or parcel of land known as 3031 Purchase Street, located in the Town of Harrison, County of Westchester. The property consists of an improved 9,300 square foot single-family residence on a 3.51± acre lot.

The property is identified on the Town of Harrison Tax Map as Parcel ID 0672.-2.

Place of Auction: Purchase College, State University of New York Student Services Building, First Floor, Room 0129 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York 10577

Date and Time of Auction: Thursday, September 17, 2015 at Noon

Minimum Bid: $1,300,000.00Deposit: $130,000.00 in certified check or bank draft only, and made payable to the “Commissioner of General Services,” or the bidder.

Additional Deposit: A non-refundable amount which, with the initial deposit, constitutes 10% of the successful bid, said amount is payable within ten business days of notification of acceptance of bid.

Balance Due: 120 days after notification of acceptance of bid.

Broker’s Commission: A 5% broker commission will be paid by the State of New York to a qualified real estate broker who represents the successful bidder. Bidder and Broker Affidavits must be submitted to the Office of General Services, Legal Services, by close of business 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2015.

Other important terms and conditions are applicable to this sale, including, but not limited to bond defeasance, broker commission and pre-registration, bidder pre-qualification, auction bidding through authorized representative, and forfeiture and default provisions. See Public Lands Law Section 33 as well as 9 NYCRR § 276. To obtain a copy of the Contract of Sale with applicable terms and conditions, together with a copy of a more detailed description of the premises, call (518) 474-2195 or write to: State of New York, Office of General Services, Bureau of Land Management, 26th Floor, Corning Tower, The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12242. Web site: www.ogs.ny.gov

NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF GENERAL SERVICES

Dated: July 13, 2015 _________________________________ By: RoAnn M. Destito, Commissioner

legal notice

a fiduciary responsibility to hold the developer’s feet to the fire. What is our plan for Westchester Avenue? I’d like to see a use that is consistent with the community, consistent with taking advantage of the ability to have traffic on and off of I-287 and something that is going to generate revenue, most notably sales tax revenue.

Q: Development is also highlighting some inconsistencies in the zoning code, with the town board having to issue special exception uses with projects that move forward. This is especially important as precedents are being set with the Play-house Lofts, a five-to-six story allowance in a Central Business District that only al-lows four stories. If elected, what can your administration do to bring about uniform use and height in certain zones?

A: You have to take a look at all of the regulations in town. The Building Department doesn’t have the resources to help with enforcement, or to help with ex-ecution on the codes that exist. You have to look at the regulatory process and what regulations can be paired down. I think you have to look at how you can streamline that whole process in the Building Depart-ment to expedite conforming de-velopment. Take a look at our signage, we have banners that say “we accept EBT,” to neon signs. There’s no brand to the town. First brand it and then elevate that brand.

Q: For a time, the Chamber of Commerce in Harrison fell by the wayside and went inactive. What could be done to ensure that the new, revitalized efforts, started in April of this year, are sustained and Harrison grows a stronger business com-munity? Are there any business initia-tives that could foster a healthier busi-ness district?

A: What the businesses need are customers. We have very few non-service businesses in the town. You really need to put into place, to help this chamber grow, someone who will listen to [businesses’] needs and that will help them achieve what they have to achieve.

Q: Parking is another major concern for residents as seen with the high turnout

and initial backlash over the implemen-tation of a residential parking permit system earlier this year. What would be some of your plans to address parking headaches in the town? Would you like to see other areas of the town, such as West Harrison, enact a similar residential parking model?

A: I have a plan to be instituted rather quickly to increase park-ing significantly, but I think it needs more study from a traffic flow perspective before it could be implemented. I understand the reasoning behind the residential permit system. It’s going to be in-teresting to see how they’re going to enforce that. It’s nice to put the rules in place but when you keep cutting employees and staff, and now you have to patrol a signifi-cant area of town, what resources are going to be used to patrol that area. You add another complexity to the town government.

Q: What accomplishments as mayor are you most proud of? What do you see as the town’s biggest failure during your tenure?A: One of the big things we brought was fiscal stability to the town; we were able to make tough decisions that had long-range benefits. Most weren’t put into place because I wasn’t in office to see them through. We had a plan to improve the town’s infrastructure. The Glea-son Place [DPW garage] still needs to be done to be Occupa-tional Safety and Health Admin-istration-compliant and to provide a working environment that’s safe and reasonable for the employees that work hard for the town. We had plans in place for a garage fa-cility up in West Harrison as well. When you look at the fact that all of our DPW trucks get dispatched from Gleason to go to West Har-rison, that’s not an efficient way to operate our business. I think I’m most proud of having that stability to elevate the town. When you can’t maintain what you have, you’re really taking away from the brand of Harrison.

Q: Avalon Harrison, a proposed 143-unit, mixed-use development alongside Harri-son’s Metro-North train station, is going to be a hot topic in the months ahead. This is especially true with the recent

addition of seven units of affordable housing—a controversial subject in Har-rison—added to the plan. Do you think there needs to be more affordable housing options in the town and which locations are suitable?

A: Harrison has been criticized [over affordable housing] and I don’t know what that definition is or what they mean. I don’t think we should be mandated to put low-cost housing anywhere. I think the town is looking to im-pose low-cost housing standards on the community, but I don’t think that benefits the town or its brand. I think somebody has to undertake a study, is there reason-able cost, housing opportunities in Harrison. I would suggest there are. I don’t think there has been a study to show how many Section 8 tenants we have here, but I know our food pantry is a robust busi-ness. I don’t know if there’s been a study to say, Harrison is unique with the number of two-family homes, are those being counted in the pool of affordable units? I may suggest we may have met our bur-den already if you count those units.

Q: Transparency is always in the fore-ground during an election cycle with many candidates touting it as a cam-paign platform. How will you respond to old criticism that your tenure wasn’t the most open—citing in particular, a 1997 New York Times article claiming there were denial of requests for details about municipal contracts and expenditures un-der the Freedom of Information Act and failure to disclose the agenda of town meetings ahead of time. How can you ensure voters that things will be different this time around?

A: At the time, there was nothing ever substantiated about that ar-ticle. I can tell you [those claims] were not true. We had one of the most transparent administrations I think out of any administration that’s ever been. This [current] administration, there is no trans-parency and I can suggest that the mayor is not even the guy in charge of the town board.

At this point in time, I’m not running with a team, with a ticket. I’m running for the people of Harrison. I’m not beholden to anybody and I have an interest in making sure that everything is open and transparent.

MARRACCINI from page 6

5

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August 14, 2015 • THE HARRIsON REvIEw • 11

of changing. The amount of shops and restaurants that have opened in the last four years is unbelievable, because there’s confidence back in town. Another priority is getting rid of zombie houses, but when it comes to government, everything’s a process. We need a new court-house, the [downtown] recreation center is 106 years old, the recre-ation center in West Harrison is nearly 100 years old. So these are things that have to get done. Our DPW garage needs to get done. Our police station took over a school [more than 30] years ago. We could really use a new police station, we’ve outgrown it.

Q: Development continues to dominate Har-rison’s downtown landscape, like the Play-house Lofts and 249 Halstead Ave., ushering in an unprecedented buildup of Halstead and Harrison avenues. If re-elected, how would your administration ensure smart develop-ment, while also adhering to the concerns of residents in the Purchase and West Harrison areas that would like to retain a farm-like community?

A: Development is good. We’re going to do it reasonably, that’s why we have a planning and zon-ing board, so we get it done in the right fashion. If we don’t develop, we’re going to dry up on the vine because we have to expand our tax base. We’re trying to develop downtown Harrison and we’re trying to bring people there. We have to get our shops going, our restaurants going. Port Chester did it. Mamaroneck did it—it’s booming now. But those areas took 20 years, it didn’t happen overnight. The development plan is to start moving slow and keep moving in a positive direction. The other area that has to be developed is Westchester Avenue. Right now it’s empty office space, and office complexes are history. To put luxury, one-to-two-bed-room and studio apartments there makes sense to me. It’ll widen our tax base and keep our services where they are. The infrastruc-ture, sewer and roads are there, it just needs to be re-purposed.

Q: Development is also highlighting some inconsistencies in the zoning code, with the town board having to issue special excep-tion uses with certain projects that move forward. This is especially important as

BElMONT from page 6 precedents are being set with the Play-house Lofts, a five-to-six story allowance in a Central Business District that only allows four stories. What can your administration do to bring about uniform use and height in certain zones, or is there a plan to ex-amine the zoning code and make amend-ments in the future?

A: We study everything, and as I mentioned earlier, I have complete faith in the planning and zoning boards. It’s examined constantly, we look at everything. Everything has to be very specific and every-thing is looked at individually.

Q: For a time, the Harrison Chamber of Commerce fell by the wayside and went inactive. What can be done to ensure that the new, revitalized efforts, started in April of this year, are sustained and Harrison grows a stronger business community? Are there any business initiatives that can foster a healthier business district?

A: We’re going to work very closely with the chamber. Holly [Sharpe], the president, is a great person and she’s not even a busi-ness owner in town, she just cares about Harrison. My thing is, I try to work with someone on whatever they need—be it sig-nage, parking or sanitation—but I would always work with the chamber and the businesses in town. I don’t want to govern the chamber, they’re on their own, but if they ask me for something, I’d try to get it done.

Q: Parking is another major concern for residents. What are some of your plans to address parking headaches in the town? Would you like to see other areas of the town, such as West Harrison, enact a simi-lar residential parking model?

A: When it comes to parking, what I tell people is: it’s not that there’s not enough parking spots, there’s just too many cars. When I grew up, there were five of us and we had one car. Today, there’d be five cars. It’s a problem. For the parking system, it’s moving forward. Permits are being issued, but the signs have not gone up yet. It’s not going into effect until after Labor Day. We tried to do the same thing in West Harrison, but the problem with parking is it has to be a state initiative. We can’t just make parking rules and regulations; it has to come from Albany. The boundary for Harrison [was] in the attorney general’s office and no one addressed it, so I got in-

volved and now it’s a reality. It may not work, but we’re trying new initiatives. We have to try new things. The easiest thing to do would be to say, don’t park on the streets at night, but that can’t happen. So we’re trying to do the best we can. If we had no overnight parking in the town, sanitation and snow plowing would be much easier.

Q: What accomplishments as mayor are you most proud of? What do you see as the town’s biggest failure during your tenure?

A: I just think the positive outlook people now have of the town. Ev-erything else leads to that—the bond rating, FiOS, Avalon Har-rison and development—flow and the positive atmosphere that people want to live here. Other communities envy us now. When I first became mayor, we went to other towns to look at sani-tation, snow plowing and the police cameras. Now, people are coming here to see how Harrison mulches and looking at our police cameras, and finding out what we’re doing because we’re on the cutting edge of getting things done.

Q: Avalon Harrison, a proposed 143-unit, mixed-use development alongside Har-rison’s Metro-North train station, is going to be a hot topic in the months ahead. Is your administration softening its stance on affordable housing and is there more to come? Do you think there needs to be more affordable housing options in the town and which locations are suitable?

A: We’re studying every locality of every development. We’re al-ways exploring options, as part of the [federal] mandate, and we’ll keep exploring options.

Q: Transparency is always in the fore-ground during an election cycle with many candidates touting it as campaign plat-form. Grade your efforts at transparency since taking office in 2011.

A: I think it’s an A+. I have a weekly column, I call people on the phone—we hide nothing. What we do is out there. My of-fice is always open; I mean that’s part of the reason why I’m al-ways late on things, people walk in and out all day. I think that’s why our meetings go by quickly; people don’t come to the micro-phone. They don’t have to come to a town board meeting to see me and address an issue.

act in a manner consistent with election law…there was no clear and convincing evidence of any fraudulent intent sufficient to warrant [an] invalidation of the entire designating petition.”

A notary doesn’t specifically have to administer a specific oath, but does have to state one that would “awaken the con-science and impress the mind” of the registered voter, according to election law.

Another charge was that the Republican leadership botched their nominating process in April when candidates came in

PETITION from page 1 to present their cases and district leaders cast their votes on whom to endorse.

Marraccini previously told the Review he had some trouble dur-ing the nominating caucus, but declined to discuss the matter further.

Though the judge said the leadership—specifically Repub-lican Committee Chairman Bob Amelio—erred in “the appro-priate course of conduct in the formalities of the meeting and taking the vote,” the judge found that it did not escalate to be con-sidered fraudulent.

With all of the charges dis-missed by Dibella, Marraccini

said he was shocked by the de-cision, but ultimately he has de-cided not to file an appeal.

“The next step is to not do anything that would take up more time and energy,” Marrac-cini said. “Now [it’s time] to get ready for the primary, which is four weeks away.”

The next step is to set up a campaign website and engage more on social media, according to Marraccini, but those details have yet to be sorted out, as of press time.

Belmont could not be reached for comment, as of press time.

CONTACT: [email protected]

Harrison mayoral candidate Philip Marraccini’s efforts to challenge voter petitions gathered by the town’s Republican slate have been dismissed in state Supreme Court. Photo/John Brandi

Chuck is a great dog for first-time owners, around one-and-a-half years old and 55 lbs. He is house trained and likes all types of dogs and people, though he chooses to ignore cats. Chuck goes happily to his crate on request and sleeps well through the night in his crate. Fireworks didn’t phase him at all, nor do thunderstorms. Chuck is fun, adoring and strikingly handsome. He likes to walk and loves the dog park and playing with other dogs. Chuck is neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm tested and micro-chipped. Why not donate $300 to Larchmont Pet Rescue for this gem of a dog. To learn more, please call 834-6955 or visit NY-PetRescue.org. (Submitted)

5

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12 • The harrison review • August 14, 2015

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Page 13: Harrison Review 8-14-2015

August 14, 2015 • THE HARRIsON REvIEw • 13

P U B L I S H E S

Don’t sacrifice a good time and the opportunity to stockpile hap-py memories.

Dear Tonia:I love sales but I’ve noticed

that I hardly ever wear what I buy. I have many things in my closet with tags still on them and wonder why I ever bought them in the first place. Either I don’t know what to wear with it or I save it for a special occasion. When I find it in the back of my closet, I often hate it when I try it on or it doesn’t fit or look good on me, then I’m stuck with it. How do I resist a bargain?

F.T., Pelham

Dear F.T.:Take advantage of buying on

sale, but don’t buy just because of price. Buy only what you like, what fits properly, and what you can wear year-round. Avoid buy-ing trendy items at any price—even designers make mistakes—and invest in timeless, classic styles. Look for quality in jeans, black pants, skirts and basic layer-ing tops with different necklines. You don’t want to look the same every day in a different color so avoid buying more than two of the same style. Be sure to check the return policy. Use good judgment and if in doubt, leave it out.

Retail therapy can be benefi-cial but don’t become obsessed with bargain hunting for items

just because you are seeking out low prices. You will not only ac-cumulate a house full of stuff but a big, fat credit card bill as well. If you don’t pay off your credit card every month and are accru-ing interest, calculate how much that item actually costs you and that will help in resisting a bar-gain. The sensible way to bar-gain hunt is to know exactly what you want before you even start looking or you’re just wast-ing money; unless you are going to profit from reselling the item.

Dear Tonia:What’s the rule of thumb for

wearing skinny jeans?C.L., Rye

Dear C.L.:Although skinny jeans may

be in style, it’s not flattering for women with fuller hips or back-side. A narrow leg will make the hips look wider and tend to make the look top-heavy. A bootcut jean would be a better choice. Keep in mind that if your pant leg is narrow, wear a longer, full-er top. If your pant is full, wear a shorter, more fitted top.

Dear Tonia:I have put on weight over the

years and hate being invited any-where because it’s so stressful to figure out what to wear or what fits, so I usually decline. Later, I regret it, especially when I see photos or hear others tell me what a great time they had. I’m also tired of making excuses. How can I get out of this rut?

E.R., Mamaroneck

Dear E.R.:What a shame to sacrifice a

happy occasion and the opportu-nity to reunite with people who are a part of your life. Every minute is worth living. Don’t miss a life experience because you have nothing to wear. That’s why we are here: to experience joy and awe and the good things life has to offer.

Ideally, a woman should as-sess herself, her wardrobe and her look, at the very least, every decade. Do a check-in and see what can be better. It’s a con-scious way to live and a beauti-ful way to grow. Everyone has a blind spot and there is always something to work on. Seek help from an expert. You’re worth the time and money it takes to feel better about yourself.

Resisting bargains and the skinny on getting out of a rut

Tonia Tagliaferro is a fashion stylist. For questions and

advice, you can contact her at [email protected]. And for more information,

visit artofdressing.net.

www.hometwn.com | 200 William St., Port Chester, N.Y. | (914) 653-1000

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Page 14: Harrison Review 8-14-2015

14 • The harrison review • August 14, 2015 SPORTS

I’m sure the 14-year-old me would cringe if he heard me admit it, but I have to say, I can’t wait for the school year to start up again.

I love summer, I always have. When I was a kid, summer al-ways meant no homework, no responsibilities and long, lazy days playing endless games of stickball in the street.

Of course now that I’m an adult (in theory anyway), sum-mertime doesn’t mean quite what it used to. Sure, I’ll take the occasional trip to Jones Beach, maybe I’ll sneak out of work a little bit early on a Friday after-noon to go catch a ball game, but ultimately, the change in my day-to-day routine isn’t quite as drastic as it was 15 years ago.

As someone whose job de-pends heavily on the rhythm of the high school sports sched-ule, what I miss most during the

Legends of the fallsummer months is the sense of urgency.

On Aug. 17, the 2015 fall campaign officially kicks off, as varsity players from all over the county report for their first taste of preseason workouts. But as much as players may secretly be dreading the start of two-a-day practices, for me, it’s like New Year’s Day.

On Aug. 1, I headed over to New Rochelle High School to watch a few local teams compete at the Huguenots’ annual Cham-pions Camp, one final summer football event before the mid-Au-gust start date. Just being on the field, watching teams like New Rochelle, Harrison and Eastches-ter square off against one another, got me absolutely amped up for the next few months.

Within the realm of high school sports, football is a unique animal. Because it’s played just once a week and most teams, in general, have only eight or nine regular season games each year, every contest

takes on more significance. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen some great games across every sport: playoff soccer nail-biters, back-and-forth sectional tennis matches and extra-inning base-ball games. But on a week-to-week basis, there’s not much that can compare to football.

I saw it at Champions Camp, with every player on each team giving maximum effort on ev-ery rep, knowing full well that the work they were putting in on a 95-degree day in August could pay off if the team found itself playing in Mahopac come November.

So yeah, the summer is fine. Barbecues, sunshine and roof parties are a perfectly acceptable way to spend your time. But I’d much rather be on the sidelines, watching our young athletes go all-out on the weekends.

And really, I can’t believe that I get paid to do that.

Follow Mike on Twitter @LiveMike_Sports

On Aug. 1, local football teams took the field at New Rochelle’s Champions Camp. The weeklong event served as an appetizer for the upcoming fall season. Photo/Mike Smith

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Page 15: Harrison Review 8-14-2015

August 14, 2015 • THE HARRIsON REvIEw • 15SPORTSLake Isle takes county title

By MIKE sMITHSports Editor

On Aug. 6, the Lake Isle Swim and Dive team took the title at the 90th annual West-chester County Swim Champi-onships, holding off a late charge by Wykagyl Country Club to outpoint the second place finish-er 301-253. The victory—Lake Isle’s first since 2012—may also mark the end of the long-running swim meet, as its future remains uncertain.

Heading into the final day of the competition, Lake Isle held a 57-point lead over Wykagyl, which proved to be more than enough, as the Eastchester club was buoyed by strong perfor-mances from some of its relay teams to stay perched atop the standings.

“I was happy with our lead coming into the last day, but Wykagyl had outscored us the previous two nights,” Lake Isle coach Kevin Lavelle said. “I was still confident that we would be able to win.”

In fact, Lavelle was confi-dent in his team’s chances even before the event kicked off on July 27. With a strong group of returning swimmers in each age group, Lavelle thought his

team might have a chance to un-seat last year’s champions from Greenburgh.

“We had strong swimmers whose ages fell right on those years,” Lavelle said. “Instead of having strong 11-year-olds com-peting against 12-year-olds, they were the 12-year-olds.”

The return of 13-year-old Nick Torres, who did not swim with Lake Isle last summer, also paid huge dividends for the team. Torres set three county re-cords last week in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard backstroke events.

He also helped Lake Isle’s 13-and-under 200-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay teams set new pool records.

“He has been one of our better swimmers for a few years now,” Lavelle said. “And seeing him set these records as a 13-year-old, we knew what a great swim-mer he was.”

Lake Isle’s relay teams proved to be the difference-maker this year, and Lavelle attributes his squad’s success to the familiar-ity his swimmers have with one another.

“The fact that they swim to-

gether, some of them even in the winter, definitely helps especial-ly in the transitions,” the head coach said. “You know how your teammate is going to finish and they’re close-knit; they feed off each other.”

Although Lake Isle is cur-rently enjoying the win, Lavelle said that he hopes his team has the chance to defend its title in 2016. Considering the un-known future of the Playland Pool—with a new manage-ment company in line to take over operations—which hosts

the final week of competition and the retirement of several key Westchester County Swim-ming Association officials, it remains unclear whether or not last week’s event marked the culmination of the 90-year-old tradition.

“Hopefully this isn’t the last one,” Lavelle said. “I swam in this event, a lot of the coaches and officials did too, so hopeful-ly we can work something out for next year to keep this going.”

CONTACT: [email protected]

Kimberly Wei of the Rye Golf Club participates in the 10-and-under 50-yard butterfly event on Aug. 6.

Chris Torres of Lake Isle gets set to swim his leg of the 13-and-under 200-yard freestyle relay. Torres and the Lake Isle team set a new meet record with a time of 1:43.94.

A Lake Isle swimmer competes in the girls 13-and-under 200-yard freestyle relay at Playland on Aug. 6. Lake Isle’s strong relay teams helped the squad win the 90th annual Westchester County Swim Championships.

A swimmer from the Pelham Country Club competes in a relay event at Playland. Photos/Mike Smith

Page 16: Harrison Review 8-14-2015

16 • The harrison review • August 14, 2015