LOCAL POLITICS NEVER SLEEPS

THIS WAS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES:


Square Feet
Peekskill Finds New Use for an Old Landfill

By ELSA BRENNER
Published: August 1, 2007


Peekskill, an economically struggling city 40 miles north of Manhattan on the Hudson River, has formed a partnership with a private developer to cap an 11-acre former municipal landfill and build the city’s first Class A office space in decades.
Peekskill, for centuries a vibrant center of trade for a variety of goods from iron stoves to hats, fell onto hard times in the late 1990s, when unemployment and poverty soared and commercial and retail development departed for cities closer to Manhattan, like White Plains.
“Hopefully, this project represents the closure of one era in our city and the beginning of another,” said Brian Havranek, Peekskill’s director of planning.
This is not the first effort to build atop the landfill, Mr. Havranek said. A local company had considered building its headquarters over the dump several years ago but backed out at the last minute.
Under the latest deal, which has been more than two years in the making, William Eichengrum, a developer based in Cortlandt, will erect a $45 million two-building office complex on the former dump, which sits next to the Annsville Creek, a scenic waterway popular with kayakers that leads into the Hudson River. The city is supplying the land and tax incentives.
Construction is to begin in October now that 50 percent of the north building has been leased, Mr. Eichengrum said. Named Hudson View (the upper floors of the buildings overlook a portion of the Annsville Creek that winds past Peekskill), the office park is expected to be ready for occupancy in 2009.
The two buildings will be glass and steel, and each will offer 93,000 square feet of office space. Mr. Eichengrum’s development partnership, called 9 Corporate Drive Peekskill Development, will lease packets of office space 5,000 square feet and larger. He expects that large New York City firms might use the building for back-office operations like data processing and payroll and that lawyers, doctors and other professionals would set up their primary offices there.
In the past, Mr. Eichengrum has specialized in buying and upgrading mixed-use properties and residential sites, like the Forest Green Cooperative Apartments in Islip on Long Island. The Peekskill project represents his first venture in new office construction.
The project, which was approved by the city’s planning commission on July 10, is being designed by Warshauer Mellusi Warshauer Architects, a 50-year-old family business in Hawthorne. The architects expect that the buildings — four and five stories — will be certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program of the United States Green Building Council.
“To be green is to be in vogue,” said Gary Warshauer, one of the principals in the architecture firm.
The structures, which will use geothermal heating and cooling and have photovoltaic rooftop panels to produce electricity from solar energy, are expected to reduce tenants’ costs by 40 percent, he said. The buildings have also been designed to limit the amount of water consumed, with high-efficiency plumbing. Outdoors, trees and shrubs were chosen for their erosion-control benefits, the architect said.
Because the site is a former city landfill — it closed in the mid 1970s — the project will be eligible for state tax breaks. In turn, the developer expects to charge annual rents of about $24 a square foot not including electricity, compared with $30 a square foot or more for comparable Class A office space in the central business district of White Plains.
Under the state’s Environmental Quality Bond Act, the city will receive $2 million to help pay for the costs of capping the landfill, which are estimated at $8.1 million.
Frank LaVardera, a principal with Clough Harbour & Associates, an engineering and consulting firm in Albany that has been hired by the developer, said the project was helped by the fact that the landfill is flat. “It’s not your classic characteristic large mound that you see in most landfills,” he said. “In this case, the topographic configuration lends itself to what we’re planning.”
The former landfill was used for the disposal of household and municipal solid waste — but not toxic materials — from the 1930s to 1974, when it was covered with about two feet of soil, which was the requirement at that time.
Now, Peekskill is under a consent order from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to seal the landfill. The current project has been designed in collaboration with the State Energy Research Development Authority.
As part of the incentive to develop the property, Mr. Eichengrum will make payments in lieu of taxes to the city and be entitled to sales and mortgage tax exemptions. Under the agreement with Peekskill’s industrial development agency, he will pay $65,000 a year in taxes for five years, and then $68,000 yearly for the next five years. The taxes will gradually increase for 20 years, after which the developer will pay the full amount.
Mr. Eichengrum, who estimated the tax exemptions to be worth more than $7 million, said the land is being acquired under a 20-year leasehold agreement with the city, after which his company can buy it for $1.
CB Richard Ellis, a global real estate services firm, has been hired to lure companies to the northern part of the county. Paul Hoffmann, a vice president for the CB Richard Ellis’s offices in Stamford, described Peekskill as an “untapped market,” conveniently located near the Bear Mountain Bridge and Route 9, a major north-south road. There is also rail service to Grand Central Terminal on the Metro-North Hudson line.
The city is accessible to residents not only of Westchester County, but also the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Rockland, where housing costs are lower and where there are expected to be many potential clerical and staff employees.
Mr. Havranek, Peekskill’s director of planning, said the landfill conversion project was not the city’s only effort to increase its retail and commercial tax base. In another public-private partnership, officials are close to a deal with a developer who plans to built a Target store on a nine-acre parcel of vacant city land, a former junkyard.
“That deal will take another old problem from the middle of the last century off our hands,” he said. “It’s a natural to think about more commercial development, and not just more housing, up here.”



MY COMMENTS ON THIS:



Point 1) As anybody knows the "hard times" refered to in this article took place in the late 1970's.



Point 2) The resurgence took place in the 1990's starting with Metro-North's re-buliding of the train Station



Point 3) If the adress 9 Corprate Drve is not familiar with you readers, it should be. This is the adress that has also been suggested as the place to move the homeless shelter.

************************************************************************************

THIS WAS IN THE JOURNAL NEWS:

(Original Publication: July 30, 2007)



Less than two weeks ago, the state Department of Transportation caught a lot of flak for cutting down trees on Route 100A in Greenburgh. Elected officials complained, and the work was halted until a landscape architect could verify that the trees really did have to go. People were concerned that the tree removal could contribute to flooding and erosion.
But further north, in Peekskill, Bill Schmidt, a former city councilman and mayoral candidate, has the opposite complaint. Schmidt contacted Going Places on July 13 to draw attention to the presence of several large dead trees on parkway property adjacent to the road.
"I think it's unconscionable that the state would allow so many dead trees to once again threaten the safety of area motorists,'' he said.
Going Places asked the state Department of Transportation to take a look and respond.
The official response, from DOT spokesman Josh Ribakove: "New York state DOT has not received any complaints about dead trees on the Bear Mountain Parkway.
"If mayoral candidate Schmidt, or anyone else, has concerns about this area - or any other maintenance concerns - they should bring them to the DOT's attention.
"The way to do that is by contacting the resident engineer. The DOT is always concerned about the safety of the traveling public and will investigate the concern which you brought to our attention.''
Anyone can, of course, call the DOT's resident engineers, although they are likely to be out in the field. These busy people are responsible for road maintenance throughout a large region. In northern Westchester, call Michael McBride at 914-232-3060. In southern Westchester, Joseph Schiraldi is at 914-592-6557. In Putnam and southern Dutchess counties, Roger Griemsmann is at 845-878-6361. In Rockland County, call Robert Falk at 845-634-4661.
Or, as Schmidt has done twice in the past two years, you can bring your concerns to Going Places.
Ribakove promised to follow up with more information when he learned more, and as usual, he made good on that promise.
"We sent a tree specialist out earlier this week to inspect trees along the Bear Mountain Parkway, and a follow-up inspection will be conducted shortly,'' he said.
"At this time, we don't find that the trees along the Bear Mountain Parkway pose an imminent danger to motorists, but we'll continue to monitor them. We appreciate it when the traveling public brings its concerns to our attention - thank you.''
Resident engineer Michael McBride went out with a crew July 21 to further assess those trees.
"Some of those trees were already on a list for when the next contract comes up,'' he said. "They were dead, but they weren't a hazard to anything.''
A couple of the trees were on private property, and nowhere near the road, McBride said. Several were healthy and not a hazard. These were not removed. Still, in response to Going Places and Schmidt, McBride said his crew took down 11 trees.
McBride said there was one more tree that was too big and too close to the road for his in-house crew to tackle. That tree is to be taken down by the DOT's regional tree crew during the third week of August. Of course, storm-related emergencies would take precedence and could push off that date until later, he said.
"Given the fact that I've been nagging them for 30 years about cutting grass, picking up litter and repaving the road and given the fact that they've already experienced on the Bear Mountain Parkway near there, in about 1989, a terrible fatality, neither I as a politician, you as a journalist or any ordinary citizen should have to nag them about this. They ought to be proactive and go out there and do it. I guess eternal nagging is the price of proper maintenance.''



MY COMMENTS ON THIS:



You can read my thoughts on this in next weeks column IN MY OPINION in the North County News on sale 08/08/07

************************************************************************************

THIS WAS IN THE JOURNAL NEWS:



Sen. Charles Schumer opens regional office in Peekskill
By GLENN BLAINTHE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: July 23, 2007)


PEEKSKILL - Sen. Charles Schumer last week made Peekskill the center of his Hudson Valley concerns.
Schumer, a Democrat and New York's senior senator, officially opened his new regional office at One Park Place in the riverfront city, cutting a ceremonial ribbon before an audience that included dozens of officials from throughout the area.
"This is right in the middle," said Schumer, who blamed New York City traffic for making him more than an hour late for the opening.
The office is one of nine regional ones that Schumer operates around the state to deal with constituent concerns and other issues. The office had been in Dutchess County, where his former regional chief of staff, Jean Bordewich, lived.
After Bordewich left Schumer's staff late last year to work for newly elected Rep. John Hall, also a Democrat, Schumer decided to seek a more central location. The region begins at Westchester's southern border and stretches up through Dutchess and Sullivan counties.
"As a region, this is so important," Schumer said. "First, it's over two million people. Second, it's the fastest growing of the nine regions. And politically, it's a swing area."
Peekskill Mayor John Testa and members of the Common Council attended the ceremony. They presented Schumer with a proclamation welcoming him to the city.
Testa said Schumer's move to Peekskill "speaks volumes" about the improvements made in the city in recent years.
"I think they were looking for a location and looking throughout the Hudson Valley region," Testa said. "Peekskill was a good location because of the central point but also because he came here and looked around and saw how great Peekskill had become."
Reach Glenn Blain at gblain@lohud.com or 914-694-5066



MY COMMENTS ON THIS:



It is no coincidence that since Peekskill's own Mike Morey joined the staff of Senator Schumer that this office opened in Peekskill. Whatever you think of Mike's politics, this is a good thing for the citizens not only of Peekskill, but the surrounding areas. For this, Mike's input in the decision should be applauded.

************************************************************************************

THIS WAS IN THE NORTH COUNTY NEWS:


PEEKSKILL’S WAR OF WORDS GOP gets its Irish up about Dems’ arts exchange proposal
By Sam Barron

A routine press release issued by the Peekskill Democrats, in which Common Council candidate Joe Schuder proposed an artists’ exchange program with Peekskill’s sister city in Ireland, has escalated into a war of words between the city’s Republicans and Democrats.On Monday, July 30, Schuder unveiled a proposal for The Peekskill Artist Exchange Program which would provide financial support to send one Peekskill artist abroad each year to Castlebar, Ireland. In return, Peekskill would host a visiting artist from the Irish city. "This is a clear, cost-effective way to promote Peekskill's position as the cultural hub of Westchester and use that position to support our local economy with tourism," said Schuder."We need to do more than talk about our arts district—we need to invest in it. This is an also an opportunity for the city to give back in a small way to the artists for the contributions they have made and will continue to make to Peekskill."
Cries of foul from MayorIn response, Mayor John Testa sharply criticized the Democrats, claiming they were stealing his initiative. Testa said that on his trip to Castlebar, he discussed the idea of an artists’ exchange program. “It’s mind-boggling that people would run for office on someone else’s platform,” he said. “It’s an embarrassment to the city. I’m the one who voted for it; I visited Ireland. I’m very involved in the artists’ community—I determined it’d be great to have an artist exchange program.”“They have no experience, no ideas—why are they running?” said Testa. “I’m not happy about this.” “The Dems are obviously desperate to deflect away from the fact they have opposed the very initiatives that they plan to use as theirs,” said Testa, who is not running for reelection this year. “It’s an insult to the community.” “They made a big mistake in bringing me into this,” he added. “I’m going to keep a close eye on what they say.” Testa said that Schuder was tainting his own reputation by claiming ownership of the idea and called the Democrats dishonorable. Taking a different tack was a Testa colleague. “I’m very happy that the Democrats are agreeing with John Testa’s vision,” said Deputy Mayor Cathy Pisani, whose Common Council seat is not up for reelection this year. “
Glad to have agreement“They are siding with what we have accomplished. They’ve come around to our way of thinking.”“They are creating a platform that we have established for years,” said Pisani. “I’m enthralled with the fact that they are in agreement.”Peekskill Democratic Chairman Darren Rigger rushed to his party’s defense. “Anyone can come up with any idea. Who is prepared to get it done. The current majority can’t get it done,” said Rigger. “If they are sincere about their proposal, they are welcome to act on it,” he said. “Talk is cheap,” added Rigger. “They want to politicize this, it’s not political. These are things we’d like to see.”Schuder said he got the idea from Peekskill photographer Howard Goodman. Goodman went to Japan for a few months as part of an arts exchange program. He said he was able to exhibit and do his work, and it helped promote Peekskill. Since returning from Japan, Goodman and his wife have hosted Japanese artists in Peekskill. “We’re listening to citizens on what we might do to make Peekskill better,” said Schuder. “If it’s such a great idea—let’s make it happen.” Schuder said he was surprised at the Republicans’ outrage since they agree to the position. “Why didn’t they do anything?”“This program is a wonderful way to increase the image of Peekskill,” he added.



MY COMMENTS ON THIS:



The question arises "Does it really matter who proposed what first?" It does when one tries to lead one to believe that this is an original idea that has just come on the radar. In talking with candidate Shuder, I believe he did get the idea the way he says he did. How ever the writers of the "press release" knew this had been proposed first by Mayor Testa. Chairman Rigger should have stated that in local elections, a good idea is a good idea, this is one area where both parties are in agreement, however he thinks his candidates should they be elected could get the enactment of this program done sooner. This was a flap that could have been avoided, for it detracts from a good idea.

************************************************************************************

THIS WAS IN THE NORTH COUNTY NEWS:



YORKTOWN LOBBIES NYC
Sewage plant waiver sought from DEP
By Adriane Tillman


Yorktown’s Town Board has enlisted the help of a $750-per-hour attorney to guarantee the expansion of its sewage plant, even as construction on the 44-year-old plant already is underway. Since Yorktown’s sewage plant sits in the town’s watershed, the town needs a waiver from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to expand capacity from the current 1.5 million gallons of wastewater accepted daily to 2.5 million.“We need to speak to someone in [Mayor Michael] Bloomberg’s office to put a fire under the DEP,” said Councilman Lou Campisi. “They work for him.”The DEP has expressed support for the expansion, which would hook up homes in the Hallock’s Mill Sewer District ,where many homeowners suffer from faulty septic tanks. But the wheels of government turn at their own speed.
Supervisor frustratedTown Supervisor Linda Cooper said she has given up on contemplating a timeframe for receiving the waiver. “This should have happened years ago,” she said. Cooper said the DEP is waiting for the federal government to approve its Filtration Avoidance Determination, which proves the city is protecting its watershed enough to avoid building a filtration plant in the Catskills.“DEP said they agree with us, but they have to be careful with the language so they don’t create unknown consequences to other parts of the watershed,” Cooper said. In the interim, Yorktown is in constant contact with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office. Cooper assured that the town uses the attorney’s costly services “judiciously.” “We need to ensure [the DEP] understands our needs and that they are not compromised by some unforeseen reason that might occur,” the supervisor said.Expansion of the plant continues on schedule and should be completed within the year, according to Councilman Nicholas Bianco.The sewage plant on Greenwood Street is also undergoing a $32 million wastewater upgrade to better clean sewage running from the plant into the Croton Reservoir. The DEP has contributed $20 million to installing the tertiary system of sand filters, micro filtration and ultraviolet equipment.“It’s like your mother saying, ‘I’m going to build a room for you and you have to get that room open,’” Bianco said.



MY COMMENTS ON THIS:



If Yorktown had not wasted seven years in trying to dump their sewage in Peeksill, this upgrade would probably almost be competed and at a cheaper cost. Couldn't a five hundred dollar an hour lawyer have been justt as effective?

************************************************************************************

THIS WAS IN THE NORTH COUNTY NEWS:


YORKTOWN SUPERVISOR RACE
Looking for signatures in all the wrong places
By Adriane Tillman


One candidate is out of the race for Yorktown Supervisor, even if she was never really in it. Real estate attorney Allison Marfeo was knocked from the Independence Line after the Board of Elections deemed all 37 signatures she secured as invalid. Independence Party nominee Don Peters hired a lawyer to challenge Marfeo’s signatures. Peters said some names were not registered with the Independence Party, were from the wrong town, or were duplicates of signatures other Independent nominees obtained.“It was a desperate attempt by Rose Marie Panio to force a primary in the Independence Party,” said Independence Party Chair Dhyalma Vasquez.The former Republican Party chair, Panio is running for supervisor on the Republican line. She vehemently denied the allegation she pushed Marfeo to run. “Absolutely not,” Panio said. “I have no idea who she is.” Marfeo did not return calls for comment.
Batting .000According to Board of Elections Commissioner Carolee Sunderland, Marfeo submitted 37 invalid signatures. “This Board sustained thirty-seven objections, leaving a total of zero valid signatures,” Sunderland wrote in a letter to Peters. “Since thirty-five signatures were required, the petition is ruled invalid.”As an attorney, Marfeo represented neighbors during the 2004 controversy over constructing a paint store and warehouse near Old Farm Lane on Route 6 in Mohegan Lake. “Unless they fight it, she’s off the position,” Peters said.Other Independence nominees include: Domenic Volpe for county legislator, Nick Bianco for councilman, Chuck Rubenstein for town justice and Alice Roker for town clerk. Vasquez said numerous high-ranking officials have tried to persuade her not to nominate Volpe or Peters. Peters said even former New York Governor George Pataki called Vasquez to persuade her to nominate a Republican candidate. “I don’t care if Bill Gates offered me $1 billion,” Vasquez said. “No one is going to influence our party […] How dare they!”

************************************************************************************

THIS WAS IN THE JOURNAL NEWS:



Lawmakers raise cash, then give it to other politicians
By DAN WIESSNERALBANY BUREAU
(Original publication: July 30, 2007)


ALBANY - Lawmakers have given away hundreds of thousands of dollars they have collected in contributions to other candidates, a practice that has been criticized by government watchdogs and some legislators.
"It's somewhat of a money-laundering kind of thing. ... Money goes into a campaign and people have no idea where it came from," said Assemblywoman Sandra Galef, D-Ossining. "They're saying to the public, 'I need money to run my campaign,' and then doing something else with it."
A review of the most recent campaign-finance filings with the state Board of Elections shows that most lawmakers, especially those who don't expect a stiff re-election fight next year, took some of the proceeds they had taken in from January to July and gave it to others who expect to be involved in tighter races, as well as to state and local party committees.
This was the sixth year Galef introduced legislation that would cap candidate-to-candidate transfers, most recently at $500 a year, but the bill has no Senate sponsor and has never been taken up by either house. Now, legislators are subject to the same contribution limits as other New Yorkers, even if they're using campaign money. Some states, including Massachusetts, ban the practice altogether.
Critics said the transfer of donations allows lesser-known candidates to siphon cash from veteran legislators with large treasuries, helping to keep majority parties in the Senate and Assembly in power.
"Candidates who are frequently unopposed will still raise money to transfer it to marginal candidates," said Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters. "This is not atypical, and it's how they maintain their majorities." She said the practice makes it harder for newcomers to win seats.
According to Board of Elections records, legislators also funneled thousands of dollars - with Sen. William Larkin, R-New Windsor, Orange County, giving $50,000 - to Senate and Assembly campaign committees, which use the money to aid candidates around the state. Local party committees were also frequent recipients.
Some lawmakers defended the practice, saying their supporters could be confident that they were giving money to like-minded politicians. Larkin, who donated more than $66,000 to political committees and candidates, added that candidates in places like Utica or Binghamton may have trouble raising enough money to win elections, and he doesn't "see anything wrong with one senator helping another senator."
"I think it's appropriate because people know where I come from, what my policies are and my philosophy," he said. "When I give to another colleague I want people to know that his philosophy is similar to mine."
And if they don't support his colleagues?
"Then they don't know me."
In 2002 Guy Velella, a Republican who represented parts of the Bronx and Westchester in the Senate, was convicted of conspiring to take bribes to help people win lucrative state contracts. More than half of the Republicans in the Senate donated cash from their campaign accounts to his legal defense fund. Velella was sentenced to a year in prison and served six months.
One of this year's biggest recipients of campaign cash from other candidates was Maureen O'Connell, a Nassau County Republican who ran for a vacant seat in the GOP-led Senate in February. She received about $160,000 from more than 25 Republican senators and Assembly members, but she lost anyway.
O'Connell lost by almost 4,000 votes after Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer campaigned heavily for - and contributed to - her opponent, Democrat Craig Johnson. The former county legislator also received donations from a handful of state and federal Democratic officials, including Lt. Gov. David Paterson and Reps. Charles Rangel, D-Manhattan, and Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, Ulster County.
Bartoletti said she and other watchdog groups tried to insert a ban on the transfers into a campaign-finance reform bill drafted earlier this year, but Spitzer and legislative leaders never considered the idea.
"It was off the table before it was even put on the table," she said, along with a proposed ban on "personal uses" of campaign cash - things like phone bills and car payments.
Records show that the bulk of lawmakers' money that was spent between January and July - a nonelection year - was spent on meals, credit-card bills, transportation and fundraising activities, such as renting restaurants and meeting halls and bringing in caterers and entertainment. They also bought ads in local newspapers and produced them for TV. They also donated to community groups, such as Little Leagues and local Chambers of Commerce.
After months of deadlock, key lawmakers last week agreed to pass changes in the campaign-finance law proposed by the freshman governor, but that deal appears to be on hold after Attorney General Andrew Cuomo issued a report saying Spitzer's staff used state police to keep tabs on Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, Rensselaer County, in an attempt to damage him politically.
The tentative agreement among Spitzer and legislative leaders included lower contribution limits, a ban on donations from lobbyists and increased disclosure and enforcement.
Galef, whose sole expenditure so far this year was $11,250 for campaign mailings, said curtailing personal use of the money would lead to more competitive elections.
"I know I could use (campaign money) to go to events or for personal activities, but I just don't feel right about it," she said. "We should keep these elections at a lower cost for everybody, which would allow more people to participate."


Campaign finance reports for legislators
Amount given to campaign committees and party committees from Jan. 15 to July 15 of this yearName Opening/Closing Balance Contributions/Expenses

StatewideGov. Eliot Spitzer $0*/$1,478,573 $3,692,034/$4,266,081 Attorney General Andrew Cuomo $0/$803,884 $500,075/$112,892Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli $49,154/$14,744 $0/$40,869

Westchester/Rockland/PutnamAssembly
Greg Ball, R-Carmel $1,936/$20,939 $71,086/$52,084Adam Bradley, D-White Plains $113,916/$178,311 $74,592/$10,197Richard Brodsky, D-Greenburgh $551,788/$604,747 $66,630/$13,671Nancy Calhoun, R-Blooming Grove $3,256/$10,417 $24,761/$17,600Sandy Galef, D-Ossining $68,618/$57,468 $100/$11,250Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern $5,858/$4,645 $6,075/$7,288George Latimer, D-Rye $26,637/$23,357 $18,015/$21,295Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale $240,118/$236,387 $57,911/$61,643James G. Pretlow, D-Mt. Vernon $116,292/$133,585 $25,550/$8,257Annie Rabbitt, R-Greenwood Lake $2,416/$2,201 $16,254/$16,469Michael Spano, D-Yonkers $1,378/-$2,777 $4,700/$8,855Ken Zebrowski, D-New City $17,574/$14,391 $445/$3,628

Senate
Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Mt. Vernon Not available Not availableJeff Klein, D-Bronx $104,308/$348,989 $354,456/$109,776Vincent Leibell, R-Patterson $54,257/$82,995 $94,583/$65,845Thomas Morahan, R-New City $324,337/$325,088 $38,700/$37,949Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Mamaroneck $61,353/$37,433 $6,530/$30,450Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers $11,268/$16,779 $37,763/$32,251*
An opening balance of $0 means the account is new, with money from an old account transferred in at some point during the filing period.
************************************************************************************
A MESSAGE FROM COUNTY LEGISLATOR GEORGE OROS:

July 30, 2007 Contact: George Oros
Tel: (914) 995-2828
Goo6@westchestergov.com
1st District Cashes in Again

$345,000 allocated for sidewalk improvement projects in Buchanan and Verplanck Property tax exemption should be approved for volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel


Legislator Oros checks out sidewalk work underway along Broadway in Verplanck.

Legislator George Oros (R-C/Cortlandt) is pleased to announce that $345,000 was recently approved for sidewalk improvement projects in Buchanan and Verplanck.

In Buchanan, $200,000 was secured through the federal Community Development Block Grant program to add sidewalks along Westchester Avenue between First Street and Tate Avenue. There are currently no sidewalks in that area.

Buchanan, which will be contributing about $65,000 to the project, is expected to go out to bid in August.

“The Village of Buchanan is very appreciative of the efforts made by Legislator Oros in procuring this important grant that will encourage more walking and exercise, something that benefits people’s health,” said Buchanan Mayor Dan O’Neill. “In addition, new sidewalks should benefit the continued renaissance of the Village Circle.”

Meanwhile, a separate $145,000 was received through the CDBG program to improve existing sidewalks along Broadway in Verplanck, between Fifth Street and the Hudson River. Some lighting will also be installed.

“These improvements will not only provide safer outlets for pedestrians in Buchanan and Verplanck but they will also greatly enhance the areas,” Oros said. “These are much needed projects being funded mostly from federal dollars.”

George Oros
************************************************************************************
FYI: EVENTS AT SUSAN'S RESTURANT ON NORTH DIVISION STREET:

Fri., Aug 10 Susan's House Band
Sat., Aug 11 Peekskill Jazz and Blues Celebration John Abercrombie Trio with SPECIAL GUEST John Scofield, Richie Hart Trio, Gregg Westhoff's Westchester Swing Band, Reegal Beegal, and The Sraight Up Blues Band
Sat., Aug 18 The Kyle Tucker Band http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=89555266

Fri., Aug 24 Jerry Malkin Trio
Sat., Aug 25 Chip Larison and The Catfight Blues Band

Fri., Aug 31 Erik Lawrence - Sax, Rene Hart - Bass and Allison Miller - Drums
Saturday, August 11th Peekskill Jazz and Blues Celebration 4:00PM to 11:00 PM North Division Street.
Sponsored by theCity of Peekskill, Peekskill Business Improvement District, Anheuser Busch, D. Bertoline & Sons, Inc

John Abercrombie Trio with Special Guest John Scofield
Reegal Beegal
Gregg Westhoff's Westchester Swing Band
Richie Hart Trio
Carlos Colina and The Straight Up Blues Band
*Admission is Free!!!
Mondays - Seafood Night 3 Course Seafood Menu $25

Tuesdays - Prime Rib Dinner $19.95 Classical Guitar with Tom Goslin

Wednesdays - Jazz Jam Hosted by Bob Meyer 8:30 PM *** Prix Fixe Dinner Available $25 With Wine $35***

Thursdays - Open Mic with Leah Quinn 8:00 PM Half Priced Bottles of Wine

Late Night Menu until 12:00 Midnight Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

Sunday Jazz Brunch With Tony Jefferson on Vocals and Vic Juris - Guitar
************************************************************************************
THIS WEEKS "IN MY OPINION COLUMN" IN THE NCN:

Dear Readers:

This week I discuss the "Emerald Ridge" vote in Putnam Valley. You can read my column on this topic exclusively in this weeks NORTH COUNTY NEWS on sale now. I am worth the seventy-five cents. Look for my column IN MY OPINION(page 10) in the editorial section. Better yet as this column is exclusive to the North County News on a regular basis and will be covering the local political scene, take out a subscription. Click on the North County News link below and go to Subscribe. Between this blog and The North County News you will have all the information to make a vote based on substance.
************************************************************************************
FYI: ATOM TAXI INC. AIRPORT SERVICE:

Dear Readers:

This gives me a chance to plug my business ATOM TAXI INC. Instead of the headache of trying to find Airport parking, we do Airport Service to The Westchester County Airport(and ALL other airports) 24/7. Just call 1(914)879-6121 and my partner Tommy, will be glad to take you in our Airport Taxi. You will also be provided with a free copy of your local paper of record The North County News. If this is a business trip we also provide a professional receipt, just tell Tommy at the time of booking. The cost of a one-way trip to the Westchester County Airport is seventy dollars. To LaGuardia Airport the cost is Ninety-four dollars which includes all tolls. The cost to JFK and Newark Airports is one hundred-twenty-five dollars which also includes all tolls. We do not take credit cards, sorry.
************************************************************************************
E-MAIL ME WITH YOUR COMMENTS:

Dear Readers:

It has come to my attention the difficulty in posting a comment on this blog. If you wish to comment, e-mail me at the link posted below, putting "Manifesto Reader" in the subject matter, and I will "cut and Paste" your comments myself. If you DO NOT wish your comments posted, but just wish to communicate with me, please make your wishes known in the e-mail.

LINKS: atom_taxi@yahoo.com(as this a yahoo address make sure you put an underscore (-) between atom and taxi)

For immediate reply: atomtaxi@aol.com
***********************************************************************************
SITES TO LINK TO:

ON THE OTHER HAND W/ FORMER PEEKSKILL COUNCILMAN SCHMIDT: http://peekskillperspectives.blogspot.com/
YORKTOWN COUNCILMAN NICK BIANCO: http://www.electbianco.com/
PLAN PUTNAM: planputnam@googlegroups.com/
PEEKSKILL GUARDIAN: http://peekskillguardian.blogspot.com/
NORTH COUNTY NEWS: http://northcountynews.com/
THE JOURNAL NEWS: http://thejournalnews.com/
PEEKSKILL DEMOCRATS: http://www.peekskilldems.com/
PEEKSKILLREPUBLICANS:http://peekskillgop.com/
YORKTOWN CANDIDATE FOR SUPERVISOR DON PETERS: http://www.donpetersforyorktown.com/
***********************************************************************************
CABLE SHOWS TO WATCH:

ON POINT ON PEEKSKILL: Every Tuesday at 8PM channel 15 (Peekskill only)
Hosted by:DARREN RIGGER

DON PETERS AND YORKTOWN: Every Tuesday at 10PM channel 74
Hosted by: DON PETERS

YORKTOWN WATCHDOG: Every Friday at 9:30 PM on channel 74
Hosted By: ED CHIFFON

LEGISLATORS REPORT: Saturday and Sunday at various times on chanel 74
Hosted By: COUNCILMEN NICK BIANCO AND LOU CAMPISI
***********************************************************************************
EDITOR'S NOTE:All articles re-printed in this blog from the North County News are with the permission of Bruce Apar Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

BAZZO 08/05/07