Willow Gardens Memory Care

The Larchmont Streetscape Project is over at last. The project brought approximately a half million dollars in fee for property owners. The fees for sidewalks are $6.83 per square feet, aprons are $9.54 per square feet, pavers are $88.40 per linear feet and finally curbs are $40 per linear feet. A document known as “Copy of Larchmont Streetscape Apportionment by Address” is available to view on the Village of Larchmont website and is listed under the September 19th Board of Trustees meeting agenda. The list details fees for each property owner according to the respective appointment by address. The document shows that the total fees per property owner range from $7,000 to almost $32,000. Mayor Lorraine Walsh stated that the fees could be paid in total or could be added to the property tax bill and will be paid in the next fifteen years. Walsh also said that the fees were mentioned in three past meetings in September 2012, April 2013 and August of this year. The mayor added that each property owner will receive a letter that details their individual fees.

Also discussed at the meeting was the extension of the moratorium for the land use problems of property subdivision, which ends in twenty-four days. The Village drafted seventeen local laws that aim to change the current residential zoning code. The newly drafted are still open for discussion by the public are available on the Village website. We will be following this story and will keep you updated as each law is discussed.

Lucie de Blanc, a Mamaroneck High School student, will be honored at the Westchester County Association’s “Women in Technology” awards. The luncheon honors leading women scientists in Westchester. De Blanc was selected as one of two student honorees among other distinguished professionals for her work both inside the classroom and out.She co-created a new coding club at the high school that merged with the computer science club and she is also the co-president of the club this year. She previously interned at AT & T as part of the Girls Who Code Program and with the Village of Larchmont where she helped to re-design content for their website. Her computer science teacher, Jigar Jadav nominated de Blanc for the award saying, “this is a tremendous accomplishment and a much deserved recognition for all the hard work Lucie has put in for the past three years.”

With the closing of the A&P on Mamaroneck Avenue, due to bankruptcy in July 2015 and the Mexican restaurant “3 Jalapenos”, also located on Mamaroneck Avenue, some residents are wondering what’s next for the empty spaces. LoHud.com has reported that Comstock Residential Contracting bought the restaurant property for $1.2 million. They will be building a residential building with thirty-three parking spaces and ground floor commercial space. The development was approved in July. Building permits will be filed for the property within the month. According to LoHud.com, an undisclosed new supermarket and CVS may also inhabit the former A&P space. No opening date has been announced. The projects are part of the transit-oriented development legislation that the Village of Mamaroneck Board of Trustees enacted in December 2014. Because the area is in a flood zone, the developers architecture and plans will have safety measures that include a four-foot raised ground floor and a water-catching basin below-ground.

A new bank has opened in the Village of Mamaroneck. Orange Bank & Trust Company recently held its grand opening to introduce their new location on 1214 East Boston Post Road. Executives from the company met with Village of Mamaroneck officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to honor the bank’s twelfth branch. For more information on the services available at the bank, you can visit the branch or call (914) 341-7130.

In our Round Table, Discussion, Maura Carlin and Mike Witsch spoke with Sallie Carlin, Executive Director, Willow Gardens Memory Care at United Hebrew Nursing & Rehabilitation and Grace Ferri, Vice President of Marketing at United Hebrew Nursing & Rehabilitation, about Alzheimers, dementia and a new facility in New Rochelle that will help patients with both conditions.

In our LMC Varsity Sports Play of the Week, the Rye Neck Volleyball Team trailed rival Mamaroneck 13-2 in the first set before the Panthers staged a huge comeback. Junior Sam Yannuzzi started the rally by first making a diving save and then playing a ball perfectly off the ceiling later in the point.

In our “In the Spotlight” segment, Laura Cruz-Colon attended the Third Annual Access to free health care fair and filed this report. The Local Live welcomes Laura, a resident from our community and encourages other residents to join us as reporters for local events.

The Local Live’s Mike Witsch interviews Services Director Chris Curtin of the MAC Angels Foundation.  Dedicated to supporting families with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), learn more about this non-profit!

Our Pet of the Week is Orlando is an adorable Lab-Shepherd mix pup who’s about five months old. He is very sweet and playful. He adores his toys and loves to pick up interesting objects during his walks. His mother, Keira and sister, Bloom are also available if you’re interested in opening your home to the whole family. For more information on Orlando, and to see other adorable pets, go to www.ny-petrescue.org.

If you like our show and want to help keep it on the air, go to our website, www.lmctv.org and click on the DONATE  button. We appreciate any donations.

 

The Local Live is always looking for new volunteers and interns, so send your emails to thelocallive@lmctv.org. We love hearing from you!

 

Saving Larchmont Playhouse

This past Sunday was the tragic fifteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Members of the Larchmont and Mamaroneck communities convened at Memorial Park to honor and remember those who were killed on that fateful day and to offer support to the survivors. Several local officials were also on hand to pay their respects to both family members and survivors. Everyone present reflected on the events of that horrific day. Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker gave a moving speech in which she expressed the importance of grieving and growing together. Songs and prayers were presented to memorialize both the heroism and unity that emerged from the attacks. On behalf of all LMCTV staff and volunteers, we would like to offer our most sincere condolences to all the families from our community who were affected by the attack. We will never forget.

Election Day is just fifty-three days away and the fight for the Village of Mamaroneck Trustee seats have narrowed down since the Democratic Primaries which were held on September 13th. Victor Tafur led the votes with 467, followed by Keith Weight who had 465 votes while Incumbent Trustee Leon Potok had 434 votes. Candidate Stuart Tiekert was eliminated due to having received only 354 votes. According to the Westchester County Board of Elections, the results were at 100% after 1,720 residents from all 15 districts of  the Village of Mamaroneck participated in the primary elections. Prior to the Democratic Party, the League of Women Voters and the Mamaroneck Review interviewed the Democratic candidates who are running for Trustee in the Village of Mamaroneck. The candidates shared their personal bios, and gave their reasons for running for the position as well as their own personal views on the issues and situations in the Village. Discussions were held regarding flooding and the Army Corp of Engineers Mitigation Plan, water quality in Long Island Sound, the local industrial area, infrastructure and parking.

And in reference to the parking situation in the Village, the pilot program to test both multispace meters and single-space smart meters on Mamaroneck Avenue has ended. The purpose of the program, which started in late May and concluded on Labor Day, was to determine which type of meters were favored among residents. Village Manager RIchard Slingerland stated that the online parking survey did not receive a lot of responses but the Village did receive input from residents via email. He is currently working on a new parking report which will be presented to the Parking Committee on September 22nd at the Regatta. We are looking forward to hearing the recommendations from the Parking Committee in a presentation to the Board of Trustees. It should be noted that the Parking Committee also conducted a survey among residents and business owners and concluded that Village residents did not want multispace meters. They only recommended the implementation of multispace meters in Village parking lots. Slingerland also stated that since the pilot program is now over, both the multispace meters and smart meters will be replaced for the old single space coin meters.

During the lastest Zoning Board meeting which lasted over five hours, Ralph’s Italian Ices was again the main focus due to  traffic and noise complaints from the neighborhood as well as a new request from the owner regarding staying open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight Friday and Saturday. The Board decided to let the establishment stay open later with a compromised time. From now on, Ralph’s will be open on weekdays until 10:30 p.m. and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. The Board also ruled that Ralph’s will have to turn their lights off at an earlier time.

The newest member of the Village of Mamaroneck Police Force was introduced at this week’s Board of Trustees. His name is Vincent and he is the new K9 officer patrolling the streets of our village along with his partner, Officer Osvaldo Ramos. The pair graduated from K9 School this past June after seventeen weeks of training. They began patrolling on June 27th. Vincent is a Belgian Malinois German Shepherd, which is the preferred breed for law enforcement dogs. Vincent was born in the Netherlands and was chosen in February 2016 by Officer Ramos to be the Village’s new K9 officer.

In our Round Table discussion, Maura Carlin and Mike Witsch spoke with Elizabeth Bradley, Co-Chair of the Save the Larchmont Playhouse Committee about what is happening with the project to keep the playhouse in Larchmont.  

In our LMC Varsity Sports Play of the Week, the Rye Neck Black Hats football survived offense struggles when quarterback Gabe Arjam turned things around.

The annual Kiwanis Car Show was held at Harbor Island. Meral Kathwari was on hand to file a report about the event.

Our Pet of the Week is Admiral, a sweet Tree Walker Coonhound. He is three years old and is very loveable and very social. He can be shy with people but really loves being with other dogs. He could use a friend to help him come out of his shell. For more information on Admiral and other adorable pets, go to www. Ny-petrescue.org.

If you like our show and want to keep us on the air, please go to our website, www.lmctv.org and click on the DONATE button. We appreciate any donation.
We’re always looking for new volunteers and interns, so please send your emails to thelocallive@lmctv.org. We love hearing from you!

The Center for Continuing Education Larchmont/Mamaroneck

Attention Village of Mamaroneck residents, a referendum will be on the ballot in November’s election. What is it for? The Board of Trustees passed two local laws “U” and “T” to strip the mayor’s powers of appointing the Village lawyer and members of the planning and zoning boards. The power of appointing will fall directly to the Board of Trustees if you vote yes on Election Night. Minutes before the special meeting on Tuesday night, Democratic Trustee Illissa Miller spoke with The Local on behalf of her party and explained more about the two laws. Local residents were not pleased with the law proposals to remove the mayor’s powers. In a peaceful demonstration held half an hour before the meeting outside Village Court, residents held signs saying “Support the Mayor and stop Potok and Finch’s power grab”.  The meeting ran 2-1/2 hours and members of the Board of Trustees reaffirmed their position about letting residents make a decision on the referendum. Mayor Norman Rosenblum also reaffirmed his position about this action to be “petty politics” and he challenged the legality of the special meeting. However, residents fired back at the Board of Trustees with both anger and frustration. On Tuesday, November 8th, this referendum could change the way politics happen in the Village of Mamaroneck. So spread the word to residents who aren’t aware of it and make sure to be informed before casting your vote on Election Night. LMC-TV will be airing “Meet the Candidates” shows to introduce the public to the local candidates who are running for Trustee. The schedule and programming will be available on http://www.lmctv.org

For the second year in a row, Mamaroneck Union Free School District had a 3% increase in enrollment. The district welcomed 5500 students on the first day of school with 160 new students. In a letter to parents, Mamaroneck Schools Superintendent, Dr. Robert Shaps said that some of the water sources in the six schools exceeded allowable levels of lead. Water tests were conducted in July and the reports came back this week with 46 of the 339 water sources, which including fountains and sinks, exceeded the acceptable levels. Shaps said the bottled water coolers would be made available, and signs will be posted the out of service water sources. The school website is back after renovations were made this summer. You can check out the updated look at http://www.mamkschools.org.

In our Round Table discussion, Maura Carlin and Mike Witsch spoke with Blythe Hammer, Executive Director, The Center for Continuing Education Larchmont/Mamaroneck about the courses available for adults and the benefits of taking the courses.

In our Play of the Week, the Rye Neck Boys Soccer Team started off their season with a match against Harrison. Panthers Senior Reed Peterson provided the go-ahead goal to give the team the lead.

Have you ever wanted to produce your own story and have it run on our show? You can contact us to collaborate. Producer Joel Louis-Ferdinand did just that. He reported on Taste of Port Chester, which is an event organized by the Tamarack Tower Foundation to give aid to the Port Chester School District students.

Our Pet of the Week is Tilly, a pretty blonde and white dog who has a lean, muscular body. She is very charming and would do best in a home with someone who is dog savvy, can give her a predictable routine and continue her training process. She is a wonderful communicator, very affectionate and would make a loving companion. For more information on Tilly and other pets, go to www.ny-petrescue.org.

If you like our show and want to keep it on the air, please go to our website, www.lmctv.org and click on the DONATE button. We appreciate any donations.

We are always looking for new volunteers and interns, so email us at thelocallvie@lmctv.org. We love hearing from you!

Playing Music for Academic Improvement

The summer’s hot temperatures and heat waves could be to blame for a substantial fish kill in Mamaroneck Harbor. This past Tuesday, the remains of dead oysters and other sea creatures washed up on a public beach at Harbor Island Park. Wendy A. Rosenbach, a regional spokesperson with the State Department of Environmental Conservation in New Paltz, New York, told the Mamaroneck Daily Voice” “The DEC was recently made aware of a fish kill in Mamaroneck Harbor. The exact cause or extent of the fish kill is unknown, but fish kills tend to occur in warmer months when the water’s capacity for dissolved oxygen is reduced and fish metabolic rates increase”.

The Marine Education Center which is located at Harbor Island Park reopened on August 20th, thanks to a joint effort with the Village of Mamaroneck and the Mamaroneck Education Center Committee. The new upgrades include an expansion of the location, which is now double in size, new equipment and displays like the touch-tank, that all ages can enjoy. Peter Linderoth, the Chair of the Marine Education Center Committee, spoke with LMC-TV to explain the purpose of the newly renovated center. Hours for the center will be Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be open until Halloween.

There has been an update regarding parking in the Washingtonville area. Currently, non-residents can park for four hours without the need of a permit from 6:00 p.m to 8:00 a.m. including weekends and holidays. With the passing of Proposed Local Law V this past Monday, non-residents will only be allowed to park for two hours. The reason for the change in parking hours is to allow more parking spots for residents who have voiced their complaints to the Board of Trustees several times. Residents with a permit can park at any time in the area. The new update on the law has been sent to the New York Secretary of State and will become effective on the date it is filed.

In other parking news, the VIllage of Mamaroneck has issued a notice that parking meter rates and enforcement hours have increased for Mamaroneck Avenue. But not for the other Village lots or streets. The new rate is now 25-cents per fifteen minutes and meters will be enforced from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, not including holidays. Parking meter enforcement will resume Tuesday, September 6th (the Day after Labor Day).

In our Round Table discussion, Rebecca Paganini spoke with Yonkers School District Music Teacher, Joseph Lento regarding his several achievements in both musical and academic outreach.

Fez Turkish Meze is featured in this week’s In The Spotlight. Meral Kathwari visited the local restaurant to get information on their menu.

Our Pet of the Week is Sunflower, a three-year-old cat who was found by the side of the road. She is as cheerful and friendly as her name. She is up-to-date on her shots and is ready for her forever home. For more information on Sunflower and other adorable pets, go to www.ny-petrescue.org.

If you like our show and want to keep us on the air, please go to our website, www.lmctv.org and click on the DONATE button. We appreciate any donation!
We’re always looking for new volunteers and interns, so please send your emails to thelocallive@lmctv.org. We love hearing from you!