[see Pages H1-H8] 4» New Gym Opens 16» Solid Season for SH 19 » Class from the Past Your Most Trusted Source for Local News and Events November 2016 Serving Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Irvington, Scarborough-on-Hudson and Ardsley-on-Hudson Vol. XI No. 11 Officials React to Criticism Irvington Residents Complain of of Plans for East Parcel Too Little Traffc Enforcement by Barrett Seaman It has become evident, however, both Photo by Sunny McLean Sunny Photo by from the limited data that is available and As the birthplace of the Slow Down Ri- from anecdotal public reaction that the cur- vertowns campaign that has since swept rent campaign lags in one very essential as- through lower Hudson Valley villages, Ir- pect: police enforcement. vington has been working for nearly two Te Trustee meeting room in Village Hall years to change the driving habits of those was packed on the night of October 13 to who travel through the village, whether resi- listen as the village’s Trafc Calming Com- dents or not. mittee reported to the Mayor, board mem- Manifestations of progress are visible: bers, and Police Chief Michael Cerone in a View from Devries Park looking south to the area near Continental Street from the “Slow Down” signs on virtually every street; work session that was later opened to public East Parcel in Sleepy Hollow. radar monitors that tell drivers just how comment. Reporting to the board in the fast they are going on Main Street and else- absence of Walter Montgomery, Irvington’s by Robert Kimmel where; data collection boxes distributed on Tr afc Ombudsman, were committee mem- heavily-trafcked roads; more and more bers Erik Oley, Mary Beth Dooley and Alice Critiques of the plans for the former GM site’s East Parcel in Sleepy Hollow by two envi- visible crosswalks; a “walking school bus” Picon. While taking pains to express thanks ronmental organizations have drawn responses from Mayor Ken Wray and the Board of the program in which parent volunteers lead for the cooperation received from the Vil- Local Development Corporation (LDC), the lead agency responsible for the site’s develop- clutches of kids to and from the Dows Lane lage Administrator and Chief Cerone, Oley ment. Elementary School, instilling in them safe- could not disguise the committee’s frustra- Te 29-acre site was turned over to the LDC for the village’s use by General Motors as ty-conscious habits. tion with what they see as the slow pace of part of the arrangement that permitted the adjacent 78 riverfront acres to be sold by GM for SafeWalk Irvington, a byproduct of the enforcement by the police department. what is now Edge-On-Hudson, the mixed-use development that is being built. campaign, sponsored a contest that elic- Using three years’ worth of data supplied Te two organizations expressing concerns about the East Parcel, Riverkeeper and the ited student-created flm shorts dramatiz- by the Police Department, Oley reported Pocantico River Watershed Conservancy, aimed their critiques at the Draft Environmental ing good and bad aspects of pedestrian life that more than 90% of the speeding tick- Impact Statement (DEIS) for the site completed by the LDC. A DEIS, required by New in the village. Top entries are posted on the ets handed out were on a stretch of South York’s State Environmental Quality Review, (SEQR), Slow Down Irvington Facebook page at: Broadway. By contrast, using data collected both identifes any environmental impacts caused by a https://www.facebook.com/pg/SlowDown- from radar monitors posted on Harriman development and describes plans to mitigate them. Irvington/videos/?ref=page_internal. Road, 76% of the cars were clocked at more Both Mayor Wray and the LDC Board disagree with It is also noteworthy that, as Trustee Mark than fve percent over the posted speed lim- many of the assessments by the two groups, and par- Gilliland observed at a recent meeting, there it. And yet after the data were collected, dur- PAID ticularly the tone of the Conservancy’s comments, but has not been a trafc fatality in Irvington in ing all of 2015, not one speeding ticket was PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE U.S. Continued on page 9 PERMIT NO. 971 PERMIT NO. indicate that a Final Environmental Impact Statement more than half a century. WHITE PLAINS, NY WHITE PLAINS, (FEIS) could address some of those concerns. Te vil- lage and the LDC will also issue more formal, required responses in the weeks ahead, they stated. Te plan presented for the site includes a much-need- ed Department of Public Works facility, indoor and out- door recreation facilities, pedestrian paths, and possibly a garage for the Tarrytown School District. Te village is compiling the results of a questionnaire it distributed last month asking village residents for their choices. A proposed baseball feld will probably be eliminated, but a skate board park taking up no more than an acre will likely be added, according to Wray. In its comments, Riverkeeper, “...acknowledges that this is likely the fnal phase in a historic redevelopment How Sweet It Is!: The Radio City Rockettes stopped by Main Street Sweets in on the Hudson River, and we support the redevelop- Tarrytown in late September as a part of their ‘make time for joy’ initiative. The ment of this dilapidated industrial site.” Its caveat is that Rockettes took photos and interacted with fans and families, while Main Street it be done in an “environmentally protective manner.” Sweets served holiday truffes and Rice Krispies treats. Main Street Sweets Riverkeeper notes that it has been engaged in develop- was singled out by the Rockettes as a beacon in the community-- a place where ments on the site for over a decade and has “...consis- family, friends and loved ones gather to make memories together, just like the tently advocated for meaningful public access to the Christmas Spectacular has been doing since 1933. Hudson and Pocantico rivers, appropriate remediation —Photo by Sunny McLean Continued on page 9 www.thehudsonindependent.com Inquiring Photographer by Alexa Brandenberg “How Significant is it that Hillary Clinton may be Te First Female U.S. President?” Kristine Greece Howie Shapiro Ashley Bialko, 16 Amauris Gonzalez Works in Tarrytown Tarrytown Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow “No matter who I’m voting for, all frsts are “It’s a sign of the times, as we’ve seen in “I think it is very signifcant. I think women “It’s the frst woman who is trying to govern signifcant and it’s good for the younger other countries, so it’s a non-event to me.” will get less discrimination and it will this country so it’s important. And it’s generation to see that they are possible.” show that they are not weak and can take important for Women’s Rights.” charge.” In an article about Tarrytown’s reduced garbage collection, the cost of purchasing Corrections additional trash receptacles was incorrect. Homeowners or property owners who In last month’s Inquiring Photographer, the quote attributed to Tracy Brown believe the rolling carts will be insufcient can request additional rolling carts for a of Sleepy Hollow regarding Halloween Season in the villages was incorrect. What fee of $3 per additional cart per week. Payment for the additional carts must be made Brown actually said was, “What I enjoy most is having people from all over the world in advance for a 52-week period. come celebrate with us.” Te Hudson Independent regrets the errors. 2 Te Hudson Independent November 2016 www.thehudsonindependent.com by Alexa Brandenberg Regional Leaders Condemn Plan to Anchor Barges on Hudson by Rick Pezzullo Coast Guard for unveiling a plan that Many towns along the Hudson have spent millions of dollars in revitalizing would encompass more than 2,000 acres their waterfronts. And needless to say, the presence of unattended barges Regionally elected, environmental and of the river without frst informing afected filled with oil poses a security risk.” business leaders banded together last month municipalities. —Terrence Murphy to condemn a proposal by the United States “Tonight is all about transparency,” said Coast Guard to create 10 new anchorage Murphy, who noted the Coast Guard was sites with dozens of commercial barges invited to attend the hearing but declined. security risk.” of NY/NJ Tug and Barge Committee, the along the Hudson River from Yonkers to “Te reality is this was fying under the Tere is currently only one anchorage Hudson River Port Pilot’s Association, and Kingston. table. It was going low. Te Coast Guard’s ground for vessels along a 100-mile stretch the American Waterways Operators. At a standing-room only hearing Octo- proposal raises concerns on many levels. in the Hudson River from New York City to Te largest anchorage site of the 10 ber 19 in Croton, which was sponsored, Many towns along the Hudson have spent Albany. Te Coast Guard, which has noted proposed would accommodate up to 16 in part, by State Senator Terrence Murphy millions of dollars in revitalizing their wa- the plan is only in an exploratory phase, has vessels, stretching about 715 acres from (R/Yorktown), whose district covers Sleepy terfronts. And needless to say, the presence publicly stated the proposal was initiated the Greenwood Station in Yonkers to the Hollow, ofcials took turns criticizing the of unattended barges flled with oil poses a by the Maritime Association of the Port Continued on page 10 Masquerade Ball Honorees: The Family YMCA at Tarrytown held the Rock n Roll Halloween Masquerade Ball and honored long time donors and Y volun- teers Edward and Christine Napoleon with the Laurance S.