Hurricane relief concert to benefit East Rockaway Schools | See story on page 7 FRIDAY, NOV. 30, 2012 69 MAIN ST., COLD SPRING, N.Y. | www.philipstown.info Public Backs Guillaro Plan for Butterfield; Some Skeptical of Zoning Revisions At issue: changing Butterfield from basic health zoning to mixed-usage By Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong he public Tuesday night over- whelmingly backed developer Paul TGuillaro’s plans for redeveloping the old Butterfield Hospital property but often termed a related proposed rezon- ing too broad and sought changes to the draft law. In a long session notable for its ami- cability, in contrast to the acrimony of previous meetings about the Butterfield property, elderly residents also strongly endorsed inclusion of a senior-citizen Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell center in the proposed complex while backs the Butterfield redevelopment as elected officials, including Putnam Coun- developer Paul Guillaro looks on. ty Executive MaryEllen Odell, described Photo by L.S. Armstrong the benefits of the project. They spoke at a public hearing convened by the Cold Butterfield property and Chestnut Ridge Spring Village Board to consider changes senior-citizen apartment complex across to the B4 zoning that now governs the Route 9D from (Continued on page 3) Legislator-Elect Scuccimarra Saluted at Victory Celebration Pledges to make ‘people of “people before politics” and put the Dominic and Vera Giordano see many of the same customers each year when public good before partisanship in the families select their Christmas trees. Photo by M. Turton before politics’ real Putnam County Legislature. By Liz Schevtchuk Armstrong Scuccimarra, a Republican and former Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree! member of the Philipstown Town Board, bipartisan if predominately Re- defeated Democrat Steve Rosario in the Many locals stick with cies. “No Scotch pine or Douglas fir. I like publican crowd filled a Cold Nov. 6 election. She greeted supporters to keep it simple,” he said. Whether you Spring restaurant Wednesday at a “Victory Celebration” at Cathryn’s tradition and buy a real tree know one species from the other or not, A night (Nov. 28) to cheer District 1 Leg- Tuscan Grill. Those joining in the wine there is no denying the highly pleasur- By Michael Turton islator-Elect Barbara Scuccimarra, who and light buffet supper (at $75 a per- able, aromatic experience that a walk pledged to follow her campaign slogan son) included Putnam County Executive decorated coniferous tree — an through the Christmas trees at Philip- MaryEllen Odell — on her second visit to evergreen — all decked out with stown Market offers. A colorful lights and bulbs and Dominic said that larger trees are the “It is people before politics. And most popular with his customers. “With topped off with a star, is, by any estima- I’m going to carry that line tion, one of the most enduring and en- us, it’s the 8- to 10-foot trees. I get a few dearing symbols of Christmas. Locally, 12-footers but not many.” The smallest the next three years ... I will be trees are about 5 feet tall. Vera’s Philipstown Market on Route the best county legislator this 9 is one of the most popular places for For Mike and Denise Swansen of Put- families who have not succumbed to the nam Valley, the trip to the Philipstown district has ever seen.” temptation to switch to an artificial tree. Market to buy a tree is an annual affair. The market is run by Vera Giordano, her And for the Swansens there is no hint of Cold Spring in two nights; Libby Pataki, son Dominic, and her daughters Joanne any desire to go artificial. “That’s not go- county tourism director; incumbent Dis- and Rosa, with seasonal assistance from ing to happen,” Mike Swansen said. They trict 1 Legislator Vincent Tamagna, leav- a number of grandchildren. buy a Fraser fir — the biggest one avail- ing after 18 years in the job; Democratic Anyone who has seen the classic film able. “We have cathedral ceilings, so we and Republican town officials from Put- A Christmas Story knows there is much like a big tree — 10 feet or more.” nam Valley, where Scuccimarra grew up; more to selecting the family Christmas The Swansens are typical of Giorda- former Philipstown Supervisor Bill Maz- tree than simply grabbing the first one no’s customers who have a strong bias to- zuca; Kevin McConville, unsuccessful seen in the closest sales yard. And with wards real trees. Ironically, the one per- Democratic candidate for Putnam Coun- years of experience, no one knows that son who would rather go artificial is his ty sheriff in 2009, and Bill Bujarski, usu- better than the Giordano family. This mom, Vera. “I don’t like all those needles ally seen in Cold Spring as the building year they ordered about 350 trees from in my house,” she said. While she may inspector and part-time police officer but Quebec: Fraser firs and balsam firs. For not like it, her children seem to make it a attending in his capacity as vice chair- connoisseurs, those two varieties may be mission to keep her house smelling of an man of the Putnam Valley Republican the best available. Which one you choose authentic tree. “She’d like to have a small Committee. may simply be a matter of taste or prac- tree, but we always give her the fattest one “This has been amazing; the whole ex- Retiring District 1 Legislator Vincent ticality. “Fraser firs hold their needles we can find,” Dominic said. His mother perience has been amazing,” Scuccimarra Tamagna with his newly elected a little better,” Dominic Giordano said. goes along, but not without conditions. said. She acknowledged that in November successor Barbara Scuccimarra “But balsam firs smell a little better.” He “The tree has to be taken into her house 2011, when she lost her bid for re-election Photo by L.S. Armstrong doesn’t even bother with the other spe- wrapped in a (Continued on page 5) to the Town (Continued on page 14) 2 Nov. 30, 2012 The Paper www.philipstown.info | Philipstown.info Mouths to Feed Of Cabbages and Queens By Celia Barbour fridge. It’s incredibly good for you — a mere he time has come for cabbage, cup has more than half hasn’t it? Yes. Yes, I think it has. the Vitamin C you need T Not for the sake of self-punish- in a day. And, oh yes, ment: That would be premature, what it could save your life with a month of edible sins ahead. — in one study, Pol- Though if you are already inclined to- ish women who’d im- wards penitent eating, cabbage is an migrated to Michigan excellent place to start, as it has po- were found to experi- tential to be one of the grimmest foods ence a fourfold increase ever. Overboiled, it is a dish of despair, in their incidence of evidenced by its frequent appearance breast cancer versus in Soviet-era apartment complexes women back home; re- and Dickensian novels. And the trau- searchers linked it to ma it can inflict runs deep: My friend a decline in their con- Frances says that even in his old age, sumption of cabbage. her father-in-law, a Brit, used to grow All well and good. pale and trembly if anyone so much as But I must confess that, mentioned cabbage in his presence. He for me, cabbage’s killer had attended boarding school as a boy, app is that it is very low and could never quite bring himself to in calories (22 per cup, discuss the exact nature of the cabbage when not stuffed with Photo by C. Barbour sadism performed there. meat and rice). Yes, I My memories of cabbage are en- know this is horribly ginger and garlic to the mix. After that, strands of cabbage resemble noodles. tirely opposite. As a child, I adored my female of me, but there are times when, I made it fairly often, playing around (Just from reading the above you can mother’s cabbage rolls the way kids to- forgive me, lo-cal is enough. I mean, with sliced scallions, toasted sesame make it, too. It’s a cinch to improvise.) day revere macaroni and cheese from much as I’d like to, I can’t wear a com- seeds, siracha, rice. Still, my childhood adoration of cab- a box, and I begged her to make them forter everywhere. One day, the kids caught me in the bage inclines me to want to elevate it for special occasions. I loved watching A few winters back, after a long act — they had a half-day — and asked above the everyday, and so I also like her gently lower two of those ample morning writing at my desk, I shed my for bites. Immediately, their eyes nar- to make this salad, which bedecks the dumplings onto the plate before me, comforter and came downstairs crav- rowed in accusation: How dare I keep humble cabbage in exotic finery fit for the translucent, tender cabbage leaves ing something flavorful and filling, such a delicious dish all to myself? a queen: jewel-like pomegranate seeds, revealing glimpses of the sausage-like and decided that a forgotten green cab- From then on, sautéed cabbage became persimmon slices, honey, lime. It is meat and rice within. bage in the fridge would do the trick. I a regular family lunch or after-school lovely and fancy enough for company, I have never made cabbage rolls my- chopped it up, sautéed it, quite hot, in snack for us all.