Sound Shore

HARRISON — Over the objections of Supervisor Joan Walsh,Town Board Republicans  town voted to cut the proposed salary increases of local department directors.
The measure, which Walsh said she didn’t know about until minutes before Thursday’s budget hearing, was passed by the board’s 3-2 Republican majority.
The move saved about $39,000 from Walsh’s plan, which totalled $54,778,411. It cuts her proposed 4.254 percent tax rate increase down to 4.201 percent — a difference Wash said was negligable.
“The raises are well-warranted,” she said. “It would not have affected a resident.”

On Saturday Dec. 3, Harrison music teacher Cris Spinner, along with the Harrison High School PTA, is sponsoring the fifth annual “Voices Heard” concert to raise money for Autism Speaks.  

The concert will be held at the Harrison Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.

“It is so exciting to have everyone involved,” Spinner said. “At the high school, students involved in our IB and GO programs are designing flyers, programs and working with town business to sponsor the show.”

Harrison Central School District teachers are a key element to the show. In addition to Spinner, who taught at Harrison Avenue Elementary for over 20 years and is now at LMK, the program includes fellow HAS teachers Kristina-Marie Cascone, Regina Singel, and Clancy Tager. Additional performers are long time professional colleagues and friends of Spinner.

As the parent of an autistic child, she knows firsthand the struggles parents face. She is proud that her son is now in his third year at Harrison High School and marvels at the support they both receive from students, teachers, administrators and community members.

“We wouldn’t be able to do this without the amazing support of our Harrison community,” she said.

The West Harrison Neighborhood Association is holding its annual tree lighting ceremony tomorrow night at 7:30 at Taylor Square in West Harrison.
Also, at 7 p.m. Saturday there will be a musical program at Harrison High School with proceeds going to support Autism. Adults and Children are welcomed.

Purchase College students will be performing their own take on Vivaldi Dec. 11.

“This will be a concert like no other,” says Purchase Professor Laura Kaminsky, a composer and the artistic director of Symphony Space in New York. “An added bonus is that the students will collect food donations for families in need, true to the holiday spirit.”

Food contributions, in the form of canned and non-perishable items, will be donated to the food pantry of Born Again United Church in New Rochelle.

The performance is free and open to the public. It will take place at Cooper’s Corner Nursery in New Rochelle from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This concert represents the final project of the College’s new course, “New Modalities in Chamber Music,” taught by Kaminsky. Students in the course brainstorm innovative ways of presenting music in today’s changing society. Ranging from classical violinists to indie rock songwriters and jazz guitarists, the students bring their varied talents together for a live concert in the spirit of collaboration.

Cooper’s Corner Nursery is on Mill Road in New Rochelle. For directions and more information, call (914) 632-2647.

Last month, at the annual Jacob’s Cure Family Bowl event to strike out Canavan disease, Jacob’s Cure presented their 2011 Young Leadership Award to 13-year-old Purchase resident, Joseph Lovinger.

Over the past year, Joseph raised more than $2,000 for Jacob’s Cure through the sale of hand-made duct tape wallets. He has been friends with Jacob Sontag, the namesake of Jacob’s Cure, for more than seven years.

“When I met Jacob in first grade at Purchase Elementary, I knew right away there was something special about him. As I grew older, I began to appreciate his fighting spirit and perseverance. I wanted to help his cause, but I never knew how I could do so,” Joseph said.

Jacob is afflicted with a rare genetic brain disease called Canavan disease. Children with Canavan become trapped in their bodies, develop seizures, lose their ability to see and swallow, and if untreated, die in the first decade of life. The research funded by Jacob’s Cure has slowed or halted the progression of the disease in most of the children who received gene therapy and have begun the recommended pharmacological treatments. Jacob will be celebrating his 16^th birthday in February.

Harrison Supervisor Joan Walsh issued the following letter last night in the wake of this week’s election. Republican Ron Belmont won the contest vote of 3,489 to 1,993, according to unofficial results from the county Board of Elections.

Congratulations to the members of the Belmont Team on their clean sweep of the election of November 8th: Ron Blemont, Fred Sciliano, Steve Malfitano and Jackie Greer. It was an overwhelming victory for them, with the votes as of today giving them about a 2-1 majority, with four election districts still to be counted. The machines in the entire County have been impounded, so the vote counting has been halted. It will probably be some time next week before those four districts get counted. I also congratulate the members of my Team: Pat Vetere, Howard Hollander and Frank Corvino for their dedication and hard work these past months.

How did this result happen? I am sure that there are all kinds of reasons, but it all comes down to the fact that the Republicans got out their voters, and our Team did not. You probably got one of those many phone calls asking if you would vote for Walsh or Belmont. I know that two came to my own house. Then on Election Day, those favoring Belmont were called and reminded to vote. The results also, I think, are a response to the frustration of many people as to the real estate taxes that they pay. Perhaps the new Board will be able to find a way out of that problem.

What is troubling to me is that the total number of voters as of Tuesday night was 4,227, out of a total of about 11,000 registered voters – an uncertain number as some people have died or moved. That number will grow by perhaps 950 as the Districts not yet tallied are counted. However, in most of our local elections about 7,500 Harrison people vote. So it seems that more than 2,000 people decided not to vote. The lack of interest certainly cannot have been because people were unaware of the election – there were enough mailings, phone calls and emails to alert everyone. But – people decided to stay at home and not vote, to let other people decide Harrison’s future.. Why? Perhaps in the months ahead we will learn that “why.”

How do I feel about the results, about knowing that in a few short weeks my days as your Mayor will be over? Mixed feelings as with the end of any job. Sad that it is over. Sad that there are things planned which will not now be accomplished. Pride in what I did accomplish. Wonderful memories of people I met, worked with, problems that I solved. Worry about the future of the MTA project, the effect this Board will have on the Town’s spending, the end result of the Beaver Swamp area … so many concerns. And yet – there is also a sense of freedom. Being the Mayor is –to use the current description – a 24/7 job. I will now have time for friends, to read, to travel – a safari has long been a goal—to garden. I do have plans for a future job – one that would be only 2-3 days at a time then two or three months off. As someone pointed out to me this morning in an email: the sun comes up every day, a new day is there for each of us.

So — again I congratulate the Belmont Team, and wish them well as they govern Harrison during the next two years. It will now be a five-member Republican Town Board, with a Republican as Town Clerk. We will all be watching to see what they do, and don’t do. For four years, I have said it is all about the money and taxes. It still is.

HARRISON — It was shaping up to be a good night for Republicans on Tuesday as Ron Belmont took a commanding lead over Supervisor Joan Walsh for the town’s highest office.
Belmont, the town’s former recreation supervisor, clashed with the Democrat Walsh over Harrison’s fiscal problems and the future of the town’s downtown business district.
He had over 1,000 more votes than Walsh with 70 percent of the tally being counted, according to the county Board of Elections.
The Republican Town Board candidates — incumbent Fred Sciliano and Stephen Malfitano, a former Harrison supervisor — also jumped out to early leads over Democrats Pat Vetere, an incumbent, and Howard Hollander, a newcomer.
If Republicans pull off the sweep, they’ll have a monopoly on the board.
Republican Jackie Greer was beating Democratic candidate for town clerk Frank Corvino in the race to replace Town Clerk Joseph Acocella Jr., who died in office during the summer.
It was a bittersweet campaign for both candidates, who were vying to replace an inspiring man who overcame physical disabilities to run the Clerk’s Office and modernize it. Greer and Corvino both vowed if elected to continue the progress he had made.
In the town justice races, newcomer Nelson Canter and incumbent Mark Lust, both Republicans, held leads over incumbent Ronald Bianchi and newcomer Pasquale Gizzo.

The Westchester County Fair Campaign Practices Committee has found another unfair campaign practice conducted by Harrison Supervisor Joan Walsh. She had failed to disclose who paid for a recent campaign flier, the committee announced Thursday.
Last month she was criticized by the committee for misleading the public with her characterization of the town’s debt — a deficit over which both she and her predecessor presided.

Harrison Supervisor Joan Walsh submitted a budget today, which would raise taxes a bit more than 4 percent. The majority of that increase is a result from the the town’s decreasing tax assessment base. Spending is only increased within the state’s mandated 2 percent cap.

Walsh issued the following press release:

Supervisor/ Mayor Joan Walsh of the Town/Village of Harrison filed the proposed tentative budget for 2012 today with the Harrison Town Clerk. Supervisor Walsh stated that “The 2012 Budget that I am proposing meets the 2% Tax Levy Cap mandated by New York State.”  Under the proposed “tentative” budget, property taxes will rise 4.254%. “This is only the mid-point of the budget process…a final budget must be adopted by December 20^th and much work remains to be done before then,” said Supervisor Joan Walsh.

In calling the proposed budget a “work in progress”, Supervisor Walsh stated that “Harrison continues to experience material adverse changes to its fiscal condition and faces the same challenges as all local governments across the Nation … higher operating costs, unfunded state mandates and falling real property assessed valuations.” She said  “Significant increases for pension contributions required by the New York State Retirement System, increased major medical costs, debt service and fuel  costs amount to more than a $1.2 million increase in operating costs from the 2011 budget to the 2012 budget.” For the proposed 2012 budget, a $398,500 change in either revenues or expenses equals a 1% decrease or increase, respectively, in property taxes.  In addition, the continued economic downturn means that several Town/Village non-property tax revenue line items such as mortgage tax aid, building department fees and interest earnings are expected to remain flat, in line with their 2011 levels. (more…)

The Westchester League of Women Voters is hosting a Candidates Forum for those seeking to represent districts 5, 6 and 7 within Harrison.

The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, 2011 at the Harrison Community Center, 210 Halstead Ave., Harrison.
the three legislator races are:

• Dan Brakewood vs. David Gelfarb for District 6


• Suzanna Keith vs. Judy Myers for District 7


• Iris Pagan vs. William Ryan for District 5