The Eastchester Review 1-3-2014

January 3, 2014 | Vol. 2, Number 1 | www.eastchesterreview.com

Eastchester REVIEWTHE

Formerly

Children’s library to undergo renovationsBy CHRIS EBERHART

Staff Writer

The Eastchester Children's library is about to undergo a $45,000 renovation.

Tracey Wright, director of the Eastchester Public Library, said the library was looking to “spruce up the children's room” by adding new carpets, ceiling tiles, LED lighting and a second children's computer.

“We think the library is so important for the community,” Wright said. “We have 600 kids in our summer reading game, so we know how popular we are, and we wanted to create an up- LIBRARY continued on page 10

beat environment that welcomes the kids to the library.”

Wright said the project idea started in the spring, when the library created designs for a canopy-like structure behind the computer desk Shortly thereafter, Wright said, the li-brary received funding in the amount of $15,000 from the town to replace the carpet.

“We were excited after we received the funding, and that's when the Friend's [of the Eastchester Public Library] de-cided to go all out,” Wright said. “We never expected to replace the whole ceiling, just add the LED lights. But, over the years,

we had so many leaks, and it was in terrible condition, so we decided to go for it and renovate the whole room.”

Robert Cartolano, president of the Eastchester Library board, said the new, state-of-the-art LED lights are not to be overlooked as they will not only save the library on electricity and maintenance, but they will brighten the chil-dren's room and make it “more lively and kid-friendly.”

Wright said she hopes to be-gin the renovation project in early January and fi nish later in the month or sometime around Valentine's Day.W hile work is done in the children’s room,

she said, the playroom, along with some of the books, will be moved to the auditorium down-stairs, but the staff will still have full access to the children's li-brary collection.

All the renovation plans—the ceiling, lights, rug and sec-ond children's computer—will cost the library $45,000, all of which, except for the $15,000 from the town, will be paid for by fundraisers and donations.

Cartolano gave examples of fundraisers.

He said the library hosted a fair, where parents and children

The Village of Bronxville has utilized a technologically advanced sanitary sewer map since June that uses a GPS to create a digital map of the village’s manholes, the point of entry for any sewer mainte-nance work.

Rocco Circosta, public works superintendent of Bronxville, said the digital map, which was part of the Sanitary Sewer Capital Plan developed by Professional Consultants, LLC, a New Jersey engineering com-pany, last winter, appears on a computer screen and shows the locations of the manholes along with pipe elevations and sizes.

Circosta said this informa-tion allows DPW crews to ac-cess blockages with greater ef-fi ciency by identifying exactly where the manholes are, some of which are under pavement and under residents’ lawns.

“If there’s a blockage or an emergency somewhere at two in the morning,” Circosta said, “we can’t be looking for man-holes. This will tell us exactly where the manholes are in front of and behind the blockage so we can get to work. It’s public works moving forward in the digital age.”

The Sanitary Sewer Capital Plan, which was a bonded, $30,000 project, extends be-yond the manholes to the storm water catch basins, which, ac-cording to Circosta, have also been located and digitally mapped.

In addition to the storm wa-ter catch basins, the GIS—Geographical Information System—which is attached to the digital map, utilizes the lat-est SewerCAD software to re-cord all the work and service done to that location, . Circosta said, and the crews can use that

information to assist in priori-tizing future repairs.

According to a letter ob-tained by the Eastchester Review from PCI to Circosta, the software-based sewer map is “essential for an effi cient, sound and successful munici-pal resource management” and will create a hydraulic sewer model that “will help in analyz-ing existing and future sanitary sewer collection system, and in preparing a comprehensive re-port to identify system upgrade needs and problems, and help in prioritizing and designing the future sewer improvement projects.”

The old maps, Circosta said, are outdated and hand drawn without all the information about prior work; in an emer-gency, they can do more to hin-der a crew’s work than help it.

“The old maps are 60 to 70 years old that people just marked up,” Circosta said. “That showed the locations, but they haven’t been updated. We can use them to eventually fi nd the manholes, but the crews don’t have access to information.”

As part of the project, PCI not only installed the SewerCAD software, but also collected data about each man-hole, which included the loca-tion and condition of the man-hole as well as the sewer con-nections.

The New Jersey engineer-ing company also developed and verifi ed sanitary sewer fl ow pattern and available sewer capacity and concluded the project with a review of Bronxville’s existing sewer plans to establish defi ciencies and point out where upgrades are needed.

-Reporting by Chris Eberhart

Bronxville updates sewer map

Sharing is caringThe Larchmont-based Furniture Sharehouse recently held a drive to help those in need of basic home necessities. For more, see page 6.Photo courtesy Kate Bialo

2 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • January 3, 2014

Super Kids program comes to Westchester schoolsBy KATIE HOOS

Staff Writer

In the spirit of giving this holiday season, schools in Westchester County will par-ticipate in Super Kids-Super Sharing, a program where gen-tly used books, toys, school sup-plies and sports equipment are collected and given to under-served children in the area.

On Friday, Dec. 6, West-chester County Executive Rob Astorino announced area schools will team up with the National Football League and this year’s New York/New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee to join the chari-table effort.

“Super Kids-Super Sharing fits naturally with Westchester’s commitment to giving back,” Astorino said. “Together, I know we will show that Westchester has the heart, the drive and the spirit to make this a huge suc-cess. Our students never cease to amaze me when it comes to volunteerism.”

Super Kids-Super Sharing is an event held every year in the

Super Bowl host city. Public and private schools

in New Jersey and New York were invited to participate since MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. will host Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 2, 2014.

The Super Bowl Host Committee, partnering with the NFL Environmental Program, reached out to hundreds of

schools in the New York Metro area to kick-start the event. Every private and public school in Westchester County was in-vited to participate.

Diana Blank, community ser-vice advisor for grades 9 and 10 at Briarcliff High School, said Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse will be in charge of the Briarcliff program

and will send out communica-tion through daily announce-ments, posters and Facebook posts before the Christmas holi-day break.

Participation in the program is completely voluntary, but Blank said, “Generally, our kids like to do community service.”

Tuckahoe High School is also planning to participate in the Super-Kids Super Sharing program.

Starting in early January, students will gather gently-used sports equipment and books and place them in col-lection boxes at their schools.

Jack Groh, director of the NFL Environmental Program, said children should bring in books for all ages, from picture books to a young adult reading level, as well as usable sports equipment and school supplies.

On Jan. 16, 2014, event co-ordinators and student repre-sentatives from area schools will then come together in Riverbank State Park in Harlem to sort the items and generate momentum for the upcoming Super Bowl. Representatives from the New York Giants, New York Jets, NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee and lo-

cal legislators will be at the event.

Groh said he hopes to get active players, former players, cheerleaders and mascots to join the event.

After the items are sort-ed, they will be distributed to schools in New York and New Jersey that are in need of supplies. Diana Costello, a Westchester County spokes-person who is helping to or-ganize Super Kids-Super Sharing, said, “Where they are collected is where they’ll stay. It’s about helping our neigh-bors in need.”

The Riverside Park Jan. 16 event will also feature the “Huddle Shuddle,” an interac-tive exhibit where kids can test their football skills. The ex-hibit also showcases the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the award given to the winning Super Bowl team, and mock New York Giants and New York Jets locker rooms.

The Super Kids-Super Sharing program has been im-plemented by Super Bowl host city committees for the past 14 years and has collected hun-dreds of thousands of items. Groh estimates 10,000 books

and pieces of sports equipment are donated annually through the program.

Groh said Super Kids-Super Sharing is not only a charitable event, but also promotes recy-cling within the community.

“It’s a smart strategy to transfer the items to where they’re needed,” he said. “They could have very little value to you, but could be of tremen-dous value to someone else. This program is a way to trans-fer items to places where they are needed most.”

Costello said the holiday sea-son is the perfect time to start planning for the Super Kids-Super Sharing program, since many people have extra time off of work and school to go through unused items in their homes.

“The holidays are natural-ly a time to reflect and give back to others if you’re able,” Costello said. “The people of Westchester are always look-ing for ways to help.”

A representative from Tucka-hoe High School could not be reached for comment as of press time.

CONTACT: [email protected]

Westchester County schools, in conjunction with the NFL, will donate books and sports equipment to the Super Kids-Super Sharing program in preparation for February’s Super Bowl. Photo courtesy nycgo.com

January 3, 2014 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 3

Boy Scout Chris Lazzaro’s Eagle Scout project was to refurbish this pathway, top, in Bronxville Manor of Eastchester. By the time the project was completed, Lazzaro and a group of scouts that he led cleared the pathway by removing poisonous plants and the old mesh fencing, painted the fence poles black and added new mesh fencing that he purchased with the money he raised from a tag sale. Contributed Photos

By CHRIS EBERHARTStaff Writer

Two Boy Scouts from Troop 353 in Eastchester are in the process of receiving the high-est honor in scouting.

Chris Lazzaro, a senior at Fordham Prep, and Alejandro Urbina, a senior at Tuckahoe High School, are on the brink of becoming Eagle Scouts, an honor that their scout mas-ter, Mike Occhicone, said only about 4 percent of scouts reach.

“In order to become an Eagle Scout, you have to live by the scout oath and the scout law,” Occhino said. “Both Chris and Alejandro have demonstrated those val-ues and leadership. And not only do they have to achieve certain personal goals, but they have to impart the val-ues and skills on the young scouts, and they’ve excelled in teaching and leading.

Lazzaro, who has been in the scouts for six years, com-pleted his Eagle Scout project, which is the final step after moving up the ranks and earn-ing all 21-merit badges before becoming an Eagle Scout, by leading a group of scouts in re-furbishing a much-used paved pathway in Bronxville Manor of Eastchester.

Lazzaro said he and the oth-er volunteer scouts stripped away the old, rusted mesh

Alejandro Urbina’s Eagle Scout project includes collecting used iPods, CDs, hard drives and cash donations to recreate a music memory program in Westchester, which uses music to reconnect the elderly suffering from chronic memory loss with their youth. Contributed Photo

fence and poisonous plants be-fore painting the existing poles to match the new , PVC-coated mesh fence, which was paid for through a tag sale Lazzaro ran in April at the Immaculate Conception Church on Winterhill Road in Tuckahoe.

Lazzaro said, all the items sold during his tag sale were donated by supporters of his project, while any items that went unsold were donated to Goodwill.

Between the tag sale and private donations from five electrical companies, such as Hellman Electric Corp. and Adco Electric, Lazzaro said he raised $2,000 for his Eagle Scout project.

“I wanted to beautify the paved pathway,” Lazzaro said. “And I wanted to have a long-lasting effect on the commu-nity. [The renovation project] wasn’t in the town budget, so it wasn’t going to happen unless I stepped up and did it.”

Lazzaro’s project is com-plete, and now he waits for the extensive review process to verify he has all his badges and determine if he’s worthy of be-coming an Eagle Scout.

As Lazzaro waits to offi-cially become an Eagle Scout, Urbina is beginning his Eagle Scout project.

Urbina, who has been in the scouts for five years, said he wants to recreate a music and

memory program—in which music is used to help the elder-ly struggling with memory loss illnesses to reconnect with their youth and help them remember better times—in a Westchester nursing home.

Before the program can be installed in a nursing home, Urbina said he has to collect old iPods, CDs, and hard drives, which are used to store the mu-sic, and cash donations to pur-

Two town scouts soon to become Eagle Scouts

chase music and hard drives. He said he began a music

drive in the Tuckahoe school district and made a presenta-tion after a winter concert in the William Cottle School in Tuckahoe, where he raised $440.

Urbina said, in total, he has raised $660 and his early success allowed him to push his goal from raising $750 to $1,000.

Urbina, who plays guitar, said music has always been a passion, which is why he chose this project.

Earning Eagle Scout, Urbina said, will help him stand out as he applies for college.

“Earning that award gives you access to things you wouldn’t normally have access to,” Urbina said. “When you become an Eagle Scout, you move up to the top of the list when you’re applying for col-leges. They know it takes very strict discipline, hard work and involves a lot of leadership skills.”

He said if anyone would like to donate cash, old iP-ods, CDs or hard drives, he can be contacted at [email protected].



What’s going on...

Tuckahoe Library events

BabytimeJoin Miss Ellen for stories, songs and rhymes

especially for babies.Open to ages birth to two years.Thursdays at 11 a.m. Jan. 9, 16, 23 and 30Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27Registration is required.Tuckahoe Public Library71 Columbus Avenue Tuckahoe914-961-2121www.tuckahoelibrary.org.

Kids book clubBring your favorite book and share it with the

group. Maybe you will find a new favorite, too.Tuesday, Jan. 144 p.m. to 5 p.m.Open to ages 5 to 10 yearsRefreshments will be served. Registration is re-

quired.Tuckahoe Public Library71 Columbus Ave.914-961-2121www.tuckahoelibrary.org.

Paws & Tales: Therapy dogs in the library

Friday, Jan. 3 and Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 4 p.m.Join us and give beginning readers the chance

to practice reading their favorite tale aloud to a furry, friendly therapy dog. All dogs certified and registered through The Good Dog Foundation. Story-loving dogs will be available for 10-minute reading sessions. Registration is required

Bronxville Library eventsBorrow a Kindle today

BPL Kindles are pre-loaded with content, no downloading necessary. New titles will be added monthly. 14-day borrowing period. Bronxville li-brary cardholders only. Kindles have been provid-ed through the generous support of the Friends of Bronxville Public Library.

Download e-books from the library for free

Do you own an iPad, Kindle, Nook, or tab-

let? Download ebooks and audio books directly to your laptop, PC, tablet, mp3 player, or smart-phone. Download ebooks using a token system.

Events at the Lutheran Church

Prayer servicesHeld regularly on the last Saturday of the month.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. following the regular Saturday service, these brief moments for medita-tion and prayer offer personal prayers at the altar and the ancient tradition of anointing with oil.

Westchester Italian Cultural Center events

Exhibit: Presepio NapoletanoNativity scenes are very popular in Italy and

are generally found in every household during the holiday season. The nativity originated in Italy in the 13th century when St. Francis of Assisi asked Giovanni Vellita from the Village of Greccio to create a manger scene. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the nativity was turned into an art form in Naples and included representation of daily life in Naples at that time. Today, many artisans are dedicated to the craft of creating handmade fig-ures for presepi. Presepio Napoletano represents our rich cultural and spiritual traditions. It portrays a bustling village located at the base of Mount Vesuvius. The landscape is handcrafted in wood, cork and paper mache. The figures are made of terra cotta, hemp and wire, many of which stand more than a foot tall.

Exhibit on view: Friday, Dec. 13, 2013, through Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014.

Exhibit Hours: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to noon. Hours subject to change.

For more information or to schedule a guided tour or group visit please call 914-771-8700.

Suggested donation: adults $10, children 18

years of age and under $5.Westchester Italian Cultural CenterOne Generoso Pope PlaceTuckahoe, NY 10707914-771-8700Wiccny.org

The Community Fund accepting 2014 grant applications

The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Inc. is currently accepting 2014 grant applications from qualified applicants. Applications must be received by Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, for consideration.

Social service agencies or groups serving the health, education and welfare needs of residents in the villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe, the Town of Eastchester and the areas located in the 10708 zip code are invited to apply. Funding is de-termined based on a number of factors, including community needs, distribution of existing servic-es, impact on the community, population served, quality of administration/service, collaboration and financial condition.

The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Inc.’s mission is to pro-vide funding and support for local agencies and non-profit groups serving the health, education and welfare needs of residents in the Bronxville 10708, Eastchester and Tuckahoe community.

For more information about The Community Fund’s annual grant application yimetable, poli-cies and procedures, or to download the 2014 grant application, please log onto The Community Fund Website at www.thecommunityfund.org or contact the office at 914-337-8808.

Pelham Arts Center Events

Winter classesRegistration began Monday, Dec. 9 for Pelham

Art Center’s Winter 2014 semester, scheduled for Jan. 6 to March 22. Registration for classes and workshops is ongoing throughout the term. Families, adults and children can choose from a variety of classes and workshops running morn-ing, afternoon, evening and on weekends. Pelham Art Center Members receive 10 percent off class-es. Need-based scholarships and payment plans are available. The winter catalog can be found on the art center’s website, pelhamartcenter.org/edu-cation, or call 914-738-2525 x111 to request one by mail or email. Students may register online, in person, by mail, email, phone or fax. Pelham Art Center administrative hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

While your kids are having fun, they are also improving social and motor skills, personal ex-pression, visual communication and application for digital skills. Statistics show that children in-volved in the arts improve academically. PAC in-structors are great teachers, as well as professional artists in their associated mediums–so inspiring children, youth and adults alike comes naturally. Learn about some of examples of classes:

New youth classes include:Art Around the World, flash animation, comics,

digital photography, rainbow loom,making “reality TV” and Performing PoetsPopular youth classes include:Music recording, ceramics (pottery/wheel

throwing) & sculpture, cartooning, mixed media, game design, industrial design, digital fashion de-sign, creative writing and much, much more.

New continuing courses for adults include:Collage, millinery workshop, iMovie, writ-

ers circle, Explore and Enhance Your Creativity Workshop, pointed pen calligraphy corkshop

Popular continuing courses for adults include:Ceramics in the a.m. or p.m., collage, mem-

oir writing, digital photography and Simply Watercolor, just to name a few.

For more information, or to register for our summer workshops and classes, stop by the office, or call 914-738-2525 x111. You can visit our web-site www.pelhamartcenter.org. Need-based schol-arships are available to all students who qualify.

Shop for fresh produce all winter longWestchester residents will be able to buy farm-

fresh local produce, cheeses and other dairy prod-ucts, meats, baked goods and wine directly from farmers and producers at the indoor farmers mar-ket to be held on the last Sunday of each month from November through March, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

Dates are Sundays Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 30, 2014. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year’s market will consist of a variety of vendors who are farmers and food producers, all from the tri-state area. And, to tempt shoppers and to help them make selections, vendors will offer samples of their foods.

To add to the fun, each month will feature live entertainment provided by local musicians from the Hudson Valley and surrounding area.

Admission is free. Parking at the County Center lot is $5.

The farmers market is sponsored by Westchester County Parks and Friends of Westchester County Parks, Inc.

The Westchester County Center is located at 198 Central Park Ave. in White Plains.

For a list of vendors, go to countycenter.biz.

Deadline for our What’s Going On section is 12 p.m. every Friday. Though space is not guaranteed, we will do our best to accom-modate your listings. Please send all items

to [email protected].


Morgado still awaiting trial in son’s murder

Manuela Maria Morgado is scheduled to appear in Westchester County Supreme Court again on Jan. 16 in connection with the murder of her 4-year-old son last year. The court is waiting on the results of her mental health evaluation before continuing to trial. File photo

By ASHLEY HELMSStaff Writer

Manuela Maria Morgado, the Mamaroneck mother accused of killing her 4-year-old son last year, appeared in Westchester County Supreme Court on Dec. 12, but an offi cial trial date still has not been set and the case was continued until Jan. 16.

Morgado, of 1035 E. Boston Post Road, pled not guilty to second-degree murder charges on Dec. 18, 2012 in the death of her son, Jason Reish. According to court documents, both the de-fense and prosecution teams were ready for trial as of April 18 of this year, but Morgado’s case has been adjourned since then while state and defense experts evaluate her psychiatric state. Morgado waived her right to appear in court on Jan. 16. She will be rep-resented, as she has been since, by Saad Siddiqui, her legal aid attor-ney.Morgado faces up to 25 years in prison.

Lucian Chalfen, spokes-per-son for the county District Attorney’s offi ce, said Mor-gado’s Jan. 16 appearance will

tained Alprazolam, a form of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, which police believe Morgado took with the intent of commit-ting suicide. She was taken to Sound Shore Medical Center in New Rochelle, where McNally and Prieto later questioned and arrested her.

After she was read and vol-untarily waived her Miranda rights, McNally said Morgado told detectives she attempted to asphyxiate her son with two syringes of adult cold medicine and inhaled helium from the tank. After her original meth-od failed, Morgado placed her hand over the child’s mouth and used her weight to smother her son against a pillow. He died af-ter the second attempt, accord-ing to McNally.

McNally said Morgado told detectives she thought about kill-ing her son for an extended period of time and researched a method on the Internet that she believed would cause the least suffering. She purchased the helium tank online for this purpose.

Morgado said she was frus-trated with the family court system and feared she was go-ing to lose custody of Jason to his father, Briarcliff doctor

be before Supreme Court Judge Richard Molea, Assistant Dis-trict Attorney Christine Hat-fi eld and Sidduqui to confer-ence regarding the results of Morgado’s mental health evalu-ation. Her past eight appearanc-es in Supreme Court since April have been regarding the status of her psychiatric evaluation.

“They may very well have a psychiatric side to the trial,” Chalfen said.

At a felony hearing on Oct. 18, 2012, Village of Mam-aro-neck Police Detective Ber-nard McNally described the scene in Jason’s bedroom when he and his partner, Detective Edgar Prieto, arrived at Morgado’s home the day Jason Reish died.

Jason “appeared lifeless,” Mc-Nally said, was blue and rigor mortis had set in on one of his arms. A helium tank was on the bed, leaning against the headboard, and a plastic tube was attached to the tank with a mask on the other end. Morgado laid on her side next to her son’s body, facing him.

McNally said Prieto, speak-ing in Spanish, asked Morgado

Timothy Reish, according to Mamaroneck police.

Harvey Loeb, Morgado’s legal aid at the time, tried to suggest Morgado may have been sedated when she confessed to police at Sound Shore Medical Center. It is unclear if Siddiqui will try to use this defense during her trial.

Village of Mamaroneck Judge Christie Derrico found signifi -cant evidence to indicate that a felony occurred in the death of Jason Reish and that Morgado committed that felony.

Morgado pled not guilty on Dec. 18, 2012, and was indicted by a Westchester County grand jury shortly thereafter.

She had a DNA sample taken on June 7 in order to place her, beyond a shadow of a doubt, at the crime scene in her home, according to Chalfen, who said the DNA results have not been made available yet and the court expects them to take an extended period of time to be fi nished.

Morgado remains in West-chester County Jail in Valhalla, where she is being held without bail until her trial date. Calls to Sidduqui were not returned as of press time.


what happened. Prieto translat-ed Morgado’s reply: “Now no one will take him from me.”

Detectives found a plastic sy-ringe without a needle, several empty packages of adult cold medication and an empty pre-scription bottle in the bathroom. The syringe contained a reddish liquid residue.

The prescription bottle con-

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REVIEWFurniture Sharehouse looks to grow with need

By KATIE HOOSStaff Writer

For the Furniture Sharehouse, the holiday season is not just a time to give back, it’s a time to give even more than they do the rest of the year.

Fueled solely by donations and grants, the Sharehouse, which gives free furniture to in-dividuals and families in need throughout Westchester County, has rasied enough money to fur-nish more than 25 homes this holiday season.

Since opening in 2007, the Furniture Sharehouse has dis-tributed more than 36,548 piec-es of furniture to 2,378 house-holds with a value of nearly $2.3 million.

Founded by Larchmont resi-dent Kate Bialo and The Junior League of Westchester on the Sound—an all-female organi-zation promoting volunteerism throughout the Sound Shore—the Furniture Sharehouse is a non-profi t corporation that aims to improve the quality of life for the community’s fi nancially dis-advantaged.

Bialo, also former president and community grants coordina-tor for the league, said many so-cial workers and agencies with whom she has worked would re-ceive calls from people looking to donate furniture, but had to turn them down due to a lack of space. Frustrated by the amount of furniture being thrown away despite the overwhelming need for it, Bialo decided to collect furniture on her own to give to the less fortunate.

The recipient of a grant through Westchester County, the sharehouse was able to obtain 6,500 square feet of warehouse

space behind the Westchester County Airport in Harrison and offi cially opened its doors in April 2007.

Currently, it is the only furni-ture bank in the tri-state area.

Clients of the sharehouse in-clude victims of domestic vio-lence, families who have lost their homes to fi re, those mov-ing out of a homeless shelter or foster care and families strug-gling below the poverty line.

The Furniture Sharehouse furnishes around 450 homes per year yet, according to Bialo, there is still has a waiting list of at least six weeks.

“These are people who are sleeping on the fl oors of their homes,” she said. “We want to give them a dignifi ed experience [at the Furniture Sharehouse] and the ability to start a com-fortable life at home.”

According to the New York State Department of Health, as of the 2010 census, 10 percent

of Westchester residents are liv-ing below the national poverty line. The current United States poverty threshold is set at an annual income of $23,050 for a family of four.

The sharehouse gives furni-ture to the needy only through a trusted referral process. Working with several agen-cies, such as the Westchester County Department of Social Services, St. Vincent’s Hospital in Harrison and Family Services of Westchester, the sharehouse and the client’s caseworker, who verifi es the client is in need through a home visit, arrange a date to visit the warehouse to se-lect furniture together.

When the client arrives at the warehouse with their casework-er, they are assigned a shopping assistant to help with their selec-tions. The clients can then take the furniture home themselves or arrange for delivery services.

“It’s an extremely gratifying

experience for all of us and the volunteers who come here year round,” Bialo said. “We have an amazing group of volunteers who love what they do.”

Hope’s Door, a Pleasantville-based organization that aids vic-tims of domestic violence, is an-other agency that works directly with the Furniture Sharehouse.

Dianne DeFilippis, director of administration at Hope’s Door, said clients who come out of the Hope’s Door shelter often have nothing to furnish their new home with, so they are referred to the Furniture Sharehouse.

“They’ve been a great help, very responsive and useful to our clients,” she said. “The Furniture Sharehouse is the fi rst facility that we reach out to spe-cifi cally for furniture.”

DeFilippis said three clients from Hope’s Door received fur-niture through the sharehouse this year.

Without the generosity of the community, the Furniture Sharehouse wouldn’t be able to stock its facility with beds, tables, mirrors, dressers, so-fas, armchairs and other items that fi ll a home. The share-house has collected and re-cycled more than 300 tons of furniture since its inception and accepts donations of mod-erately-sized, basic home fur-nishings that are in good con-dition. Bialo said monetary donations are also accepted, and help pay the warehouse rent, delivery costs and other expenses.

Aiming to increase its col-lection, the sharehouse recently began a recycling initiative in which it placed donation bins in the White Plains, Tuckahoe, Rye and Mamaroneck recycling yards. There, residents can drop-off smaller items in the closed bins and someone from the sharehouse will collect them.

The sharehouse also collects furniture from drives hosted by

local organizations. On Sunday, Nov. 10, Archbishop Stepinac High School and Our Lady of Sorrows Church in White Plains hosted a drive in the high school’s parking lot in which they gathered a half truck’s worth of items.

And the fi fth annual drive at Mamaroneck High School, hosted by the school’s Furniture Sharehouse Service Club, will take place on March 15, 2014. Bialo said events such as these generate awareness about fur-niture recycling and the im-portance it plays in the lives of those in need.

The year-round work of the Furniture Sharehouse, its volun-teers and Bialo does not go un-noticed in the community.

In February, the share-house won the Community TechKnowledge, Inc. Founda-tion’s 2013 Heart and Soul award and received a $10,000 grant.

Community TechKnowledge is a Texas-based software com-pany whose foundation hon-ors one non-profi t organization each year.

Last year, Bialo was a nomi-nee for the 2012 L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth, an annual program that awards female volunteers for their work within their communities. She was the recipient of a $10,000 donation from L’Oreal Paris.

This May, Bialo was rec-ognized, by state Sen. George Latimer, a Rye Democrat, as the 2013 New York State Senate Woman of Distinction for her tireless work in Westchester.

“What [Bialo] did was that she built something from an idea,” Latimer said. “It started with an idea and she built it into a thriving program. I think, over time, we’ll see examples of people who have been success-ful and can relate it back to the Furniture Sharehouse.”


Students from Mamaroneck High School load a donated desk onto a truck during a March 2013 Furniture Sharehouse drive.

Families in need can choose from sofas, armchairs, dressers, desks and other basic home furnishings.

Mamaroneck High School students from the Furniture Sharehouse Service Club help collect furniture for the Sharehouse at the high school’s March drive. Photos courtesy Kate Bialo


Bronxville School Foundation accepting nominations The Bronxville School Foun-

dation will accept nominations to fi ll open positions on its board of directors for the upcoming year through Feb. 3, 2014. The foundation was established in 1991 by the Bronxville School Board of Education, citizens of the community and supporters of the school. The current board of directors consists of 30 peo-ple, including one member of the Board of Education, the su-perintendent of schools, and the vice president of the PTA. The directors refl ect a broad and di-verse cross-section of the com-munity.

The Nominating Commit-tee’s primary role is to iden-tify motivated, hard-working leaders for possible nomina-tion to the Bronxville School Foundation. The committee considers recommendations

from within the board itself as well as individuals who express interest through the foundation offi ce. Candidates are village residents who would work with current board members to raise funds and support grants that

will enhance educational pro-grams in the Bronxville school district.

To express your interest, pro-pose candidates or learn more about the foundation, please con-tact Executive Director Peggy Williams, at 914-395-0515 or via email at [email protected].

Correspondence should be forwarded to her atten-tion at The Bronxville School Foundation, 177 Pondfi eld Road, Bronxville, NY, 10708 and include specifi c informa-tion about involvement in the community and the school. Other details regarding back-ground or relevant experience would be valuable.

Information about the Bronx-ville School Foundation can be found at bronxvilleschoolfoun-dation.org. (Submitted)

Photo courtesy Helena McSherry

Follow us on Twitter@eastchesterview

WORD ON THE STREETWhat’s bothering you today?

“The country needs to take control of its

fi nances.”

Frank J. Hopkins, 50,Bronx

“I don’t like taking the bus or the train when

it’s cold out.”

Stephan Sebok, 57,Queens

“Common Core in the school systems.”

Stephanie Frawley, 39,Harrison

-Photos and reporting by Katie Hoos

WOWOW RWhat’s bothering you today?

Harrison

Collected

on Halstead Avenue in


Church honors 30 years of secret serviceBy RICH MONETTI

Contributor

The mystique of the United States Secret Service can almost be encapsulated in the dark glare of its agents’ signature sunglass-es. On the other hand, the optics definitely serve a function be-yond just looking cool, accord-ing to 30-year Secret Service Agent, Nick Trotta.

“The one thing I don’t think you want us to do is to come up to that rope line with the presi-dent and squint,” he said.

With his recent honor at St. Joseph’s Church in New Rochelle, the affair certainly hit home for Trotta, a New Rochelle native and recently retired assis-tant director of the service.

When you are with a com-munity to this day that you still consider home, he says, “it’s a pretty humbling experience.”

The son of Italian immigrants, Trotta knew from an early age the Secret Service was his goal.

“I was very fortunate that I got to do exactly the thing I dreamt of,” he said.

A graduate of Iona College,

Trotta cited the encouragement and mentoring of Father Joseph DiSanto. As such, he initially pursued experience through in-ternships and seminars while applying to all manner of fed-eral agencies and police depart-ments.

Before all those resumes

Recently retired New Rochelle native Nick Trotta was a 30-year veteran of the United States Secret Service. Here Trotta greets President Barack Obama, the fifth chief executive under whom he served. Contributed photo

Eclair is an adorable female mixed breed pup, about 30lbs and 6 or 7 months old. She is very sweet and friendly. She has totally come out of her shell. Eclair has a scar under her right eye, no doubt inflicted on her when she was younger, but it does not stop her as she is full of zest and loves to play with her siblings. She is a sweet girl who deserves a loving home. Eclair is spayed, vaccinated, dewormed, heartworm tested and micro-chipped. The adoption donation for Éclair is $250. To learn more, please contact Larchmont Pet Rescue at 914-834-6955 or on the web at www.NY-PetRescue.org. (Submitted)

“You see the President of the United States—right there, right in front of you in the White House, and you’re a kid from New Rochelle, New York.

The west end of New Rochelle. That’s pretty powerful— an image you can never forget.”

–NICK TROTTA, retired Secret Service agent

mal sit-down to tea in the Oval Office, but the daily proximity to the nation’s chief executive was close enough to reveal how far he had come.

“You see the President of the United States—right there, right in front of you in the White House, and you’re a kid from New Rochelle, New York. The west end of New Rochelle,” he said. “That’s pretty powerful—an image you can never forget.”

Of course, as he rose in stat-ure, the personal relationship with the president also escalated and Trotta played a part in pre-empting the president’s power when safety issues arose.

“Yes, you have to earn that trust,” he said.

On the other hand, security concerns do not put the Secret Service in a preeminent position.

“There are times that the agent in charge is going to step in and say, ‘Mr. President, Madame

President, I strongly advise not doing this,’” Trotta said.

It then becomes a matter of compromise and adjustments. At that point, he said, “We have to make it work.”

In order to protect its charg-es, the Secret Service keeps abreast of any unusual be-havior. That means looking at people’s tells, such as fa-cial expressions, movement of hands or a determined traversal across the gathering by a sole individual. In accordance, he said, “you’re watching to the right and to the left, behind and front, above and below.”

As for the fictional Secret Service that we may know more intimately on screen, Trotta ad-mits he’s not the one to ask.

“I’ve never watched any of these movies from beginning to end,” he said.

He instead recommends a re-cent National Geographic docu-

could be filed away, he got the call after the attempted assas-sination of President Ronald Reagan.

“Because of that, the Secret Service was able to do some ad-ditional hiring,” he said.

Assigned to the White House, Trotta’s hiring didn’t rate a for-

mentary “Inside the US Secret Service” done with the input of the service. Still, Trotta certain-ly understands the Hollywood necessity of adding embellish-ments to keep audiences in-terested. In this, he includes Clint Eastwood’s, “In the Line of Fire,” on which the Secret Service was consulted.

But real life also means po-litical point of view is a right that each agent is free to exer-cise. It’s simply checked at the door, and doesn’t ever deter the primary mission of protecting the president.

“It sounds hard to do but it’s really not,” he said.

Trotta hopes his retirement from a job in which you nev-er really go home make him value his all the more, but he wouldn’t trade it for the 30 years of service to “five unbe-lievable leaders of the United States of America.”


By RICH MONETTIContributor

When the weather is warm, people come across the farmers market and feel good all around. They eat healthy, support local farms and lighten their carbon footprint. Of course, when the chill ushers in, all that sustain-ability can fade as fast as the market’s seasonal disappear-ance. But the Down to Earth Farmer’s Market inside the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Mamaroneck is bridging the gap between its more tradition-al, seasonal cousins.

“There’s a lot more than you would expect,” Frankie Rowland, director of commu-nity relations and marketing for Down to Earth, said about the indoor winter market which opens in Mamaroneck on Jan. 4, 2014.

Utilizing greenhouses and hoop houses, with a heating sys-tem, customers will see produce like squash, broccoli and let-tuce from Gaia’s Breath Farm and Gajeski Produce at the 168 W. Boston Post Road locale. Though tomatoes are out, corn is in.

“We do have some farmers who work with co-packers, so they’ll take the vegetables at the peak of when they are fresh and have them frozen,” Rowland said.

Apples, pears and other items will be available from small farm outlets such as Orchards of Concklin in Pomona, while root vegetables, such as rutaba-

Winter farmers market growing in Mamaroneck

gas, potatoes and radishes, go about their natural business of preserving in the cold.

“These last throughout the winter,” Rowland said.

The market also tries to ar-range its stock around all three courses of a dinner.

“One of the things we work toward with our markets is to provide all the different aspects of what you need to make the whole meal,” Rowland said.

That means specialty foods like Kontoulis Family Olive Oil, meats and chicken from Stone & Thistle Farm and prepared concoctions of exotic origin that lighten the load for the holiday cooker.

Gourmet Indian Chutneys of savory sweet or spice make wonderful vegan marinades,

glazes, spreads, dips and sim-mer sauces, according to the Bombay Emerald Chutney Company.

Finally, it’s always nice to have something to soak up the gravy.

“We work with a number of bakers,” Rowland said of com-panies like Wave Hill Breads and Orwashers Bakery.

Down to Earth doesn’t ex-clude desert either.

This includes Flourish Baking Company in Scarsdale and Meredith Bread, which People Magazine recently tapped as the best of its kind for any extended family get together.

Of course, if people want to be their own winter farmers mar-ket, and do a little personal pre-serving, the vendors know best

and are ready upon request. “The vendors are always hap-

py to talk to the shoppers. They really enjoy that. It’s part of the reason a lot of them do farmer’s markets,” Rowland said.

Everyone is also forthcoming when it comes to what to do with the freshness once it leaves the building. There will be cooking demos, a recipe program and a market manager who’s happy to answer questions on how to pre-

pare various items, according to Rowland.

All in all, a core base of cus-tomers who miss the summer market coincides with farmers looking to not be left out in the financial cold every winter.

“This helps [farmers] in terms of having a more consistent in-come throughout the year,” she said.

At the same time, Down to Earth pledges to keep the farmers

markets from creating a conflict of interest in local economies.

“One of the things we work very hard at is not to offer items that would compete with local merchants, and there’s actually been studies showing that peo-ple spend additional amounts with surrounding merchants when they go to the farmer’s market,” Rowland said.

It’s a positive experience for everyone, all year round.

Kelsey Nichols of Wave Hill Breads prepares fresh slices of bread for customers. Wave Hill Breads will have a stand at Mamaroneck’s indoor market. Photos/Marguerite Ward

Shoppers look for fresh fruits and vegetables from Newgate Farms at a recent farmers market in Rye. Patrons will now have the luxury of visiting Mamaroneck’s indoor farmers market, which opens on Jan. 4.

Nirmala and Karan Gupta of Bombay Emerald Chutney Company at the Larchmont Farmers Market.


The designs for the canopy-like structure behind the desk and matching designs in the front of the desk sparked the Eastchester Children’s Library renovation project that is scheduled to begin in January.

raised money through activi-ties such as sand art and chil-dren's performances such as

LIBRARY from page 1 singing and magic shows and a wine and cheese fundraiser, which made money through admissions.

In addition to the library fair

Matthew Fann-Im, 2, playing at the computer in the Eastchester Children’s library, which will receive a second children’s computer as part of the renovations. Contributed photos

and wine and cheese night, Cartolano said Friends of the Eastchester Public Library do-nated all their proceeds from their annual tag sale to chil-dren's library renovations.

Wright said, the project was also funded by private do-nors such as Keller Williams Realty, who held a masquer-ade ball around Halloween and donated all of the pro-ceeds to the children's library renovations.And Wells Fargo donated $10,000 for computer programming for the new chil-dren's computer.

Even with all the dona-tions and fundraising events, Wright said the library is still about $5,000 short of its goal. She said, if the library is able to raise more money, it will purchase new desks for the li-brarians at the reference desk, which haven't been replaced since the library opened in 1967, and buy new furniture for the children's room.

She said they still are ac-cepting donations in the li-brary and are planning anoth-er wine and cheese night for May.



Listings provided by the office of Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni Photos courtesy Zillow.com, Trulia.com, Hotpads.com, Spotproperty.com & Maps.google.com

14 Dorchester Road, Eastchester$560,000

Sale date: 8/28/13

206 Park Avenue, Eastchester$575,000

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540 New Rochelle Road, Mt Vernon$345,000

Sale date: 11/6/13

1 Elm Street, Tuckahoe$330,000

Sale date: 10/15/13

45 Rodgers Street, Eastchester$405,000

Sale date: 11/13/13

50 Columbus Avenue, Tuckahoe$367,000

Sale date: 10/24/13

53 Madison Road, Eastchester$771,000

Sale date: 11/1/13

55 Lincoln Avenue, Tuckahoe$555,000

Sale date: 11/1/13

55-57 Morgan Street, Eastchester$650,000

Sale date: 11/6/13

58 Webster Road, Eastchester$575,000

Sale date: 11/14/13

76 Lakeview Avenue, Eastchester$772,000

Sale date: 10/7/13

135 Clarence Road, Scarsdale$837,000

Sale date: 7/16/13

138 Lyons Road, Eastchester$716,625

Sale date: 9/16/13

Bronxville, Eastchester & Tuckahoe Home Sales

12 Field Court, Bronxville$930,000

Sale date: 11/4/13

15 Hunter Drive, Eastchester$900,000

Sale date: 11/15/13

21 Lockwood Avenue, Eastchester$570,000

Sale date: 10/11/13


Minister of music to perform in BronxvilleAs long as there has been

music, there has been dancing. And throughout the centuries, composers for the keyboard have written beautiful—and often intensely demanding—compositions for piano, organ and harpsichord.

On Jan. 12 at 3 p.m., Reformed Church of Bronxville Minister of Music Dr. Sándor Szabó pirouettes through the centuries on all three key-boards in a special concert of dance music from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The pro-gram will include works by the most prominent composers for each instrument, includ-ing Bach, Chopin, Gershwin, Haydn, Joplin, Liszt, Messiaen, Rameau, Scarlatti, Soler and Widor. As a whole, the dances will refl ect the development of musical forms and keyboard instruments.

The event is free with a re-ception to follow.

Dr. Szabó has been called “one of the leading organ-ists” in New Jersey, his former home, as well as “the busi-est musician” in the Garden

State by the Classical New Jersey Society Journal. He is actively engaged as conduc-tor, harpsichordist, organist and pianist throughout Europe, Canada and the United States, and has performed in major concert halls and cathedrals throughout Europe and North America. Aside from his post of minister of music/organ-ist at The Reformed Church of Bronxville, Dr. Szabó is mu-sic director/organist at The Church of Point O’ Woods on Fire Island, N.Y. and mu-sic director/conductor of The Oratorio Society of New Jersey. (Submitted)

WHO: Dr. Sándor Szabó, Minister of Music, The Reformed Church of Bronxville

WHAT: “Dances for Keyboards,” a concert of dance music for organ, piano and harpsi-chord

WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014

WHERE: The Reformed Church of Bronxville, 180 Pondfi eld Road, Bronxville, N.Y.

HOW MUCH: Free; reception follows

WEBSITE: www.reformedchurch.org

PHONE: 914-337-6776

Dr. Sandor Szabo will perform a concert of dance music at The Reformed Church in Bronxville on Jan. 12. Photo courtesy Lisa Sorenson

When I started with this com-pany as the Mamaroneck beat reporter in September 2012, I don’t think there was any pre-dicting it would lead directly to the adoption of a three-legged cat, but it has.

There are a few features that appear in your newspaper every week. One of them is a quarter page dedicated to Larchmont Pet Rescue, which features a dog or cat in need of a forever home. As the deputy editor of your newspaper, one of my many duties is to prepare the Pet Rescue feature each week. In doing so, I’ve often wondered how many, if any, of the animals we feature have gone on to be adopted because someone saw them in our paper.

I now know of at least one.Two weeks ago, the Pet

Rescue animal was a cat called Mimi. Looking back, I knew I wanted to adopt her immedi-ately.

Mimi is gray. I’ve always wanted a gray cat.

Mimi is female. My wife and I wanted another female cat for reasons to do with a spe-cifi c health issue associated with male cats I will spare you.

Mimi was described as the sort of cat who will meet you at the door. If you’re a cat person, you know that’s pretty rare. We have a cat like that now, a sec-ond would be that much more adorable.

Our other cats, that’s the oth-er thing. We have a 17-year-old male called Teddy and a 5-year-old female called Dolley. Dolley loves Teddy. Teddy couldn’t re-ally be bothered with Dolley, or much else, at his age.

What if Mimi, who I learned is two years old, could be a companion, and a distraction, for Dolley, allowing Teddy to enjoy his retirement until, you know, it’s time?

Yes, Mimi seemed like she might be just the third cat for us.

Pet Rescue, Mimi and meAnd look at this; it says here she has three legs.

Hold on, though; I glossed over that last bit the fi rst time I read about Mimi. Three legs. Huh.

I think I considered the issue for fewer than fi ve seconds before I went back to showing Mimi’s darling face to anyone in the of-fi ce who could stand me. The listing said Mimi runs, plays and climbs steps—which we don’t even have in our apartment—just fi ne, so why even factor the loss of her leg into the equation when everything else about her seems so perfect for us?

If anything, she’d be a little inspirational reminder to me ev-ery day, I thought.

Yes, three legs; let’s do this.Still though, I know myself.

If it looked like Mimi labors to walk or has trouble hopping up on the couch to spend time with us, it would bother me. Also, what exactly does a three-legged cat look like when it walks?

There’s a YouTube for that.Turns out, when a cat is miss-

ing one of its front legs, as Mimi is, there’s not a lot of difference in its gait. Like I said above, it’s a good lesson to us, if anything. Mimi is missing her right front leg, but she just gets on with it.

I think, in general, we should all just get on with it. Don’t you?

So, by now, you know where this is headed. We adopted Mimi yesterday, Dec. 29, and she’s in our bedroom getting acclimat-ed as I write this to you in my home offi ce. The listing from Larchmont Pet Rescue was cor-rect; Mimi is a calm, friendly, lovey cat who I think is going to be perfect for our little family. I’m looking forward to getting to know her and watch her get on with it for years to come.

So, there are two points I want to make in closing, but fi rst, let’s hear it for Larchmont Pet Rescue. The people I dealt with in the organization were professional, thorough and utterly dedicated to the ani-mals in their charge. I was im-pressed with them, as well as with Mimi’s fosterer, who took

the time to open her home and her heart to a cat who had some physical issues that, like Mimi herself, could have easily fallen through the cracks.

And that brings me to one of my last two points. I’ve now learned the rest of Mimi’s story. She was in a store somewhere, expected to act as a mouser, but her right front paw was al-ways a problem for her. The storeowner gave her to the Westchester Human Society in Harrison and, when that branch closed, Larchmont Pet Rescue took Mimi on. It was only then that her fosterer, a vet tech in Armonk, and veterinar-ians worked to resolve the issue with her foot. In October, they agreed amputation of Mimi’s leg was the best course of ac-tion. Having seen the x-rays, I’d have to agree. Mimi’s right front paw was pretty mangled. Was she born that way? Was she injured as a kitten? Mimi will never be able to tell us, but, the way I see it, she now has two new leases on life and my wife and I are happy to be part of it.

And now my last point, which was also my fi rst. My decision to take the job as Mamaroneck beat reporter, and really every professional decision I’ve made since, has led Mimi to our home and there was no predicting that at all. You’ve read what anyone knows about her story and, if you’ve kept up with this column you know a bit of mine. That’s a lot of things that needed to break just so for Mimi and I to end up in each other’s lives. I think it’s going to benefi t both of us.

And that’s the thing, folks; you never know what’s going to come from the decisions we make and the risks we take. Not everything in life works out, of course, but sometimes the paths we choose lead to little opportu-nities for joy, like Mimi. That’s what can happen when you get on with it.

Like she does.

Reach Jason at [email protected] and follow him Twitter @jasonchirevas

Like us on facebookfacebook.com/eastchesterreview

Book club gets Chapel students excitedThis year The Chapel School

Middle School was proud to announce a new club for girls in fi fth and sixth grade. The Dragon Fly Book Club is led by The Chapel School English teacher, Mrs. Cahalin and guid-ance counselor Mrs. Winslow. The eight week club meets once a week, to read and dis-

cuss books. Middle school can be a tough time for girls in par-ticular. This club was formed as a way to empower the fe-male students and set them up for a lifelong love of reading. The Chapel School challenges students to stretch their abili-ties. It aspires to teach each person to take pride in their ef-

Chapel School students attend a Dragon Fly Book Club meeting.

forts and accomplishments. “We choose books with re-

latable, strong, independent female characters,” The club states. “The dedicated faculty and staff strive to help students reach their full potential aca-demically, socially and spiritu-ally. We want each of our stu-dents to engage in reading not only for school but for fun.”

The middle school students were also treated to a showing of the Disney movie “Brave.” We want to build their self-es-teem and allow them to confi -dently engage in discussions. How girls were treated at school by other girls affected their whole lives into adult-hood, reports one study.

The Dragon Fly Book Club has already led to new friend-ships, increased reading com-prehension skills and the abil-ity to share and respect opin-ions.

The Chapel School is lo-cated at 172 White Plains Road in Bronxville. For more information about Village Lutheran Church and The Chapel School and its pro-grams, call 914-337-3202 or visit www.thechapelschool.org. (Submitted)


My list of the best books of 2013

“Best of” lists are very pop-ular in December and some of my favorites center on books.

It’s almost impossible to keep up with who has written what over the course of a year and that’s where the “Best of ” lists come in. My Best Books of 2013 list includes books written by some of my favorite authors as well as a few from new authors that I discovered this year. I’ve also included books that I have on my night table from authors I’ve loved but I haven’t read yet.

One of my favorite books this year was “Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes. This is a real love story that will leave you smil-ing with tears streaming down your face all at the same time. The book begins with a bang when one of the main charac-

ters, Will Traynor, a man who has everything to live for, gets run down in the rain by a motor-cycle. Flash-forward two years later, he is an angry, rude shad-ow of the man he once was. His mother hires a young girl, who’s been tamped down emotionally, to take care of him. All he wants to do is end his life. Their rela-tionship evolves and he takes her on as a project of sorts. He helps her learn how to live even though he can’t. It’s a non-tradi-tional love story that completely satisfies. Ms. Moyes has a new book out that is at the No. 1 spot on my Must Read in 2014, “The Girl You Left Behind.”

In 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert wrote a little book called “Eat Pray Love,” a memoir that chronicled her journey from New York to Italy to India and Bali while she healed herself after her painful divorce. It was a blockbuster hit; selling more than 10 million copies, translat-ed into 30 languages not to men-

tion being made into a film star-ring Julia Roberts. Gilbert was even put on the Time Magazine list of the 100 most influential people in the world. This year, she came out with something so completely different you can’t believe the same woman wrote it.

“The Signature of All Things” is a tome of a book at 512 pag-es. The novel takes place in the 1800s and spans the entire life of Alma Whittaker as she dis-covers every species of plant life on her father’s estate. If you are thinking a 500-plus page book about botany in the 19th century might be an alternative to Ambien, there are moments of the novel when I would tend to agree, especially when she goes in-depth into the textbook descriptions of plant life. But the work you need to do to get to the end is well worth it. This is a book in which the first half is slow and partially educa-tional, but the second half is a page-turner, whipping you into a frenzy until you reach the end, exhausted, but very satisfied. All the hard work pays off as

a book that can pull a middle-aged reader back in time to high school and experience the feel-ings of first love all over again. This book nails it and, even bet-ter, Rowell has a new book out that is also on my to read list in 2014: “Fangirl.”

In keeping with the YA theme, I thoroughly enjoyed Veronica Roth’s, “Divergent,” the first book in a dystopian trilogy with a movie out this month. Beatrice “Tris” Prior lives in a futuristic Chicago where the city has been divided into five factions, each dedicated to a specific virtue: Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (brav-ery), Amity (peace) and Erudite (intelligence). Sounds ideal, no?

who survives a terrorist attack in a museum that takes the life of his mother. He spends his time in post-9/11 New York City trying to avoid being taken in as an orphan. From there, he is brought to Las Vegas by his drug-addicted father, where he meets Boris, a Ukrainian teen-ager who becomes his new best friend.

“The Goldfinch” has received such high acclaim that I de-cided to read Ms. Tartt’s debut novel, “The Secret History” first so that I could look forward to reading her newest book even more. “The Secret History” is a suspenseful thriller of a novel that does something interesting; it takes its time.

The book centers on a small town in Vermont at a boarding school where five students from very different backgrounds come together over their love of the Greek language. By the end of the 592 pages, there are two people dead. The characters are very well-developed and the plot twists in strange ways. It’s the perfect pregame read to the much anticipated “The Goldfinch.”

The last book on my list is “The Circle” by Dave Eggers. Mr. Eggers has written many

through the eyes of a Syrian immigrant. There were other books in between and since, but the book that has received a lot of attention this year is “The Circle.” In the not-so-distant fu-

“I’m always on the lookout for a great story, an amazing

restaurant, an unusual day trip or a must-see cultural event in

Westchester County."

TO CONTACT LISA, [email protected].

And you can follow her on Twitter, @westchesterwand

HERE ARE SOME OTHER BOOKS ON MY TO BE READ

IN 2014 LIST:

“The Ocean at The End of the Lane”

by Neil Gaiman

“A Tale for The Time Being” by Ruth Ozeki

“The Lowland” by Jhumpa Lahiri

“Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kidd

“Little Failure” by Gary Shteyngart

“Graffiti Moon” by Cath Crowley

“Two Boys Kissing” by David Levithan

you realize exactly who Alma is and why it was so important you went on the journey with her.

My favorite Young Adult book in 2013 was Rainbow Rowell’s “Eleanor and Park.” The book opens in Omaha, Neb., 1986, with two unlikely teenagers who fall in love on a school bus and change each other’s lives forever. It’s not easy to write

Hardly. This fast-paced, action-packed book keeps you awake and wondering what’s com-ing on the next page. Need to read in 2014: “Insurgent” and “Allegiant.”

It’s hard to read any Best of 2013 book list and not come across Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch,” a coming-of-age story about a boy named Theo

great books on varying top-ics, including his memoir, “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” published in 2000, which dealt with the author’s struggle to raise his younger brother following the deaths of both of their parents. Several books later, he wrote “Zeitoun,” a non-fiction account of Hurricane Katrina as seen

ture, a Google-like, Facebook-like company called The Circle has a billion users and con-trols 90 percent of the world’s searches. Its aspirations include recording everything that’s hap-pening to everyone in the world. I bought this book for my hus-band, who works in big data. He wasn’t surprised by anything that happens in the book—each step along the way was plau-sible. I’m not sure this is one that I will read; it almost seems too close to reality for it to be fun. I like my dystopian fiction in the “could never happen, but wouldn’t it be interesting if it could” mode.


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SPORTS January 3, 2014 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • 15

While watching the Knicks struggle to play something re-sembling basketball against the Thunder on Christmas day, I was struck by something even more reprehensible and odious than the Knickerbockers’ ef-fort level all season; the garish Christmas Day uniforms.

In case you didn’t use the NBA’s Christmas programming to effectively avoid awkward conversations with the relatives, let me tell you, the NBA’s “uni-forms of the future” are truly a sight to behold. Gone are the tank-top styles one normally as-sociates with basketball in favor of tight, simply designed sleeved t-shirts that look like something that would be worn in a futuris-tic intramural handball league.

But at the end of the day, it’s not the design that irks me so deeply. It’s the ongoing cash

The NBA’s Christmas Day uniforms are certainly ugly, but they also represent exactly what is wrong with the alternate uniform craze sweeping pro sports. Photo courtesy NBA.com

Wearing me outgrab of which teams—and leagues—are a part when it comes to selling merchandise.

Not to get all curmudgeonly, which I admittedly do some-times, but I remember a day when teams stuck to two—or at most three—jerseys per year; a home, an away and sometimes an alternate. The whole alter-nate uniform craze kicked off, to the best of my knowledge, sometime in the 1970s, but over the past decade or so, it’s simply gotten out of control.

Riding the growing popu-larity of the Mitchell and Ness throwback fad of the early-aughts, it seems that nowadays teams rarely wear their standard uniforms anymore. Including the Christmas game, the Knicks have worn seven different uni-forms over the past calendar year, including a blinding or-ange kit, a St. Patty’s Day green number and the Hispanic-heri-tage themed Los Knicks jersey.

Even my beloved Red Sox are guilty of participating this uni-form bacchanal, wearing their

green St. Patty’s day uniforms in Spring Training—undoubtedly a ploy to sell more merchandise to the many Boston fans of Irish descent, as well as the red alter-nates they don on each Friday game they play at Fenway.

As much as it pains me to say, this is one area in which I respect the “Yankee way”. Pinstripes and greys, that’s it—although I will take this time to point out that Yankee fans are guilty of one of my least favorite sartorial faux-pas, namely wear-ing Yankee jerseys with player names on the back.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are some instances in which I enjoy a good alternative uniform. The Toledo Mud Hens, the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, are among the best at this, wearing Chewbacca-in-spired unis on Star Wars Day and even incorporating a large hotdog on their threads in con-junction with an eating competi-tion hosted at Fifth Third Field.

But the Minor Leagues have long been associated with wacky

promotions, so this isn’t out of step with the minor league prod-uct. Plus, Chewbacca Jerseys.

Our four major sports leagues have long rejected advertising on the uniforms, but have inge-niously found a way to adver-

tise their own brands through the utilization of differing color schemes, logos and playing on national pride. Check out the Milwaukee Brewers, who of-fer Hispanic, German, Italian and Polish themed jerseys. This

jersey racket has become some-thing of a cash cow for teams.

I, for one, am just not buying what they’re selling.

Follow Mike on Twitter, @LiveMike_Sports

SPORTS16 • THE EASTCHESTER REVIEW • January 3, 2014

Eagles in holiday tourneyOver the winter break,

Eastchester’s hoopsters kept busy, competing at the annual Slam Dunk Tournament held at the Westchester County Center on Dec. 26 and 27.

Though the Eagles may not have walked away with a tour-nament win, their ability to hang with some tough out-of-section teams in the big venue might bode well for the Class A contenders.

Playing in the tournament opener against CHSAA power Iona, the Eagles suffered their first of two defeats the day after Christmas, falling to the Gaels 79-69. For the Eagles–whose loss to the Gaels was their first of the season–three-point shooting proved the difference maker as the Gaels were paced

by 6-foot-7 junior Matt Ryan, who was able to convert on

sixth three-pointers on the day.Although Eastchester soph-

omore Benny Dimirco led Eagles scorers with a game-high 27 points, coming on eight three-pointers of his own, the balanced scoring of the Gaels proved too much for the Eagles to handle.

The following day in the consolation game, the Eagles dropped a heartbreaker against Brooklyn-based Beford Academy. Despite trailing by as many as nine points, the Eagles press defense helped them get going late, tying the game at 45 on a three-point play by Dimirco. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Bedford all but sealed the game when Layte Workman hit a jump shot with 30 seconds remaining in order to give the Brooklyn squad a 50-46 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Eagles, at 5-2, are still undefeated within Section I and are hoping that, by play-ing a stiff non-league schedule, they will be prepared if they reach the County Center during this year’s sectional playoffs. They return to Section I action on Jan. 6 against Ardsley. Prior to that, Eastchester will play another tough out-of-section game on Jan. 4, when it plays reigning Section IX champ Kingston at Poughkeepsie High School.

-Reporting by Mike Smith

Benny Dimirco hoists up a last-second shot against Bedford on Dec. 27. Despite trailing by as many as nine, the Eagles made a late run to make the game interesting.

Jack Daly shoots the ball on Dec. 27 against Bedford Academy at the County Center in White Plains. Though the Eagles dropped both games in the Slam Dunk Tournament, the step up in competition could be beneficial when sectionals roll around. Photos/Bobby Begun

Girls lax wins titleIn late November, the East-

chester Girls 7th to 8th-grade lacrosse team won the 2013 Topside Lacrosse Fall League championship game with a thrilling 11-10 victory over Bronxville.

Ava Reda’s goal off an assist from Molly Colasacco with a little under 3 minutes remaining turned out to be the game win-ner and propelled the team to its second-straight undefeated fall campaign. Exceptional shoot-ing and crisp ball movement by Amy Calandro, who had three goals, Julia Tallent (3), Isabella Johnson (2) Lucia Regalbuto (1) and Alicia Vettorino were re-sponsible for much of the team’s offensive success.

Their contributions were complemented by the superb passing and dodges by Deanna Loukas, Alyssa Dileo, who had

three assists, Alexa Caleo, Reda, and Colasacco.

The road to victory was paved by the collaborative efforts of the league’s stingiest defense. In the first half, strong play in the midfield by Gianna Ciardiello and wings Martina Garate Griot and Angelina Porcello slowed the potent Bronxville fast break. Aggressive slides and clears from in front of the cage by Mary Doherty and Kazuha Suzuki combined with strong work down low by newcomers Catherine Wortel, Sydnee Gallo and Sofia Bishop helped thwart a late Bronxville rally as they turned away a number of poten-tial scoring threats. Displaying excellent quickness and mobility across the crease, goalie Emily Calandro intercepted numerous passes and made a number of phenomenal saves, many from

in close, to secure the title.With the victory, the team

completed the 2013 spring and fall seasons with a combined 16-0 record. The high scoring offense accounted for 74 goals during the fall with at least 10 different players finding the back of the net in three of the team’s games.

In addition to the Topside League, the team also par-ticipates in the Hudson Valley Lacrosse League. In late October, the team reached the finals of the Iona College sponsored Kay Yow Cancer Awareness tournament and in December they will partici-pate in the Laxin for Smiles tournament to raise money for the Smile Train organization. The team is coached by Chris Loukas, Chris Johnson and Joe Colasacco. (Submitted)

The 2013 Eastchester 7th to 8th-grade girls lacrosse team poses after winning the Topside Lacrosse Fall League Championship. The squad posted a sterling 16-0 record. Contributed photo

Jack Daly takes the ball to the hoop against Bedford at the County Center.

Documents

The Eastchester Review 1-3-2014