Bronx River Parkway Lane Closures and Popham Road Bridge Demolition
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One southbound lane of the Bronx River Parkway between Crane Road (Exit 12) and Ardsley Road (Exit 11) will be closed from Monday July 16 through Friday July 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Crews will close either the southbound right or left lane to facilitate their work. Delays are expected and drivers are advised to take alternate routes. These closures are necessary for work to progress as part of the Crane Road Bridge Replacement Project on the Bronx River Parkway. The project began last month and will take three years to complete.
The demolition of the old Popham Road Bridge will continue at night until Friday July 20th. Crews are in the process of demolishing the concrete and asphalt bridge deck and will remove the steel on the night of July 20th when the bridge will be closed. After that, work will begin on the removal of the east and west abutments to be completed by the second week of August. The Village estimates that work on the Popham Raod Bridge will continue at night for the next four to five weeks and apologizes for the noise.
Metro North requires the work to be done at night when trains are out of service.
Residents and Retailers Voice Concerns About Crane Road Bridge Replacement Project
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The Scarsdale Board of Trustees held an open meeting with representatives from Westchester County on the night of July 11th to discuss the Crane Road Bridge Replacement Project. The three-year construction project is currently underway and planned for completion by February 2015. The meeting was well attended by residents who filled the third floor meeting room, some who live near the construction projection. Also in attendance were representatives from the business community including Rush Wilson as well as Carolyn Stevens and Lewis Arlt from the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce who were concerned about the closure’s effect on local retailers.
The meeting provided an opportunity for residents and retailers to ask questions, voice concerns and get more information about how this massive construction project will affect them in the future. Numerous topics were discussed, including the length of the project, closure of the southbound exit of the BRP into the Village of Scarsdale, the left bound turn signal just before the bridge, the closure of the Pipeline entrance ramp onto the Bronx River Parkway and the noise that workmen will create during the night hours.
One man asked why more prefab elements could not be used to speed the work, but the County replied that foundations 
have to be dug and the concrete supports for the bridge are so large that they need to be built on site. In addition, since the bridge is a historical landmark, these pillars need to be approved by the landmarks construction. A 54-inch water main at the site needs to be relocated. Mark Lewis asked if working seven days a week could shorten the length of the project. In response, the County representative said that they would have to pay workers time and a half or double time for nights and weekends, and they need to be fiscally prudent. They already plan to do the demolition work at night as required by the MTA and more overtime means even higher expenses. However, there are incentives in the contract for early completion, so the County is hopeful that the work can be done expeditiously.
The most discussed concern of the night seemed to be the southbound Pipeline entrance ramp onto the Bronx River Parkway, which will remain closed for a majority of the project to allow the construction crew access to the site. With the natural barriers, the Metro-North Railway and the current bridge, the area that the workmen have to build for this project is very limited, so they had little choice but to close down the Pipeline ramp, which is the least used in the area to access the Bronx River Parkway.
Another major concern with the construction project is the continued need for the closure of the southbound exit into the Village of Scarsdale and its left turn signal. Many merchants who work in the village are concerned with the current plan for an 18-month closure during the latter period of work, and the threat it poses to their businesses. The County had originally projected that the exit would be closed for two years but revised it to 18 months in response to concerns from the retail community who feared that it would prevent customers from coming to the village. However, many at the meeting were still unsatisfied. The County agreed to revisit the issue and attempt to further revise their plans.
Currently, on the southbound parkway at Crane Road there is a left turn signal at the exit and a traffic light that redirects traffic to allow cars in the southbound lane to exit into the village. That exit is now regulated by the left turn signal and a traffic light that redirects traffic and allows cars in the southbound lane to exit into the village. However, during the latter parts of the construction, the signal along with the southbound exit will be removed. There will be only one lane for northbound traffic and two lanes for southbound traffic. Halting northbound traffic to allow that left turn into the village would create a great deal of traffic congestion and a dramatic increase in potential accidents. The problem will intensify later on in the project when the second southbound lane is removed along with the light and the exit into the village.
When the subject of noise at night was brought up, the representatives said that there was little they could do, as many of the construction tools have noisy safety features required by law. Also the MTA requires that work be done at night as not to interrupt or endanger train service. Last, the bridge currently accommodates 36,000 vehicles a day and is unsafe. The County has to balance the current needs of a few local residents against potential safety issues on the bridge for generations to come. So there is little they can do to change the situation. “So, it’s basically suck it up and deal with it,” one frustrated resident remarked.
Article and photos by contributor Cara Nesi.
Arthur Manor Salutes America
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Uncle Sam led the annual 4th of July Parade from Sprague Road to Davis Park at the 84th Arthur Manor Neighborhood Association celebration. He was trailed by parents and kids of all ages. Some traveled on decorated bikes, trikes and strollers and many were dressed in red, white and blue and patriotic costumes. Awards were given for the best patriotic costumes and the best decorated scooters, bicycles, tricycles, carriages and strollers. Also in the parade were creative floats including Our Nation’s Capital, Freedom Rings, Fourth of July BBQ Picnic and 236th birthday cake.
Once in the park, there were races and games for all – including dashes, wheelbarrow races, potato sack races, a parent-child relay, and three-legged races culminating in the annual egg toss. No one went hungry, enjoying baked goods, popcorn, hot dogs and lemonade.
(Pictured Left: Maxwell and Sydney Block take a picture with Uncle Sam (Tegan Lee) after winning 1st Prize for Patriotic Attire.)
See below for a full list of parade winners and race results:
Parade Prizes:
Marchers in Patriotic Costumes
1st place – Sydney & Maxwell Block – “Happy 4th Uncle Sam”
2nd place – Zoey & Max Maidman & Violet & Beatrice Martin – “I Screamers”
3rd place – Taylor & Erin Olender – “Betsy Ross”
Honorable Mention – Lucy & Serena Glik
Scooters
1st place – Amelia Dai, Julia Genin, Caroline Guerney, Eliana Zitrin & Gillian Zitrin
2nd place – Max Maidman
Bicycles
1st place – Sarah Jane Traumer
2nd place – Julia DeVito
3rd place – Angela Hoey
Honorable Mention – Daniel Hoey
Tricycles
1st place – Jacob Traumer
2nd place – Ella Farnsworth
3rd place – Quinn Pruss
Honorable Mention – Laura Chesnut
Carriages & Strollers
1st place – Cole & Quinn Pruss
2nd place – Max Geer
3rd place – Emery Farnsworth
Floats
1st place – Christine Lambert – “Ours Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C.” (Pictured Below)
2nd place – The Conlan, Genin, Lobato & Salazar Families – “Freedom Rings”
3rd place – Tie: Gillian & Eliana Zitrin – “Fourth of July BBQ Picnic”/
Theresa Alarcon, Sophie Cammarata, Hannah Lewis & Jolie Suchin – “236th Birthday Cake”
Honorable Mention – Katie Belbusti & Mary Kate Gorham – “Happy Birthday America”
Dash
1st Heat: 5 yrs. old and under, boys and girls together
1st – Nicholas Bates
2nd – Alex Bates
3rd – Ava Zerbo
2nd Heat: 6 & 7 yrs. old, boys and girls together
1st – James Bates
2nd – Nicolas Peckett
3rd – Matthew Samuels
3rd Heat: 8, 9, & 10 yrs. old, girls
1st – Christine Lambert
2nd – Anne Conlan
3rd – Rebecca Newman
4th Heat: 8, 9, & 10 yrs. old, boys
1st – Luca Schettino
2nd – Brendan Knopp
3rd – Jack Silvers
5th Heat: 11 yrs. old and older, girls
1st – Hannah Lewis
2nd – Phebe Denison
3rd – Samantha Mancini
6th Heat: 11 yrs. old and older, boys
1st – James Conlan
2nd – Eric Jacobson
3rd – Michael Palermo
Wheelbarrow Race - Teams of two, boys and girls mixed
1st Heat: 7 yrs. old and under
1st – James Bates & Matthew Samuels
2nd – Shannon Kelly & James Kelly
3rd – Angela Hoey & Taylor Olender
2nd Heat: 8, 9 & 10 yrs. old
1st – Christine Lambert & Rebecca Newman
2nd – Michael Jamesley & Luca Schettino
3rd – Erin Olender & Gillian Zitrin
3rd Heat: 11 yrs. old and older
1st – Theresa Alarcon & Paige Panessa
2nd – Mary Kate Gorham & Hannah Lewis
3rd – Tie: Sophie Cammarata & Jolie Suchin/Anne Conlan & James Conlan
Potato Sack Race - Girls
1st Heat: 6 yrs. old and under
1st – Ella Mulfinger
2nd – Kate Geller
3rd – Emily Levine
2nd Heat: 7 & 8 yrs. old
1st – Rebecca Newman
2nd – Maeve Jacobson
3rd – Taylor Olender
3rd Heat: 9 & 10 yrs. old
1st – Christine Lambert
2nd – Julie Jamesley
3rd – Anne Conlan
4th Heat: Girls, 11 yrs. old and older
1st – Sophie Hodges
2nd – Mary Kate Gorham
3rd – Phebe Denison
Potato Sack Race – Boys
1st Heat: 6 yrs. old and under
1st – Cole Liebowitz
2nd – Trevor Knopp
3rd – Alex Leroy
2nd Heat: 7 & 8 yrs. old
1st – Michael Jamesley
2nd – Peter Troiano
3rd – Matthew Samuels
3rd Heat: 9 & 10 yrs. old
1st – Brendan Knopp
2nd – Luca Schettino
3rd – Joseph Samuels
4th Heat: 11 yrs. old and older
1st – Eric Jacobson
2nd – James Conlan
3rd – Michael Palermo
Parent and Child Relay
1st Heat: Children 5 yrs. old and under
1st – Sophia & John Mulfinger
2nd – Daniel & Kevin Hoey
3rd – McKinley & Matt Conlan
2nd Heat: Children 6, 7 & 8 yrs. old
1st – Will & Bob Salazar
2nd – Alessia & Ivan Schettino
3rd Heat: Children 9 & 10 yrs. old
1st – Luca & Ivan Schettino
2nd – Christine & Michael Lambert
3rd – Dean Mancini & Jack Daly
4th Heat: Children 11 yrs. old and older
1st – Jeremy & Barry Fein
2nd – James & Matt Conlan
3rd – Aidan & Dan Donovan
Three Legged Race - Teams of Two, Boys and Girls Mixed
1st Heat: 6 yrs. old and under
1st – Violet Martin & Ella Mulfinger
2nd – Ronan Barnea & Patrick Vasilescu
3rd – Cynthia Bekele & Beatrice Martin
2nd Heat: 7 & 8 yrs. old
1st – Angela Hoey & Taylor Olender
2nd – Michael Jamesley & Luca Schettino
3rd – Beatriz Conceicao & Megan Lobato
3rd Heat: 9 & 10 yrs. old
1st – Danielle Eforo & Lily O’Hare
2nd – Eddie Eforo & Brendan Knopp
3rd – Anne Conlan & Sophia Salazar
4th Heat: 11 yrs. old and older
1st – Aidan Donvan & Eric Jacobson
2nd – Alex Eforo & Michael Palermo
3rd – Mary Kate Gorham & Jolie Suchin
Egg Toss
1st – Lou Mancini & Liz Daly
2nd – Sean Covert & Eyal Barnea
3rd – Tie: Michael Porco & Jenn Somboonthun/Michael & Stephen Lambert
Photos by Felicia Block, Kevin Hoey and Harvey Flisser
Bronx River Parkway Lane Closures This Week
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Westchester County has sent out notification that between 9 pm and 5 am on Monday night July 9 and Tuesday night July 10 the right lanes in both directions of the Bronx River Parkway between Crane Road (Exit 12) and Ardsley Road (Exit 11) in Scarsdale and Greenburgh will be closed.
There will also be periodic 5-minute closures of the parkway in one or both directions to accommodate tree work. Delays are expected and drivers are advised to seek alternate routes.
In addition, the northbound right lane of the Bronx River Parkway between Harney Road (Exit 10) and Crane Road (Exit 12) and the northbound Crane Road Exit 12 ramp will be closed starting Wednesday July 11 and continuing through Friday July 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Motorists should use Harney Road (Exit 10) as a detour. Delays are expected and drivers are advised to seek alternate routes.
The lane closures are necessary for tree removal operations as part of the Crane Road Bridge Replacement Project on the Bronx River Parkway. The project began last month and will take three years to complete.
The current bridge, built in 1924, will continue to be operational during most of the project while a new bridge is constructed alongside it. To improve traffic operations and safety, the new bridge will have wider lanes and shoulders and will include a northbound deceleration lane to Crane Road. There will also be sidewalks to enhance pedestrian access to the Bronx River Parkway reservation, and the southbound Metro-North platform will be reconstructed.
The $39.4 million project is being funded by a combination of federal, state and county money and will create approximately 400 construction jobs.
For additional information, contact Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation at 995-2555. Full details on this project are available at westchestergov.com/craneroadbridge.
Edgemont Writer Publishes Thriller, Double Blind
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Edgemont’s Geoff Loftus has just published his first novel and second book, Double Blind. It’s a thriller about two beautiful women and two deadly secrets. The story line involves a New Yorker who goes on blind dates with two women and is lost in a tangle of Mafia, federal agents, violence, sex, betrayal, and murder. There's graphic sex and violence, and plentiful profanity and if this book were a movie, it would have an "R" rating.
Double Blind is a big departure from Loftus’ first book, Lead Like Ike: Ten Business Strategies from the CEO of D-Day. So we asked Loftus a few questions about writing fiction rather than historical analysis and the writing life in Edgemont and here is what he shared:
How did you do the research for the book and learn about the world of the Mafia?
Geoff: First, this book was not research-intensive. Most of the Mafia story was things I remembered seeing in the news -- and then doing an Internet search to make sure I remembered correctly. The clearest example of that is the moment in Double Blind when the hero reads about the New York cops being convicted of performing murder for hire for the Mob. That actually happened while I was writing, so I incorporated it in a very small way into the story. The other thing I did, especially with regard to the Mafia, was to use popularly accepted notions about what Mafiosi are like -- I borrowed heavily from Goodfellas and The Sopranos. If something's worked for someone else, why not use it?
How long did it take you to write the book and when do you find time to write?
Geoff: It took about 2 years to write this. After all, I've got a 9-to-5 job, so I have to write when I can: weekends, lunchtime, holidays, nights. If I were able to write full-time, I could write something like this in 3 or 4 months.
What can you say about the differences between writing a novel vs. non-fiction?
Geoff: I love the differences. With a novel, you're much freer to express yourself. You can be humorous (assuming you're funny), you can make astute social observations, you can play with language and with narrative voice. You decide where your story is going and how you're going to take it there. With non-fiction, you have to be true to your facts. Your story already happened -- so you're left to tell the story in the way you think best, but that leaves you with a lot fewer options than a novel. On the other hand, if you're doing a fair amount of research, as I did for Lead Like Ike: Ten Business Strategies from the CEO of D-Day, you learn a lot -- and, pardon me for sounding like an 8th-grade suck-up, but I'm not sure if anything is more fun than learning.
What do you think about publishing in the electronic age -- what has been your experience with Amazon and e-readers? Do stores stock hard copies of the book anymore?
Geoff: I have a nook (Barnes & Noble), and my wife reads e-books on her iPad. I love e-books. By and large, they cost less, and I tote around more than 60 titles in my nook. Try that stunt with hard copies and you'll end up with a hernia. As for why I went this route for Double Blind -- Lead Like Ike is in hard copy, audio book, and e-book formats -- it's the economics of e-publishing. My publisher, Saugatuck Books, is primarily an e-book publisher. Because the cost to publish is so low, Saugatuck can offer its authors a much larger slice of the pie. The royalty formula on Double Blind is a lot better for me than the formula for Lead Like Ike. And because the cost is so low, Saugatuck can charge readers less (only $4.99), so everyone wins.
Please provide information about your involvement in Edgemont with the ECC or any other community organizations.
Geoff: I'm about to enter my second year as Edgemont Community Council (ECC) president, my sixth on the ECC
board. The ECC is the Edgemont community's voice in the Town of Greenburgh, and sometimes to Westchester County and even New York State. We've been very active opposing the installation of cell-phone antennas in residential areas and the building of multi-family housing right next to the Greenburgh Nature Center. We've proposed a large number of budget cuts to Town Hall (which have been ignored). And for years, we've been calling for a town-wide reassessment for property taxes, which Town Supervisor Paul Feiner has recently gone on the record as saying will happen.
During the 2010-2011 school year, I was on Edgemont's School Board Nominating Committee. Before I was on ECC, I coached soccer and baseball from 1999-2006 for Edgemont Rec. In 2003, I was on the school district's Long Term Technology Planning Committee.
Where can readers find the book?
Preview a video about Double Blind here, and if you like it, the book is available on Amazon's Kindle or the Barnes & Noble nook, and by using free apps from the two retailers, it's available for iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac, or PC. Here is the link to Amazon:
