Gillibrand and Lowey Honor Greenburgh Veterans
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 4099
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congresswoman Nita Lowey paid a visit to Hartsdale on Wednesday 11/11 to honor local veterans and unveil plans to build a veterans memorial at DeSanti Park opposite the Hartsdale Train Station. Firefighters, police, boy and girl scouts and veterans were on hand for the ceremony that was arranged by Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner.
Gillibrand recognized the sacrifices of 23 
million veterans and their families and called for the country to "honor them everyday." Saying that many veterans return home and find themselves jobless, homeless and suffering from PTSD she vowed to continue to fight for them to get what they deserve. She has introduced legislation to expand coverage for those who were exposed to Agent Orange and asked the group to send letters to their representatives in support of it.
Congresswoman Nita Lowey thanked the veterans for their service and noted that she had helped Greenburgh secure $5 million in financing to restore the pool at Anthony Veteran's Park. She said that she recognized that Gillibrand "was a star" when she came to serve in Congress.
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner unveiled a new sign and plans for the new memorial which will be completed by 2016.
Senator Gillibrand to Appear in Hartsdale at 2 pm on Wednesday
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 3289
United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will speak at the annual Veterans Day ceremony at DeSanti Park, across from the Hartsdale train station on Wednesday, November 11th at 2 PM. Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been a vocal advocate for strengthening America's armed services, national security and military readiness.
The Senator will speak at the park that will be enhanced next year and turned into a Veterans Memorial park honoring the contributions of local heroes. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2016 for a Veterans Memorial Park opposite the Hartsdale train station.
The town will also air the living history interviews of approximately 150 veterans. on public access TV (channels 76 cablevision and 35 Verizon Fios) starting Tuesday night at 9:30 pm.
Kirsten Gillibrand was sworn in as United States Senator from New York in January 2009 and she was elected for a six-year term in November, 2012. Prior to serving in the Senate, Gillibrand served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York's 20th Congressional District, which spanned 10 counties in upstate New York.
Throughout her time in Congress, Senator Gillibrand has been committed to open and honest government. When she was first elected, she pledged to bring unprecedented transparency and access to her post. She became the first Member of Congress to post her official public schedule, personal financial disclosure, and federal earmark requests online. The New York Times called Gillibrand's commitment to transparency a "quiet touch of revolution" in Washington, and The Sunlight Foundation, the leading advocacy organization dedicated to making government more open and transparent, praised Senator Gillibrand as a pioneer for her work.
In 2012, Senator Gillibrand became the first Senator in history to publish her personal tax returns for every year she has served in office on her own website, and led the effort to pass the STOCK Act, legislation to make insider trading by members of Congress illegal, A Washington Post report hailed the STOCK Act as the "most substantial debate on congressional ethics in nearly five years."
In the U.S. Senate, Senator Gillibrand was advocated to repeal the "Don't Ask Don't Tell," policy that banned gays from serving openly in the military, and to provide health care and compensation to the 9/11 first responders and community survivors who assisted at Ground Zero. The Daily Beast named her as one of the "150 Women Who Shake the World."
From her seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gillibrand has supported strengthening America's armed services, national security and military readiness. In 2013, as chair of the sub-committee on personnel, she held the first Senate hearing on the issue of sexual assault in the military in almost a decade. Gillibrand went on to lead the fight in reforming how the military handles sexual assault cases.
In April 2014, Time Magazine named Gillibrand as one of the "100 Most Influential People In The World."
Volunteer Firefighters Celebrate Centennial
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 3830
Scarsdale Volunteer Fire Company #2 celebrated it centennial anniversary Saturday night at the Scarsdale Golf Club. On hand to commemorate the milestone with the active and retired members of Company #2 were representatives from volunteer Companies #1 and #3, career firefighters, town trustees, professional managers of the village, mayor Jonathan Mark and assemblywoman Amy Paulin. The event, in a broad sense, was a celebration of all who strive to make Scarsdale a better place.
Founded in 1915, the role of Company #2 has changed little in 100 years. Company #2's secretary, R.C. Knickerbocker wrote in the May 12, 1920 edition of the Scarsdale Inquirer and urged town residents to keep the Fire Department phone number - back then it was SCARSDALE 100 - handy by the phone:
"Scarsdale Fire Co. No. 2 is composed of residents of Scarsdale who have voluntarily offered to serve our Village as fireman and who at all times are ready and willing to assist their neighbors of the Village. These men should enjoy the appreciation of every resident of Scarsdale.
When a fire occurs and the lives of dear ones and treasured possessions are endangered, the prompt attendance of men, drilled and experienced in fire fighting, is of inestimable advantage, but many do not think of the disadvantage to these fireman who may have jumped from a warm bed into a cold wet night, actuated only by a desire to help others".
Brownies Raise Funds for Children's Museum, ARC Launches $6 Million Campaign
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 4709
Fox Meadow Brownie Troop 1596 donated $1,000 to the Campaign for the Westchester Children's Museum in honor of Make a Difference Day. The Troop of 38 girls, mostly second graders, worked hard throughout 2015 to raise the funds by selling cookies. Joined by Troop leaders and Museum Board members Stacey Schutzer and Regina Han Jansky both of Scarsdale, the Brownies presented their donation to the Westchester Children's Museum, in a ceremony at the Museum alongside the Loukoumi Foundation who donated $20,000 to support development of an exhibit focusing on doing good deeds and reading appreciation. Fox 5 television news anchor Ernie Anastos attended the ceremony and personally congratulated the Brownies for their generosity.
For further information, please call Tracy Kay, 914-421-4040 or Corinne Zola 917-991-9499
ARC of Westchester Hosts 400 Guests to Benefit Developmentally Disabled
On Tuesday October 20, The Arc of Westchester Foundation hosted its premiere fundraising event, serving food and wine to over 400 guests at the Westchester Country Club in Rye. Throughout the evening attendees dined on delicious foods from local restaurants and sipped on a wide array of excellent wines, spirits and beers. Excitement grew as word spread about an important announcement planned for later in the evening.
At the end of the live auction, bright Hollywood lights began to flash, celebratory music played and Campaign Co-Chairs Bill Healey and Laura Saggese took the stage to make the big announcement of the evening: the public launch of Arc of Westchester Foundation's The Arc of a Life Campaign. This $6 million campaign has raised more than $3 million in donations and commitments, and it will now aim to generate an additional $3 million through public outreach.
http://www.arcwestchester.org/campaign
"The Arc of Westchester Foundation board has formed a committee to raise additional funds to support the comprehensive, innovative program initiatives that allow us to keep our promise of providing quality services throughout the entire arc of a life," said Healey. "Our goal is to raise $6 million and I'm pleased to announce that we have now reached the halfway mark!"
"Staying ahead of shifting needs, demographics, funding resources and paradigms for providing services is an immense challenge at Arc of Westchester," explained Nancy Patota, Executive Director for Arc of Westchester's Foundation. "This Campaign was designed to off-set those challenges and maintain our status as the largest organization in Westchester County serving individuals of all ages with autism and other developmental disabilities. As an organization, we support the full arc of one's life, and this Campaign has already launched several innovative programs that have helped us continue to provide outstanding support to the 2,000 individuals and their families who depend on us every day."
Scarsdale Foundation Grants Scholarship Funds
- Details
- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 4141
The Scarsdale Foundation has awarded $110,000 in scholarship monies for the 2015-2016 academic year. These need-based financial stipends, awarded annually to deserving college students who have graduated from Scarsdale High School or were Scarsdale residents during their high school years, are intended to offset some of the college expenses of students who are going into their sophomore, junior and senior years.
In the face of spiraling tuition costs (more than $60,000 a year at many private schools, and often $40,000 a year at state schools), the Foundation expects no letup in the number of applications for assistance. "Contrary to popular belief, we in Scarsdale do not live in a bubble," said Scarsdale Foundation President Evelyn Stock, "We are not immune to the devastations that life may bring- job loss, economic downturns, divorce, crippling health issues, and death."
The Foundation is embarking on its 2015-2016 fundraising campaign for this critically important scholarship initiative. Foundation trustees encourage Scarsdale families to make a tax-deductible donation for student scholarships or even a bequest directly to the Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, by writing to the Scarsdale Foundation, PO Box 542, Scarsdale, NY 10583, or by contacting president Evelyn Stock at [email protected]. More information is available at www.scarsdalefoundation.org.
"Please help the Scarsdale Foundation to send the message that Scarsdale cares about the education of all of our children!" said President Stock. "These are our families and our children. Our role as a community is to help!"
