In Oscawana Park in Croton-on-Hudson, an elm tree grows in a stream that flows into the Hudson River. George Jackman, the senior habitat resto…
The Rivertowns Enterprise welcomes letters of no more than 400 words. Letter writers must include their names, home addresses, and phone numbers. The submission deadline is Monday at noon for that week’s issue. Submit a Letter
Revolutionary Hastings thanks the community for its resounding support of Battle of Edgar’s Lane Weekend on the 243rd anniversary of this historic Hastings event. Our goal was to dig deep and share new research about our local history, and we were thrilled with the turnout — youth to seniors…
I am writing to express my opposition to the current Farragut repaving proposal.
At the Dobbs Ferry Village Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 28, the architect representing Livingston Development Group, LLC, made a presentation in support of their request for a waiver from the affordable housing requirement for the site at 19 Livingston Avenue.
The Oct 5 presentation on the legalization of marijuana sales and consumption within Hastings village lacked deliberative seriousness. I found the cheerleading by a cannabis lawyer a curiously vacant choice for our Village to put before us. To me, sound proposals often have a revelatory self…
Hastings is very hilly. If we visualize a student’s bicycling to school and back, we will see that either going or returning is likely to entail steep hills, such as Villard Avenue, Mount Hope Boulevard, and many other routes. We may have bike lanes, but would we have bike riders?
In many states, there is an annual review of variance applications to determine if the municipality's zoning ordinance needs review and amendment. In keeping with such a review for the MR-O Multifamily Residence/Office District on Warburton Avenue, just south of Washington Avenue to Nodine S…
I was grieved to read in the Oct. 1 edition of the death of Jason Roif. Jason was, for many years, a steadfast and reliable volunteer driver for FISH despite his job as an accountant and his volunteer work with the Hastings Fire Department. He was always cheerful, friendly, and supportive. I…
Halsey Pond Park in Irvington is a rare, secluded, and peaceful refuge, a place for a contemplative walk, a view from the old Tea House, and a home to wildlife ranging from mallards to sunning turtles.
This year over 225 Dobbs Ferry children — a 20 percent increase from 2020 — need some type of support each month to keep up with their peers, participate in extracurricular activities, and even have enough to eat. That's where SPRING Community Partners helps, but only with your support. This…
I am delighted to see Westchester County’s proposed plans to add bike lanes and traffic calming measures to Farragut Avenue when they resurface the road. I encourage the Hastings Board of Trustees to approve the plans. We need bike lanes and a road diet on Farragut for the following reasons:
Regarding the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson’s proposed zoning change for the multifamily mixed-use district, the board of trustees is doing their job. The Village Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) brought to the board of trustees’ attention that there was a mismatch between present zoning requir…
The Ardsley Education Foundation (AEF) is a 501(c)(3) organization that was formed in 1995 to support the Ardsley schools. During Covid, like many businesses, the organization slowed down. We are now working to rebuild and rebrand. We are having AEF Socials — to bring the community back toge…
Three weeks ago, the cover of the Enterprise had two stories — the impact and cleanup from Ida and the conflict over bike lanes on Farragut. These two stories are connected whether we choose to accept it or not.
Riverkeeper announced its new president on Sept. 29. Tracy Brown of Sleepy Hollow will become the first woman to lead that nonprofit, starting Nov. 1. She will succeed Paul Gallay, who departed on June 30, after 11 years as president.
We’ve learned that “repaving” means so much more than that, as Maryann McArthur noted last week [Letter to the Editor, Sept. 24]. And yet, two weeks out from an obscure Zoom forum on the subject, we remain mostly uninformed with regard to some fundamental questions that were raised by the public:
I am writing to support Shari Ascher in her bid to become a Dobbs Ferry trustee. Shari has been our next-door neighbor for more than 20 years, and I’ve always known her to be caring, responsible, and intelligent. I trust her opinion and know that I can count on her for anything. Shari cares …
I am writing to express support for the Westchester County plan for bike lanes on Farragut Avenue. This plan is entirely consistent with and advances Village policies as repeatedly expressed in its comprehensive plan, complete streets policy, and the recently adopted bike master plan (submit…
With the passing of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) this spring, New York became the 17th state to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana. Now, it is up to individual municipalities to either do nothing (and thereby opt in) or choose to opt out of allowing dispensaries an…
In passing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, New York State has instructed municipalities to choose whether to opt in to allow dispensaries and/or public consumption establishment. We believe it is in the best interest of Dobbs Ferry to opt in.
Forty lighthouses, lights, and beacons once helped mariners navigate the Hudson River between New York City and Troy. Of that total, seven remain, not counting the Statue of Liberty.
As we enter autumn, we offer a very special and heartfelt thanks to all supporters of the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry — individuals, families, religious organizations, community and cultural organizations — for their outstanding generosity through the Summer of ’21.
I want to thank the Dobbs Ferry Fire Department, especially the Ogden Engine Company #1, for helping us get through Tropical Storm Ida. The effects of the storm were devastating, but the patience and concern shown by the firefighters was so heartening, it made the whole experience better. Th…
Last week’s article regarding the proposed Farragut Avenue project in Hastings neglects to frame the issue in the proper light: the project is an improvement planned for a County roadway, to be implemented by the County — at the policy direction of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson and its r…
I read the Sept. 17 article about the Octagon House in Irvington. Although it is true that the house is definitely haunted, the story you were told about the entity being a young woman smelling of lilac is not. I should know. Carl Karmer was my grandfather (another story altogether). My moth…
Looking for FEMA Angel volunteers to help seniors navigate the FEMA financial help process.
I would like to thank the Enterprise for the article on the Farragut repaving project. Until I read it, I had no idea what it involved. I'd seen emails about Zoom meetings on the topic but to be honest my naivete had me believing it was just about fixing the potholes and repaving the street.…
Wednesday, Sept. 22, is the first day of fall. If the weather forecast is accurate, however, the temperature will feel more like spring or early summer.
I am writing on behalf of the First Unitarian Society of Westchester in Hastings. We are extremely grateful to the Rivertowns Enterprise for your thoughtful and thorough coverage of the flood damage at our beloved church. Tim Lamorte's photos captured not only the devastation wrought by the …
Ever wonder what it’s really like for a kid to walk to school in Dobbs Ferry? Join other grownups, community stakeholders, interested residents, and elected officials on our first Dobbs Ferry Community Walking Tour on Thursday, Sept. 30, from 8:15-9:15 a.m.
On Sept. 21, the Hastings Board of Trustees will continue their discussion on rezoning Warburton Avenue from Straub Auto to Nodine Street, the MR-O Zone. Each zone has an affect on the rest of the village. Zoning is the most powerful tool we have to shape the future of the village. There are…
I’d like to thank both the Hastings and the Dobbs Ferry recreation departments for their cooperation when the Chemka Pool was inundated by mud for the second time in a week. Members of the Chemka Pool were able to enjoy a few more days of swimming despite the pool’s being closed because of a…
Twenty years ago, Rivertowns residents watched from vantage points in Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, and Irvington as the South Tower of the World Trade Center disappeared from the New York City skyline at 9:59 a.m., followed by the North Tower at 10:28 a.m.
I would like to thank all those who came to help me clean up my garage and basement at Fenwick Road after the damage left by Tropical Storm Ida. My family has lived in this house for almost 60 years and we never experienced what Ida left afterwards. One of my neighbors went on Facebook reque…
On Aug. 31, Riverkeeper released the latest water quality data for the dozens of sites it tests between New York City and upstate Waterford, including the beach at Matthiessen Park in Irvington.
As a grandmother of eight and a retired teacher and a member of a branch of the teachers’ union I am outraged by the fact that none of the Rivertowns school districts are mandating that teachers, staff, and eligible students must be fully vaccinated — and that the teachers’ unions are resist…
The Parks and Recreation Commission and the village trustees will soon be voting on a proposal to build a skateboard park, as reported last week in the Enterprise. I do not live near either proposed location for the skatepark, but I do live in our village and have for more than 30 years.
In the wake of last week’s story about spotted lanternfly found in Dobbs Ferry and Hastings, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM) issued a press release urging residents across the state to help combat the spread of that invasive insect.
In recent years Con Ed has been doing lots of underground gas pipe replacements around the region. The infrastructure work is needed and is important for our safety. What's needed is for Con Ed to provide the public and local government officials with a 5-to-10-year plan of roads that are go…
Some Dobbs Ferry residents may be wondering about the blue avenue banners at Ashford and Broadway with the words "Road to Freedom," a map of the eastern shore of the United States, and the date August 19, 1781. The avenue banners, sponsored by the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society, commemorate …
A brand-new school year is about to begin. All our teachers are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our students on Thursday, Sept. 9. We are all anticipating a wonderful new year, ready to meet any challenge ahead with our “new normal” beginning.
Thanks for the great article on urban farmer Curtis Snell in last week's Enterprise ("Organic Grower Reclaims Fertile Ground"). Curtis sells the freshest and most local organic vegetables in the Rivertowns on Saturday mornings from a table in front of The Good Witch Cafe at the Hastings trai…
Since the tickets were free, the show was not sold out in the literal sense. Nevertheless, every ticket was reserved before the Irvington Shakespeare Company began their performances of “Twelfth Night” on Friday, Aug. 6. Since then, one show was rained out, on Aug. 8, but the rest unfolded a…
Since moving from Manhattan to Hastings five years ago, I can now open my own door and walk outside. So, for eight or nine months a year, I begin my days on the deck, taking in the world’s news.
We have a serious threat to the beauty and natural life of the Rivertowns on our doorstep. The spotted lanternfly (SLF), a destructive insect, was spotted in Hastings on Aug. 12 and will quickly spread through our neighborhoods.
In the wake of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation on Tuesday, Aug. 10, a slew of statements were issued by federal, state, county, and local elected officials.
The Village of Irvington is discussing a plan to embed plaques to identify the history of each street’s name. This sounds a lot like Hollywood Boulevard with the names of movie and television starts embedded in the sidewalks.
Visitors to Dobbs Ferry from points south are welcomed by a sign on Broadway [Route 9] declaring it a “walkable, bikeable village.” Unfortunately, the sign hangs over a road with cars speeding past while a single cracked sidewalk accommodates anyone without access to a vehicle.
On Wednesday, June 30, a child in the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson was hit by a car on James Street. The child was not seriously hurt, but the event was terrifying, and serves as yet another call to the Village of Hastings to address traffic congestion on James Street as soon as possible. W…
8:35 a.m. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo declares Aug. 3 to be Tony Bennett Day in New York in honor of the singer’s 95th birthday.
How is it that all over this country, black drivers can be stopped for the smallest infraction and can end up dead as a result of being stopped? And yet here, for years, I have heard cars racing each other on Farragut Parkway and the Saw Mill River Parkway at all hours, day and night. I can …
