Mayor Niki Armacost is completing her first term and has much to be proud of in these two years. She has more than simply stepped into the role — she has stepped up, mastering it from the first day, through these difficult times.

I just got off what seems like the 100th “last and final call” to extend the warranty on my car. Of course, I haven't owned this car for many years.

We needed to call the Fairview Fire Department because of a smell in our basement. Within 10 minutes, Deputy Fire Chief Eryk Simmons and Fire Capt. David Primerano, with four other firefighters carrying more than 100 pounds of equipment, rolled into our basement. They were all as nice as can…

Mary Lambert is whip-smart, informed, generous, and one of the most civic-minded people I have met over my 10-plus years of living in Hastings.

If you’re lucky enough to live on South Drive, chances are that before you pull on your snow gear, grab your shovel, and head out to clear your driveway, Tommy Drake has already cleared out your car, driveway and/or path for you. Tommy exemplifies what it means to be a good neighbor — he’s t…

Mary Lambert will make an outstanding trustee for Hastings-on-Hudson — the kind guaranteed to have a positive and meaningful impact on our community. I know this because I worked closely with her last year on the village’s Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Task Force. Thanks to her vision, lea…

Among the many reasons I am supporting Niki Armacost’s re-election as mayor of Hastings-on-Hudson is her excellent handling of the coronavirus epidemic. As a physician and historian of public health, I know that Mayor Armacost has closely followed the evolving science and statistics and used…

The Hastings-on-Hudson Democratic Committee would like to extend a big thank you to all who attended our Democratic Committee Caucus on Jan. 21. What seemed on the surface a fairly simple Zoom meeting was actually a complex event to arrange, and I am grateful to all who worked behind the sce…

I want to use this space to highlight the years of support we’ve received from Woodlands Community Temple in Greenburgh. Through Rabbi Billy Dreskin, the temple has been a friend to South Presbyterian Church for years and years. When the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry started in 2011, the members o…

I want to thank Gary Rappaport for his letter on Jan. 29 regarding the actions by the educational leadership in Hastings. No one wants to see any harm come to any child and we want to protect their well-being in all respects. The Central Office made its decision.

This is a rather scattershot letter responding to a variety of articles on starkly unrelated matters in recent issues of The Rivertowns Enterprise, but here goes.

Feb. 14 is the deadline for registered voters to change their party affiliation or enroll in a party to be able to vote in the June 22 primary. In order to do this, you can download and print a New York State Voter Registration form from the Westchester County Board of Elections website, htt…

Are there racial inequities in this country, our societies?

The new administration in Washington has raised hopes that the federal government will finally address our dual crises — the Covid pandemic and our economic crisis — in responsible ways. In Westchester, at least 94,000 people — nearly one out of every 10 residents — has been sickened by Covi…

Our heartfelt thanks to Abby Connett for all the work she's been doing for Dobbs Ferry seniors. She and her team are now engaged in the monumental task of getting appointments for the Covid-19 vaccine. Abby, we're deeply grateful.

I just got lucky. I am over 65, a recovering cancer patient, living with type 2 diabetes, and I went online to find out if I could get a coronavirus shot. Providence was looking down on me. I got an appointment. I got a confirmation — my first dose of the coronavirus vaccine scheduled for We…

Rivertowns Enterprise readers may be unaware that the removal from the curriculum in Hastings of Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” comes on the heels of the 2019 cancellation by Elmsford school officials of a planned dramatic production of Disney’s “Tarzan” a…

We are writing to thank the Hastings-on-Hudson committee for putting together the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast. This year’s celebration was especially important, coming as it did at a time of intense national conflict over issues that dominated Dr. King’s time and message: th…

Again The Rivertowns Enterprise has proven to be a good place to alert the public to the need for funding for Hastings Helps the Hungry. Thanks to our many generous local patrons, there will be a hot meal available at the Yonkers YWCA for 160 people once a month all year long. We can do it f…

We join the Hastings Library Board in protesting the removal of a complex, difficult, and still-relevant book from the eighth-grade curriculum in Hastings. The American Library Association reports that the book, Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” is one of th…

On Saturday night, Jan. 16, at the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, a miracle happened. A concert was broadcast featuring some of the biggest names in the jazz world: Mark Morganelli (trumpet/flugelhorn), David Janeway (piano), Ralph Lalama (tenor sax), Gary Smulyan (baritone sax), John Patitucci (b…

This year, I am running for re-election as Westchester County legislator for the 12th Legislative District. We have accomplished much during my tenure on the board of legislators. This past year, I also have taken on new responsibilities as majority leader of the largest Democratic caucus in…

Further to my letter in last week's Rivertowns Enterprise, this letter updates the procedure for the annual caucus of the Hastings-on-Hudson Democratic Committee scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21, starting at 7 p.m. Pursuant to Executive Order 202.89 issued by Governor Cuomo on Jan. 7, the cau…

Our life seems to have so changed, but many things remain the same, including the need for blood products. Even during these days of Covid, with all our attention on the pandemic, we need people willing and able to donate blood to please give. There are still medical emergencies, as well as …

On behalf of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 1195, based at the Admiral Farragut American Legion Post 1195, I want to thank everyone who participated in our first-ever raffle. The drawing was held on Jan. 1, 2021, at the Legion Hall on Farragut Avenue, and streamed live on our Faceb…

While researching the historical connections between and among the Villages of Ardsley and Elmsford and Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton's great-great-granddaughter Mary Schuyler Hamilton lived in Elmsford and ran for public office in Greenburgh a century ago, in 1921, with two Ardsleyans), I ca…

I am pleased to alert the Enterprise and its readers that the ninth Hastings Martin Luther King Breakfast will happen this coming Monday, Jan. 18, starting at 10 a.m. It is a virtual presentation; the committee apologizes that there will be no food this year. The program will include videos …

My beloved dogs and I for several years walked Sprain Ridge Park's trails twice daily. It had been a high point of each day for all three of us.

Several days after the big snowstorm in December, I walked from my family home on Ashford Avenue in Dobbs Ferry to Chauncey Square. On this 15-minute walk, I was shunted from the sidewalk into the middle of speeding traffic several times by unshoveled sidewalks. It’s been this way every time…

Thank you to our Rivertowns friends and neighbors for your extraordinary financial contributions and donations of gifts and toys this holiday season. This time of year is difficult for many of the children and families we serve, but your generosity and thoughtfulness has made it easier.

On Dec. 31, I was walking on the sidewalk just outside my home when I heard brakes squealing. I turned and saw a car crashing through some barriers that were right next to the Clarence Avenue exit off the Saw Mill Parkway. 

The Hastings-on-Hudson Democratic Committee will host its annual caucus on Thursday, Jan. 21, starting at 7 p.m. pursuant to applicable NYS election law. The purpose of the caucus is to select our party’s candidates for village office. This year, we will be selecting one mayoral and two vill…

When we moved to Dobbs Ferry 30 years ago, my wife, Linda, raised a Catholic and looking for a spiritual home, went searching for a church. (I, a pig-headed nonbeliever, wanted none of it.) She eventually found her way to South Presbyterian Church — or South Church, as it’s known.

On a positive note this holiday season, it was a pleasure parking in downtown Hastings-on-Hudson, where free 2-hour parking was available during the holiday weeks. No fumbling for coins, no walking around to get to the digital meter kiosks, no trying to understand the digital instructions, n…

On behalf of the entire Tauber family, I would like to thank everyone who helped to make my father Stanley Tauber’s 101st birthday a truly joyous occasion. Being a modest person, Stanley did not expect the wonderful tribute he received and was very touched and appreciative.

So many groups and individuals have helped the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry throughout the pandemic, but I want to highlight just two groups that have provided amazing help to us in the last few weeks.

We're excited to share the news of the launch of Our Streets Dobbs Ferry, a resident-driven, all-volunteer citizens’ advocacy group. This group is working for a village where all people who walk, bike, or use mobility aids can safely and comfortably navigate our streets and sidewalks. 

I want to thank you for the informative story on the advocacy group P-CoC. It was very helpful and thought provoking. There were lots of numbers and statistics to clarify our school population.

In recent years the Enterprise has published a number of letters and articles about the condition of New York State-owned roads located within the Town of Greenburgh and our river villages. Many residents complained about potholes, craters — unsafe conditions on state roads. And in 2018, 36 …

Some of my fondest memories of elementary school and of evenings at home center around hearing a teacher read aloud to our class or one of my parents read to my brother, sisters, and me.

I salute the current members of the Irvington Board of Trustees for their courage and their vision in granting the right to those residents of Abbotsford, Penny Bridge, and East Irvington to take a walk in Matthiessen Park. Abbotsford, Penny Bridge, and East Irvington are part of what was on…

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it’s been overwhelmingly hectic for the volunteers at the Dobbs Ferry Food Pantry because of our huge increase in numbers. Last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, the pantry served 157 families. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving last year we served 48…

On Nov. 7, four days after Election Day, Rudy Giuliani hosted a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a small business in a neighborhood of Near Northeast Philadelphia. The event was held at the company's garage door and parking lot, with several hose holders and a fire extingu…

I write to share my experience as a first-time poll worker in the 2020 election, and to express my appreciation for the work of the Board of Elections. I found the training daunting and the prospect of a 17-hour workday intimidating. Worried I’d slow the process, I almost didn’t accept the a…

During the past 29 years, volunteers (including myself) have been part of a neighbor-helping-neighbor program called the Snow Angels. Volunteers have shoveled snow from driveways of senior citizens and disabled residents — helping the recipients feel safe and comfortable after a snowstorm. S…

The proposal for downtown rehabilitation includes $111,000 for installing LED streetlamps.

On behalf of all Ardsley veterans, I want to give a special shoutout and express deep appreciation to the Ardsley Girl Scouts for having honored us again this year in spite of the challenges. Because of the pandemic, I was not expecting the Girl Scouts to make their appearances at my door on…

So many people are hungry during this pandemic time. Hastings Helps the Hungry continues to respond to hunger by providing a hot meal once a month for the Yonkers YWCA, which feeds 160 people daily. In order to provide a healthy chicken dinner with vegetables, a green salad, and two hand fru…

A suggestion that could save taxpayers money: Con Ed should provide local governments with long-range plans for underground roadwork. Taxpayers pay twice for road repaving unnecessarily.

This letter is based on “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, which is a story concerned with privilege and inequality. The Village of Irvington has two riverfront parks. The first is Matthiessen Park, which is now undergoing major renovations that will make it more inviting and, with o…