Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10, 2025

Pound Ridge writer supports Briggs, Paschke and Hansan 

To the Editor:

Diane is the model for a public servant. Approachable. Available. Knowledgeable. Great. 

Dan is a man who knows this town inside and, with so much of our land preserved, outside, too.  

And Kevin. Runs the town with hubris while actually getting all sorts of important stuff done.

What’s not to … love. They deserve our appreciation and our support and our votes. This is important. We cannot not vote. It matters. More than ever. Look around. It’s a great place to live. Please don’t let the noise distract. Vote. Keep the Town Board the Town Board. 

Robbie Everett Pound Ridge

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Questions about seniors bus, assessor position in Pound Ridge

To the Editor:

I am writing in response to a recent PR DEMS mailer that claims Supervisor Hansan and his team “secured more than $10 Million in grants for town improvements.” 

Since it is almost three years that I have attended Town Board meetings to ask for a new senior bus, and first back at the end of 2023 I was told they had to see if it could be in the budget, but they couldn’t get it in the 2024 budget. The town did have to rent vehicles for the long trips since the old bus doesn’t have working A/C for over two years. Again the 2025 budget rolls around but no money for a new bus. 

Then, for some reason, in May 2025 [Assemblymember Chris Burdick] Mr. Burdick and [Sen. Shelley Mayer] Ms. Mayer announced that there was a grant for a new bus in the amount of $121,000. I then asked at the next town meeting I asked Mr. Hansan when will the bus arrive and he stated he figured it might be three to four months but he was not certain. My personal feeling is that it happens to be an election year and the seniors are getting a new senior bus sometime in the future.

Back in June, the Town Board signed off for the CREST grant (bus). In September I brought up that the board should have a resolution that for-profit groups should be charged for use of the bus and to pay the bus driver directly to save the cost for the town residents. I do not know if this was ever discussed at a Town Board meeting. 

I also asked that I had researched about the new bus and brought up that there was a recall on the Ford Econoline (National Highway Safety Administration). To this day, I do not know where the town is on checking this recall. 

I think that it is about time that there be a change in leadership in this town. My feelings are why did the board try to get rid of the assessor and advertise for a full time and then switch to part-time position? Also, why is there an employment opportunity for a Teen Travel Camp Director for $22 to $30 per hour, is this in the budget? 

Katherine Biagiarelli  Pound Ridge

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Nathan says Pound Ridge Town Board violated open meetings law

To the Editor:

This week’s Town Board meeting revealed that the board, in executive session, decided to create the new position of a part-time tax assessor. This violated New York’s Open Meetings Law, which requires that discussions on creating new positions must be held in public, not behind closed doors in executive session and out of the public eye.  

During the recent election debate, Town Board candidate Diana Briggs stated that the Town Board “learned our lesson” about transparency from the cannabis debacle. By flouting the Open Meetings Law once again, the Town Board has proven it has learned nothing.  

John Nathan Pound Ridge

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Writer questions Democrats’ mailer in Pound Ridge

To the Editor:

I ran advertising for Mastercard for more than a decade and know the field. That is why the PR Dems advertisement arriving in Saturday’s mail got my attention, particularly the chart claiming growing financial reserves. At the Sept. 16 Town Board meeting, candidate John McCown had commented it wasn’t clear where repeated claims of tripling reserves or savings were coming from. Eyeballing the prominent chart in the ad had whatever they were measuring going up more like six times. Intrigued, I researched this issue by reviewing the town’s audited financial statements.  

The values in the chart for 2017 through 2020 line up with “Unassigned Funds” which I learned is the most important measure of liquidity and the only unrestricted cash in municipal accounting. As such, a widely held view by accounting organizations is that unassigned funds be at a minimum equal to 16.67% or two months of next year’s budget. While the chart started with the correct numbers, the last four years from 2021 through 2024 included something else other than unassigned funds. This something else was massive and almost double the correct numbers. This apples to oranges data makes this chart factually inaccurate and grossly misleading.

The chart itself also utilizes a truncated y axis that makes growth appear larger. When the y axis is cut off and does not start at zero, it distorts comparisons and visually exaggerates differences. Organizations such as the National Advertising Division of the BBB, a self-regulatory body overseeing advertising truthfulness, have long held that charts with truncated axes are highly deceptive.

The 2024 Unassigned Funds balance is still only 13.37% of the 2025 budget, below the strongly recommended minimum. Are they using made up numbers and deceptive charts to obscure this? What else is being misrepresented? 

Debra Coughlin Pound Ridge

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Writer credits Hansan with Pound Ridge turnaround

To the Editor:

I have been a resident of Pound Ridge since 1972, and for most of that time, our business district was an embarrassment. We lived for years with a half-built shopping center, vacant storefronts, a deserted gas station polluting our groundwater, crumbling sidewalks and deteriorating streetlights.

Today, every time I drive through town, I’m exhilarated by the transformation that’s taken place under the leadership of Kevin Hansan. We’re finally on the verge of having a clean drinking water source, new sidewalks, improved lighting, thriving local businesses, and a firehouse expansion that reflects our community’s needs.

It has taken nearly half a century, but Pound Ridge is finally reaching its potential. The improvements we see today aren’t just cosmetic — they’ve had a direct impact on our property values. For years, home values stagnated because of the poor condition of our business area. Now, they’re rising to unimaginable heights, and our investments in this town are paying off.

For these reasons, I’m proud to support Kevin Hansan and the Democratic candidates in the upcoming town election. They’ve proven they can deliver real results that make Pound Ridge a better place to live. Let’s give him the time needed to finish the job.

Jon Posner Pound Ridge

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Writer asks: ‘Is Kevin Hansan is hiding something?’

To the Editor:

What is Kevin hiding? What doesn’t Kevin want us to know?

New York state policy makers have long understood that governments function best in the sunshine. And so we have a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), deadlines for reporting financial information, and formal public notice  and comment opportunities before regulations and various government actions are finalized. In the federal government, public comments are summarized and addressed in the Federal Register. These are public displays of information meant to enable the public to participate in government decision making.

I served for many years as a manager and officer for a public agency and in the private sector. I have been on both sides of audits, operational reviews, Freedom of Information Act requests, and formal and informal conversations with industry and the public. These processes provide useful information channels and can be very helpful in formulating policy and public actions.

And yet Kevin seems more comfortable solely off the radar. 

In the Sept. 30, 2025, LWV-sponsored forum for Pound Ridge supervisor candidates, Kevin said that members of the public are more than welcome to call him the next day, but that Town Board meetings are not an appropriate place to have policy conversations. Informal, off-the-record conversations are fine, but, well, they are off the record.  

As the late Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis taught: “The light of day is the best disinfectant.” If Pound Ridge’s current administration answered the many factual and policy questions being asked, if it responded on the record, if it published timely financial reports, then much of the current controversy might be avoided. “Trust us” works best when we can also verify. If Kevin’s administration doesn’t trust the Pound Ridge voting public, then it’s time for a change.

Michele Braun Pound Ridge

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Writer recommends Iorio for Bedford Town Board

To the Editor:

It is with great pleasure that I recommend Midge Iorio for the Bedford Town Board. I had the privilege of working with Midge during her tenure on the Katonah Village Improvement Society, where she served as both board member and treasurer.

Midge managed our finances with great care and foresight. Beyond her fiscal stewardship, she brought creativity, collaboration and a deep commitment to community improvement in all that she did. She championed the “Art in Store” program in 2021, an initiative to revitalize underused storefronts by showcasing local art and innovation, strengthening both our cultural and economic vitality. Midge was also a reliable and enthusiastic team member who could always be counted on to lend a hand at every KVIS event.

For more than a decade Midge has demonstrated that same dedication through her leadership at Bedford 2020 and now Bedford 2030, helping the organization achieve and then exceed its ambitious 10-year climate action goals.

With her tireless work ethic and proven leadership, Midge will serve the Town Board with vision, commitment and genuine passion for strengthening our community.

Elena Becker Katonah

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What happened to talking to neighbors before calling police?

To the Editor:

Thank goodness it’s almost Oct. 15 and we will not have to read in the police blotter about residents calling police about their neighbors or contractors using gas-powered leaf blowers … when almost always it turns out not to be so. And maybe we won’t have to see the ugly electronic sign in the historic hamlet. 

What happened to our friendly town where neighbors talked with their neighbors instead of reporting them to the police? Come on people!

Jody Sullivan  Pound Ridge 

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District 2 ‘darned lucky’ to have Erika Pierce as county legislator

To the Editor:

While it is easy to be distracted and dismayed by the turmoil in our world these days, please don’t forget to vote in the election this November for our local representatives.

We are darned lucky here in District 2 to have Erika Pierce as our county legislator. She is tenacious, energetic and tirelessly working to defend the health and welfare of our collective community. On a personal note, when our family was hit by some unexpected challenges during the days of COVID, Erika came and sat on our porch to lend us her ear and her support. 

She is fearless and passionate in defending our rights and those of our neighbors. It is rare these days to have someone in office who is so accessible and willing to help. We need someone of her caliber to help us navigate the road ahead.  Please remember to get out there and vote! 

Jessica and Matthew Bennett Katonah

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Erika Pierce is ‘a true public servant’ for Westchester County

To the Editor:

We are so fortunate to have Erika Lang Pierce as our County Legislator. We have lived in this area for over 30 years, and we are genuinely appreciative of all that Erika has accomplished for our community.

Erika is everywhere — whether it be the Community Center, Muscoot Farm or Septemberfest in Mount Kisco. When you call her office to ask a question or make a suggestion, Erika is the type of person who will get right back to you with answers and suggestions. That’s just the way she is. It doesn’t matter where we reside in this legislative district or what our political affiliations are, Erika is there for all of us. To us, this is the embodiment of a true public servant. 

Our votes are very important this election season, so please get out and vote.

Jane and Joe Graham Katonah

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Writer: Lawler’s foreign aid policy is ‘indifference’ 

To the Editor:

Congressman Mike Lawler’s record of supporting devastating foreign aid cuts is not only dangerous and shortsighted — it’s deeply unjust. Since January, the Trump administration has overseen the most sweeping rollback of U.S. humanitarian assistance in modern history, and Lawler has supported it at every step. The consequences are catastrophic: millions of children in Africa now face famine, while thousands of HIV-positive patients across Africa and Asia have lost access to life-saving medication. The loss of food and medical relief is not just policy failure — it is a death sentence.

The pattern is unmistakable. The vast majority of the aid programs targeted for elimination serve the world’s most vulnerable — Black and brown communities across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. While Lawler claims these cuts are about “efficiency,” they are, in truth, a form of discrimination. That discrimination has devastating effects on those already enduring drought, disease, and war. In nations such as Malawi, Sudan, and Nigeria, U.S. funding has often been the difference between life and death. Now, as UNICEF reports rising childhood malnutrition, surges in maternal deaths, and growing instability, Lawler’s votes speak volumes.

Foreign aid accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget, yet it has helped cut infant mortality, curb disease, empower women, and save millions from starvation. Most Americans understand that global stability — and our own safety and prosperity — depend on the well-being of all people, not only those who look like us. Lawler’s complicity in these cruel cuts is not just un-American; it is immoral. Voters must hold him accountable for the suffering his policies have caused among the world’s most vulnerable.

Lawler’s indifference extends beyond foreign policy. At home, he echoes the same “fraud and efficiency” rhetoric used to justify cuts to Americans’ medical insurance, cancer research, and other vital programs — without proof, alternatives, or compassion. Americans and people worldwide are dying, or will die, because of these so-called efficiencies.

Lawler calls it efficiency. Let’s call it what it is: indifference — and indifference leads to death.

Mark A. Lieberman Yorktown