Dr.Michael Weschler. Marjorie Schiff. Superintendent, Andrew Selesnick. Elizabeth Gereghty. Lorraine Gallagher.and Principal Kerry Ford at the Increase Miller Elementary School ground breaking. Their shovels sent clumps of earth - and hopes for the future - flying! The June 24 groundbreaking at Increase Miller Elementary was a milestone in the Katonah-Lewisboro School District's Capitol Improvement Project.   Fifth grader Gavin Danelewich; his older brother Owen, an Increase Miller alum and rising freshman at John Jay High School; their dad Jim Danelewich, a member of the Board of Education’s Facilities Committee; and Increase Miller’s Head Custodian Rich Wilson, Jr.—a proud IMES grad—stood at the edge of what would be the school’s new wing and dug in.   The work at Increase Miller Elementary commenced on June 27. The result will give the school much needed and improved classrooms and learning spaces.    Assistant Superintendent Lisa Herlihy, Director of Facilities Mike Lavoie, and KG+D President Russ Davidson and Project Manager Rich Markgraf did another round of shoveling. “This is the only groundbreaking of the District’s Capitol Improvement Project,” said Herlihy, “all other renovation is internal.”   The first round of shoveling was done by Increase Miller’s Assistant Principal Dr. Michael Weschler, Board member and Facilities Committee Chair Marjorie Schiff, Superintendent Andrew Selesnick, former Board member and Facilities Committee Chair Elizabeth Gereghty, Board member Lorraine Gallagher and Increase Miller Principal Kerry Ford.

By JEFF MORRIS  A group of Increase Miller Elementary School parents spoke out at the two most recent Katonah-Lewisboro School Board meetings to request that a full-time school resource officer be assigned to IMES.   Parent remarks began at the Nov. 7 meeting with Barbara Accetta, who recounted the events that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012. She quoted a statement from the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association saying the actual elapsed time between dispatch and police entering the building was eight minutes and 38 seconds, while she noted the shooter fired 154 rounds and killed 20 children in four minutes.  “I certainly can’t imagine the regret of the district who did not have a dedicated SRO at that school that day, and do now,” she said.  Accetta added, “We have one SRO, who is phenomenal, but we have five schools.” She said an active shooter typically does not stop shooting unless and until being confronted, and an SRO at a school can be on scene in as little as 10 seconds. Accetta was followed by two other parents who echoed her sentiments. They called attention to the panic that had occurred among parents the prior week when there was a school lockout, caused by a police manhunt for a suspect in a shooting in Somers. That suspect was later apprehended in Putnam Valley and charged in the triple shooting of his girlfriend and her two sons, one of whom died. At the Nov. 21 board meeting, Accetta returned to repeat her request, and six more Increase Miller parents spoke in favor of a dedicated SRO for the school. One, Kristen Boginsky, recalled being a freshman at Virginia Tech and being on campus when there was a deadly mass shooting there in April 2007. Agnes Petrocelli said while she did not believe the school was in danger during the Somers incident, it “highlighted the lack of dedicated police presence at Increase Miller.” She cited Yorktown schools with seven SROs, one for each school; Brewster with one in each of four schools; North Salem with a dedicated elementary SRO and one shared at their middle/high school; and Somers with four schools, each with an SRO, as well as “bullet-proof glass windows on its entire first floor.” She contrasted that with Katonah-Lewisboro having one SRO covering five schools, two of which are 20 minutes apart. Joseph Stepancic called into question the IMES vision statement that mentions a safe learning environment, claiming without a dedicated SRO, the school was not safe. Olga Limniatis asked that the district perform a school safety assessment to look for security gaps, as she said was called for in the New York State Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act. Lindsay Curtin asserted that the town of Lewisboro has approximately 6,000 households paying property taxes, and if the entire cost of an SRO were added to the school budget, it would add $83 per year per household, or $7 per month; she did not mention whether any schools other than IMES would get a dedicated officer. Danielle Burstein said there were “many parents who are interested in the same thing with the same request” who were not present, but “they’re all texting us.” Another parent, Angie Restrepo, also spoke in favor of a dedicated SRO. Board president Julia Hadlock thanked everyone for coming and sharing their interest about the SRO, and said the board would be having conversations about it going forward. Later in the meeting, trustee Rory Burke called the entire premise into question. “Is there a way that we can get some actual data around the effectiveness of an SRO at stopping shootings in school, and around the likelihood of any given student being shot in any given school?” asked Burke. “It seems infinitesimally small to me.” He said any evidence he has read suggests that the number of deaths in a building where there is an armed guard increases three-fold over there being nobody armed in that building. “What is the benefit of an SRO,” he asked, “Do they help or do they hurt?” He said everything they’d heard was “sort of hearsay,” and he would like to get some hard evidence.   Hadlock said it was an emotional and scary topic, and it was important to be empathetic when people have strong emotions. But, she said, “there is a lot of data actually that doesn’t support that an SRO actually creates a safer environment.” She said there was an opportunity to share that data with the community. “Like all things we do, it should be data supported,” said Burke. Trustee Barbara Williams said she had gone down a rabbit hole asking the same questions after the prior meeting. She cited a 2021 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that concluded there was no association between having an armed officer and the deterrence of violence; that an armed officer on the scene was the number one factor associated with increased casualties; and that prior research suggests many school shooters are actively suicidal, so an armed officer may be an incentive rather than a deterrent. “This is one study, and we can always look at more,” said Williams, who noted that she can understand where parents are coming from, as looking at a police officer “gives you that sense of security.”  Trustee Lorraine Gallagher pointed out the district is currently investing a lot of money in new security vestibules, and that the district also has “amazing greeters” with police or military backgrounds. Trustee Jon Poffenberger confirmed that greeters have those backgrounds, and suggested that they should be better promoted; Hadlock said within their security contract, they specify that greeters have police or military backgrounds. Superintendent Ray Blanch commended the district for having a variety of components in place to keep all students and faculty as safe as possible, including strong restorative practices and mental health services. He repeated that research generally finds having an SRO in a mass shooting situation serves more of a containment function than preventative; he said the actions that some other districts took were illustrative of local decision-making reflective of particular times and places, and it is completely a local decision. Trustee Bill Swertfager asked whether the district should actively publicize the safety and security elements that are in place; he suggested that information should be pushed out to the PTOs to counter any idea that the district is doing nothing; Hadlock said it could be useful to bring it up at parent council meetings. Burke cautioned that expressing whether the district is “weak” or “strong” in security could be a bad idea if brought out in the “broader media.” Williams concluded the discussion, noting that she didn’t think most people realize what a “big deal” having the security vestibules at each building really is, as they are most commonly used at high risk targets such as embassies. A group of Increase Miller Elementary School parents spoke out at the two most recent Katonah-Lewisboro School Board meetings to request that a full-time school resource officer be assigned to IMES.   Parent remarks began at the Nov. 7 meeting with Accetta, who recounted the events that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012. She quoted a statement from the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association saying the actual elapsed time between dispatch and police entering the building was eight minutes and 38 seconds, while she noted the shooter fired 154 rounds and killed 20 children in four minutes.  “I certainly can’t imagine the regret of the district who did not have a dedicated SRO at that school that day, and do now,” she said.  Accetta added, “We have one SRO, who is phenomenal, but we have five schools.” She said an active shooter typically does not stop shooting unless and until being confronted, and an SRO at a school can be on scene in as little as 10 seconds. Accetta was followed by two other parents who echoed her sentiments. They called attention to the panic that had occurred among parents the prior week when there was a school lockout, caused by a police manhunt for a suspect in a shooting in Somers. That suspect was later apprehended in Putnam Valley and charged in the triple shooting of his girlfriend and her two sons, one of whom died. At the Nov. 21 board meeting, Accetta returned to repeat her request, and six more Increase Miller parents spoke in favor of a dedicated SRO for the school. One, Kristen Boginsky, recalled being a freshman at Virginia Tech and being on campus when there was a deadly mass shooting there in April 2007. Agnes Petrocelli said while she did not believe the school was in danger during the Somers incident, it “highlighted the lack of dedicated police presence at Increase Miller.” She cited Yorktown schools with seven SROs, one for each school; Brewster with one in each of four schools; North Salem with a dedicated elementary SRO and one shared at their middle/high school; and Somers with four schools, each with an SRO, as well as “bullet-proof glass windows on its entire first floor.” She contrasted that with Katonah-Lewisboro having one SRO covering five schools, two of which are 20 minutes apart. Joseph Stepancic called into question the IMES vision statement that mentions a safe learning environment, claiming without a dedicated SRO, the school was not safe. Olga Limniatis asked that the district perform a school safety assessment to look for security gaps, as she said was called for in the New York State Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act. Lindsay Curtin asserted that the town of Lewisboro has approximately 6,000 households paying property taxes, and if the entire cost of an SRO were added to the school budget, it would add $83 per year per household, or $7 per month; she did not mention whether any schools other than IMES would get a dedicated officer. Danielle Burstein said there were “many parents who are interested in the same thing with the same request” who were not present, but “they’re all texting us.” Another parent, Angie Restrepo, also spoke in favor of a dedicated SRO. Board president Julia Hadlock thanked everyone for coming and sharing their interest about the SRO, and said the board would be having conversations about it going forward. Later in the meeting, trustee Rory Burke called the entire premise into question. “Is there a way that we can get some actual data around the effectiveness of an SRO at stopping shootings in school, and around the likelihood of any given student being shot in any given school?” asked Burke. “It seems infinitesimally small to me.” He said any evidence he has read suggests that the number of deaths in a building where there is an armed guard increases three-fold over there being nobody armed in that building. “What is the benefit of an SRO,” he asked, “Do they help or do they hurt?” He said everything they’d heard was “sort of hearsay,” and he would like to get some hard evidence.   Hadlock said it was an emotional and scary topic, and it was important to be empathetic when people have strong emotions. But, she said, “there is a lot of data actually that doesn’t support that an SRO actually creates a safer environment.” She said there was an opportunity to share that data with the community. “Like all things we do, it should be data supported,” said Burke. Assistant Superintendent for student support services, Alexandra Casabona, said she had gone down a rabbit hole asking the same questions after the prior meeting. She cited a 2021 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that concluded there was no association between having an armed officer and the deterrence of violence; that an armed officer on the scene was the number one factor associated with increased casualties; and that prior research suggests many school shooters are actively suicidal, so an armed officer may be an incentive rather than a deterrent. “This is one study, and we can always look at more,” said Casabona, who noted that she can understand where parents are coming from, as looking at a police officer “gives you that sense of security.”  Trustee Lorraine Gallagher pointed out the district is currently investing a lot of money in new security vestibules, and that the district also has “amazing greeters” with police or military backgrounds. Trustee Jon Poffenberger confirmed that greeters have those backgrounds, and suggested that they should be better promoted; Hadlock said within their security contract, they specify that greeters have police or military backgrounds. Superintendent Ray Blanch commended the district for having a variety of components in place to keep all students and faculty as safe as possible, including strong restorative practices and mental health services. He repeated that research generally finds having an SRO in a mass shooting situation serves more of a containment function than preventative; he said the actions that some other districts took were illustrative of local decision-making reflective of particular times and places, and it is completely a local decision. Trustee Bill Swertfager asked whether the district should actively publicize the safety and security elements that are in place; he suggested that information should be pushed out to the PTOs to counter any idea that the district is doing nothing; Hadlock said it could be useful to bring it up at parent council meetings. Burke cautioned that expressing whether the district is “weak” or “strong” in security could be a bad idea if brought out in the “broader media.” Casabona concluded the discussion, noting that she didn’t think most people realize what a “big deal” having the security vestibules at each building really is, as they are most commonly used at high risk targets such as embassies.

Westmoreland Sanctuary Nature Museum, located at 260 Chestnut Ridge Road, Mount Kisco, will hold its fundraising event, Winterfest, on Friday, Jan. 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.  The dress code is casual chic. The event will feature wood-fired pizza from a local food truck, hot cider, beer and wine, and live music. All proceeds from the event will benefit Westmoreland Sanctuary, supporting conservation efforts and educational programs for generations to come.  The funds raised during Winterfest will directly benefit the ongoing work at the Sanctuary’s Environmental Education Center. The organization would like to add a public water system and bathroom to support its growing educational programs. It said this is a crucial development to accommodate the increasing number of participants and visitors to the sanctuary. Tickets are $135 per person and $150 at the door. Sponsorships are available. Since its founding in 1957, Westmoreland Sanctuary has been dedicated to acquiring, enriching, and preserving land for the free use, enjoyment, and education of the public. The sanctuary spans 699 acres and serves a diverse community, including over 10,000 program participants each year. Westmoreland also maintains over 8.5 miles of trails, attracting between 20,000 to 30,000 visitors annually. The sanctuary is a key resource for local schools, serving students from six or seven school districts, both public and private, as well as schools from New York City. For tickets and more information, visit westmorelandsanctuary.org .

Father Patrick Ward at his last service at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Katonah. By HERB FOSTER When Father Patrick Ward came to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Katonah in March 2018 as interim minister, he expected he might be there for one or two services. Six years later, on Sunday, Dec. 29, he retired as St. Luke’s priest in charge, in a service filled with accolades from parishioners. Ward was not always a priest or even planning a formal religious career. Originally from Philadelphia, Pa., he joined the Marine Corps in January 1970 and, during his enlistment, he had a spiritual experience. It started with a serious bad reaction to a drug and, in the sick bay, a career gunnery sergeant reached out to him and said, “Jesus has got a better life for you.”  In Ward’s words, “it was a born-again experience for me, and my faith became very real.”   As a Marine, he attended the Southern Baptist Church on Okinawa, Hawaii, then after the Marine Corps, went to Wheaton College in Illinois and earned an undergraduate degree in biblical studies. During a summer program in Israel, he learned about the Anglican Church, and shortly thereafter visited a nearby Episcopal Church near Wheaton and officially became an Episcopalian. He then attended the Nashotah House Theological Seminary in Nashotah, Wis., and was ordained a priest in December 1980. He worked as the primary priest at several churches over the next three decades, having periods lasting up to seven years. Then 10 years ago, he retired from full-time work, filling in as needed, as the interim minister in several parishes.  This led him to St. Luke’s six years ago. “Now, I am ready to retire,” Ward said. He plans to spend more time with his family and two granddaughters. “I might fill in at other places that need help, but I will not take full responsibility for pastoring another parish.” One of the things Ward looks back to proudly is his involvement with the Episcopal Diocese of New York Tanzania Task Force. The group maintains a relationship with the Diocese of Central Tanganyika helping HIV AIDS orphans go to school. Ward has made nine or 10 trips there, and under his guidance, St. Luke’s has funded the planting of over 1,000 cashew trees in the Dodoma Region of Tanzania. “And one of the best things the task force has done is to support seminarians in their last year of seminary at a theological college in Tanzania,” Ward said, “and I have visited there with parishioners from the U.S.” Ward said he is going to remember the St. Luke’s parishioners and the people.  “It is such a lovely community. They enjoy each other’s company. And, you know, the fellowship, the coffee hour, the camaraderie is wonderful, and they have an incredible music program. I will miss the music. They have a great organist,” he said of music director Harold Rosenbaum, “and he just does a really excellent job with the music program here.” During his final service Dec. 29, the choir sang a custom song for Ward based on the “My Fair Lady” hit “Get Me to the Church on Time.” It was a spoof for Ward, who is always on time. “I’m a stickler. I start church on time,” Ward said. “Church doesn’t start a minute early or a minute late, it starts at 10 o’clock, which people around here generally refer to as ‘Patrick Standard Time.’ You know, in my time in the Marine Corps, you know when something says 10 o’clock, it’s 10 o’clock. Not 10:05. Not 10:10.” St. Luke’s Senior Warden Fred Piker spoke highly of Ward and his achievements during the Dec. 29 service. “During his almost six years serving as our interim priest, Father Patrick and his wife, Barbara, brought Christ into our lives, nourished our parish family, and counseled and guided us toward St. Luke’s future,” Piker said.

Clockwise from top left, Susannah Davies competing in a marathon in Berlin, Germany. Susannah running varsity track at Kenyon College. Susannah waves at crowds during  NY City Marathon. Left, Susannah was the top female finisher at the Turkey Trot 5K in Bedford Village held the day after Thanksgiving.  Contributed photos By JOYCE CORRIGAN  It may have taken two million years, but female runners are finally getting their due. Bravo to the French for breaking with tradition and scheduling the women’s marathon rather than the men’s as the grand finale event of the 2024 Olympic games. And bravo to the tens of millions of fans who tuned in to witness so many Team USA Track & Field gals, in their electric-hued Nike Maxflys, scoop up bronze, silver and lots of gold. It turns out watching ladies outpace each other is more than a thrill, it’s a primal instinct. In the last four years, paleontologists have published evidence that refutes the accepted hunter/gatherer theory which held that hunting was men’s work, while women foraged for edible plants. Recently analyzed Mesolithic-era rock paintings from Madhya Pradesh, India, depict men and women chasing bison, buffalo and boar; another represents four running women with bows and arrows. Elsewhere, an unearthed Paleolithic-era engraved antler from a cave in the French Pyrenees shows a reindeer stalked by two men and a woman. Scholars surmise that, thanks to estrogen, which gives muscles a longer-lasting energy source, women were especially well suited to long-distance hunting. Since hunting advanced human evolution by adding meat to prehistoric diets starting roughly 2.6 million years ago — our brains grew bigger! — let’s all agree that, besides gathering and bearing children, fleet-of-foot females were crucial to the creation of our advanced civilizations. Bedford native Susannah Davies neither hunts for her food nor aspires to the Olympics. The 28-year-old runs long and hard almost every day and competes regularly in marathons. At last count she has completed four New York City marathons, two Boston Marathons and others in Big Sur, California; Newport, Rhode Island; and Berlin, Germany. On Nov. 30, for the very first time, she entered the annual Thanksgiving 5K Bedford Turkey Trot and was the top female finisher. “I will definitely be doing it again,” said Davies, now a Manhattan resident. “It was great seeing people of all ages out there and I loved running  through the village and conquering the Indian Hill climb. Of course, I’m happy I could pull out a win in Bedford; it’s been over a decade since the last one!”  Ms. Davies cherishes a memory of hiking in Jackson Hole one summer with her uncle when she was 13. He couldn’t help but notice how quickly and easily she scaled the mountain and remarked she would make a very good runner. “That fall I started running up and down my street,” Ms. Davies recalled. “My stepfather (Tony Langham) had his stopwatch and would time me.”  The following spring she joined the Rippowam Cisqua track team. “I started winning races immediately — beating a lot of boys, too. In the long-distance Clinton Road Run on Field Day, I always had to kick it at the end to beat my longtime rival,” she recalled, laughing. Davies graduated in 2011 as the track champion. Davies said her mother, Heather Langham, Tony Langham and her father, Philip Davies, are her biggest cheerleaders, attending all her student races (bearing chocolate chip cookies for the team) and the marathons. Heather Langham, a longtime Bedford resident, also runs 5 miles every day (bad weather, who cares) and, as both kin and kindred spirit, seems to have ensured Davies was born to run.   Hitting her stride in high school at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn., Davies racked up awards as Best New Runner (2011), Most Valuable Runner (2012) and Most Valuable Distance Runner (2013). At Kenyon College, she was on the varsity track team for three seasons, competing in cross-country, and outdoor and indoor track. She still texts her high school track coach after every marathon. “He was thrilled this year when I broke three hours in Boston (2:59:02) and New York (2:52:48),” she said. “As a freshman,  I was  already the fastest on the team and didn’t really have anyone to train with,” she recalled. “Coach would pace me through workouts and also do regular mental check-ins. Running is much more than just  physical well-being.” She is also grateful that she learned how to run alone. “It’s really served me well in my post-collegiate career,” she said, “being able to push myself when no one else is around.” “From a young age, running has made me feel strong and given me a confidence that I apply to other aspects of my life,” she continued. Currently Davies is working in construction project management in Manhattan. “It’s ideal because I’m not at my desk all day. As a runner, I like moving around. I’m always out walking job sites — these days at the new Disney headquarters in Hudson Square which is very exciting.” After work, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the city, the Bedford native feels remarkably at home. “Whenever I’m running in Central Park, I feel part of a community because I always pass familiar faces on the track. I’m there every day, even now when it’s cold and gets dark early,” she said. Davies also joined the New York Harriers running club, which holds workouts twice a week.  “I’ve made lots of friends on the team,” she said. Another focus is  preparing healthy meals. “Sometimes my boyfriend cooks. He’s a runner, too, and understands the time commitment, the importance of recovery and refueling,” she observed. They also share something else in common, she added, “We both have huge appetites!”   Like the Olympian champions, Ms. Davies is highly selective when it comes to sneakers. For regular runs she favors the high-tech Japanese-made Mizuno Wave Rider, but when racing the streets of a city marathon, she’s been opting for the Nike Alphafly. “In hyper pink,” she clarified, “for girl power.” Evidently, two million years’ worth.

Alek Aleshin celebrates after scoring the winning goal in overtime for Fox Lane. Ryan Goldstein controls along the boards for Fox Lane. Fox Lane teammates mob Mark Chen (39) after his goal tied the game to send it to overtime. Hank Hearon of Fox Lane makes his move to the goal against Monroe-Woodbury. Jim MacLean photos By JIM MACLEAN  It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. That was certainly true for the Fox Lane ice hockey team as it hosted Monroe-Woodbury at the Brewster Ice Arena on Jan. 5. It was a terrible start as the Foxes fell behind 3-0 in the first period against a team they had already beaten earlier this season. That made the finish even more exciting as Fox Lane rallied back to send it to overtime, where senior Alek Aleshin buried a one-timer on a perfect pass from Johan Bai for the game-winning goal in a 5-4 victory. “We needed to dial in and make no more mistakes and we came back,” Aleshin said after the victory. “Third period we cleaned it up. We were so excited going into overtime. Jonah made a great pass from down low right to me and we just had to finish this game and go home.” The swing in emotions was a big one for Fox Lane as the Foxes celebrated a thrilling comeback to win in overtime. That was a big turnaround from the end of the first period where Fox Lane coach Tom McGinn had an animated discussion with his team about what had happened and what needed to be done on the ice. “To comeback being down 3-0 early in the game, we’ve had some rough games this year and it’s easy to lose focus and go downhill expecting the worst,” explained McGinn. “We had a conversation with each other about how we were going to come out and take this game back and they did a great job, worked together, picked each other up and turned it around to get that win and we’re really proud of them.” Fox Lane answered the challenge and responded in the second period, with Hank Hearon getting the Foxes on the board scoring an unassisted goal just a couple of minutes into the period to cut the lead down to 3-1. Hearon scored again as the Foxes pounced on a short-handed opportunity with Aleshin feeding Hearon for his second goal of the game with 2:18 left in the second period to cut the lead down to 3-2. Monroe-Woodbury took advantage of a power play opportunity and scored with just 28 seconds left in the period to regain the momentum with a goal for a 4-2 lead heading into the third period. However, Fox Lane came out fired up for the third period and dominated. Aleshin scored a power play goal off an assist from Ryan Goldstein at 8:37 to cut the lead down to 4-3. Defenseman Mark Chen then came through for the Foxes as he fired a shot through traffic in front of the net for an unassisted goal with 2:35 left in regulation to tie it up at 4-4 and force the overtime period. That set the stage for the overtime heroics of Aleshin and Bai as they combined for the game-winning goal. They almost didn’t get the chance as the Crusaders had a breakaway opportunity at the start of overtime, but Fox Lane goalie Kevin Shiltz raced out of his net and dove to win a foot race and get to the puck to break up the opportunity. Shiltz finished with 14 saves in goal for the Foxes to get the win. “We got better every period, and almost the entire third period and overtime we were in their zone and kept the pressure on and finished strong,” explained McGinn. “That line (Hearon-Aleshin-Bai) had four of our five goals and played a solid game. The first period was a tough one, and those breakaway goals they scored weren’t really Kevin’s fault and he played a really good game and kept us in it.” With the victory Fox Lane improved to 3-6 overall as the Foxes continue to improve after an 0-4 start.

David Pogue David Pogue to talk climate change at Bedford Playhouse Join David Pogue — CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, seven-time Emmy winner, and author of “How to Prepare for Climate Change” — for a Bedford 2030 Community Climate Conversation at the Bedford Playhouse. It’s a talk about the bright side of the climate crisis. Pogue will share 10 reasons to feel hopeful — and 10 actions you can take right now to help turn things around in our community.  The Community Climate Conversation, presented in partnership with Bedford 2030, will be held Thursday, Jan. 23, from 7 to 8:15 p.m., at the Bedford Playhouse, located at 633 Old Post Road, Bedford. For tickets and more information, visit bedfordplayhouse.org/live-events/ . Model train show on display in Bedford Hills through Jan. 28 The Bedford Hills Historical Museum is hosting a “New Model Train Show” on the lower level of the Town of Bedford building located at 321 Bedford Road, Bedford Hills. The display is open Thursday and Saturday through Jan. 28, from 1 to 3 p.m.  Visitors can see the HO Gauge model trains run on the track in the village that was built by the late Dr. Robert Bibi of Katonah and donated by his wife, Maria, and reinstalled at the museum. With the guidance of our board member and train aficionado, Rick Carmichael, members of the Olde Newburgh Model Railroad Club installed the HO-gauge set at the museum where it remains on display.  The museum says the new model train display is great for kids of all ages and adults, and it’s free of charge. Eat. Shop. Explore Bedford A handy new guide is available showcasing the town of Bedford’s many destinations of interest. Designed for visitors, residents and businesses, EAT. SHOP. EXPLORE BEDFORD offers information about art, culture, history, dining, recreation, parks, shopping and entertainment options, packaged in a compact, map-based format. Copies of the brochure have been mailed to residents and also are available at town pools, libraries, John Jay Homestead Farm Market, and other sites.  The printed guide is augmented by an  online site  offering additional information and search functionality. Dozens of local sponsoring businesses and  Destination 39.3  collaborated on the first-of-its kind project.

Pictured from top to bottom, Piero DiNicola dumps his opponent on his way to victory for Fox Lane. Fox Lane’s Jake Raimo locks up a move for a pin. Barron Ransom rolls his opponent over for a pin in win over New Rochelle. Jim MacLean Photos By JIM MACLEAN Every wrestling match comes down to individual matchups, and Fox Lane coach Anthony Rodrigues knew there were a couple of bouts that could determine the outcome as the Foxes hosted New Rochelle on Jan. 3. The Foxes entered the match with a few injuries, but Piero DiNicola and Jake Raimo each won key matches by pin to lead the way as Fox Lane scored a 53-21 victory over the Huguenots. “I was concerned with this match, especially with Marvin Alarcon out of the lineup,” admitted Rodrigues. “We also had three or four guys coming down a weight and sometimes the first match down a weight you don’t know what you’re going to get, but I was pleased with how they wrestled. Jake Raimo and Piero DiNicola had really big matches, those were the two key matches, everything else went according to how we thought it would go, but we had to win those two matches, and little Flavio DiNicola did a great job losing only by a decision.” Maynor Argueta got the Foxes rolling as he came down a weight class to compete at 116 pounds and dominated, registering a first-period pin to make the score 12-3. New Rochelle answered with a pin to make it 12-9, and that set the stage for Piero DiNicola at 131 pounds against one of the Huguenots better wrestlers. With the score tied 4-4, DiNicola made his move to register the pin and give the Foxes an 18-9 lead. Once again New Rochelle answered to cut the lead down to 18-15, but then Raimo came through with his big victory at 145 pounds. Trailing 3-0, Raimo turned his opponent onto his back to win by pin and give the Foxes a 24-15 lead. The Huguenots cut the lead down to 24-21, but the strength of the Fox Lane lineup was coming up as the Foxes rolled to victory in the next five bouts to wrap up the win. After Chris Bloom won by forfeit, Luke Ryan followed with an 18-1 victory by tech fall, and Barron Ransom won his match by pin for the Foxes. Alex Berisha and Jack Morales then won by forfeit to make the final score 53-21. Ransom pinned his opponent at 190 pounds as he continued to make his case as a contender for a sectional title. Of course, he does get to compete against Berisha every day in practice. Berisha is used to getting forfeit victories in dual meets without much competition to face on his level in Section 1. He is a two-time Section 1 champion and was a New York state finalist last year, currently ranked No. 1 in the state in the 215-pound weight class. “That’s my bro right there, he helps me a lot and I appreciate him, I’ve learned so much from him,” Ransom said of Berisha. Over the holidays, Berisha was busy as he competed in the Beast of the East Tournament in Delaware, one of the top tournaments of the season with the best wrestlers from the East Coast. He went 4-2 overall and finished fourth in the 215-pound weight class. Rodrigues will be taking Berisha, Ransom and Ryan upstate to compete in the Eastern States Classic wrestling tournament against a tough field that includes many of the top wrestlers in the Northeast. “Alex was fourth at the Beast of the East, not what he wanted, he’s at that level where he’s not looking for moral victories, he wants to win, but competing in those tournaments that’s how you get better. Those tough tournaments you just want to be better on Sunday than you were on Saturday. Barron sometimes makes it harder than it has to be, you can’t be a high-wire act and make a mistake, but he’s working hard and getting better every day. Him and Luke are going to be a problem in their weight classes by the end of the year for sectionals.” The Eastern States Classic will be held Jan. 10-11 at the Impact Athletic Center in Clifton Park. The rest of the Foxes will be competing on Saturday at the Hen Hud tournament.

Arthur Shevick looks to make a pass for Fox Lane. Janak Bain goes up for two in the lane against Mahopac.  Logan Mammola drives to the basket. Jim MacLean Photos By JIM MACLEAN  Two months into the season and the Fox Lane boys varsity basketball team was still waiting to play a game in front of the home crowd. Fox Lane finally got the chance to play its home opener Friday, Jan. 3, against Mahopac, and the Foxes made the most of the opportunity. Fired up in front of their home fans, the Foxes came out on fire and raced out to a 15-0 lead to start the game. The Foxes never looked back cruising to a 47-30 victory to send the home crowd home happy. Arthur Shevick led the way with 16 points, but it was a team effort overall that made the difference as eight different players scored. The energy playing for the home crowd was clear as Fox Lane squared off against a tall Mahopac team and the Foxes controlled the boards, led by Janak Bain who grabbed 19 rebounds. “It was really great coming home and seeing the crowd,” Shevick said of the home game atmosphere. “We dominated the boards tonight, which was really big. I struggled behind the arch, but everyone got involved and we got the win. We can be a really good team, a lot of pieces, a lot of guys who crash the boards, a lot of guys who can shoot, and that’s going to help us win a lot of games. We just have to keep working hard.” The Foxes were on fire to start the game as Shevick, Eli Daglio and Mac Keller each hit a three-pointer from outside, and Logan Mammola scored a pair of baskets inside to give Fox Lane a quick 15-0 lead. Mahopac responded with a 7-0 run to close out the first quarter at 15-7. The lead was down to four points at 18-14 when Bain came in to spark the Foxes off the bench with his effort under the boards. On one possession he pulled down five offensive rebounds, and he scored four points to help the Foxes close out the first half with a 23-16 lead. In the third quarter it was senior Will Oliverio returning to the lineup after missing a few games due to injury sparking the Foxes as he nailed a pair of three-pointers, and in the fourth quarter it was Shevick scoring six points to close out the victory. “Mahopac is a good team, big, gritty and tough, so this was a nice gritty win for us to pull out,” said Fox Lane coach Mike Tomassi. “We did a lot of nice things on the defensive end, and we really dominated on the glass at times which was nice to see. We moved the ball well and had 15 assists and when that happens we get some good shots.” While Shevick led the way with 16 points, he was actually held below his scoring average as he came into the game averaging 25 points a game. He did have seven assists as the team effort made the difference for Fox Lane. Mammola was the next high scorer for the Foxes with nine points. Bain finished with seven points to go along with his monster effort pulling down 19 rebounds. Oliverio finished with six points, while Daglio, Keller and Ethan Mayers each scored three points. “We’ve got Arthur, everybody knows he is really good, one of the best players in Section 1, but we’ve got a lot of guys who can score,” added Tomassi. “We don’t need Arthur to score 25 if we’ve got seven or eight guys who put five or six points on the board, that makes us tough to defend and tonight showcased that. Arthur didn’t have a good shooting night and we still had a 17-point win over a really good team.” It was a good way to start the New Year for the Foxes, and Tomassi points out another key is that the team is starting to get healthy with the return of Oliverio to the lineup. With the victory, Fox Lane improved to 5-2 overall on the season. “We’ve had a couple of starters out, this was Will’s first game back and Evan Mayers should be back next week,” according to Tomassi. “It’s only going to make us better with other guys stepping up. The guys on the bench are doing a great job. It’s a team where we have one really good player, and a lot on the same level which is good to have; on any given night someone could have a big game for us.” Fox Lane hopes to continue its winning ways with the next home game scheduled for Friday, Jan. 10, against Yorktown.

A hockey player suffered cardiac arrest Friday,  Dec. 20, at the Evarts Ice Rink at the Harvey School. Bedford Police said they received multiple 911 calls about the male, who was unconscious on the ice during a late-night hockey event. Bedford Police officer R. DeAlto arrived and determined the male was not breathing and in cardiac arrest.  “He immediately began CPR and applied an AED ultimately administering a shock,” Bedford Police said in a statement. “Detective Whalen along with officers Leone and Sagliano arrived and continued patient care while EMS was responding.” During the process, police said, officers paused and evaluated the patient’s status and determined he had regained a pulse but still required ventilations. Members of the Katonah Fire Department, the Katonah Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Westchester Emergency Medical Services arrived and took over before taking the player to Northern Westchester Hospital.  “We were happy to learn recently that the patient was discharged from Northern Westchester a few days later and is on his way to recovery,” police said. “Not only is hockey a demanding team sport, so are emergencies. Through the immediate notification to 911 by the teammates, the quick response and care provided by responding Bedford PD officers and the subsequent advanced care by arriving EMS and staff at Northern Westchester Hospital this story has a happy ending as we enter 2025.”

By NEAL RENTZ The Old Pound Road Committee was informed at its Jan. 6 meeting that the Pound Ridge energy action committee’s trail subcommittee has a plan to use a state grant to create two trail extensions. Nicole Shaffer, co-chair of the Energy Action Committee, said one of the proposed trail extensions would run along Westchester Avenue to connect from the area of the Town Park entrance to the Pound Ridge hamlet and such sites as the library and elementary school. “Our goal is to get people walking places as opposed to driving everywhere,” Shaffer said.  The second proposed path extension would be a nature trail that would continue a town path to connect to the town-owned Old Pound Road property to the back of the Town Park. As required by the grant, the multi-use path to Old Pound Road must be 6 feet wide and compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, Shaffer said. The grant would need to be matched by the same amount of funds from the town, she added.  The starting point to the proposals was work previously done by the Old Pound Road Committee, Shaffer said.  Her group views the nature trail part of the proposed extended pathway as “the main route for everybody in the park,” Shaffer said. “I hope it works out. The devil is in the details.” The proposal for the path to the Pound Ridge hamlet would feature guardrails along Westchester Avenue, Shaffer said.  Old Pound Road committee co-chair Alison Boak said the proposals for the new trail extensions would be subject to a town board public hearing. The grant was obtained by the Energy Action Committee trails subcommittee last year with the assistance of the nonprofit New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Shaffer said at this week’s meeting. Her subcommittee showed the conference what the Old Pond Road Committee had done in its efforts to seek grants, she said.  The final design for the proposed trails has not been completed, Shaffer said. “Things certainly could change,” she said.  Shaffer said her group will be seeking another state grant to extend other town trails. “If we’re not showing enough progress, they’re not going to want to give us more money,” she said.  The parking areas for those using the proposed two trail extensions would be in existing parking spaces in town or at the Town Park, Shaffer said.  Boak asked if the committee was seeking to go out to bid to hire an engineer to design the project or to have town engineer Pitingaro & Doetsch Consulting Engineers do the work. Shaffer said the plan is to have the town engineer do the design.  Shaffer agreed to the suggestion from Boak to have members of the trails and Old Pound Road committees, along with town engineer, Jason Pitingaro, walk the sites of the proposed trails to discuss designs in warmer weather.  Boak said the purpose of the joint meeting with the trails committee was to “break down silos and to collaborate and figure out how to work together.”