Concerned about mom  A woman came to headquarters Monday, Sept. 9, at 5:30 p.m., to report she and her boyfriend visited her mother at her mother’s home in South Salem a week earlier. Several people were living in the house including her grandmother and a man who might be her mother’s boyfriend. She reported drug paraphernalia strewn around; her mother has a history of substance abuse she believes has worsened. She said when she tried to intervene, she was chased outside and lectured and a small knife was brandished in her direction. She does not believe actual harm was intended and only expressed concern for her mother’s health. A report was made for documentation only.  Monday, Sept. 9 11:48 a.m. — Police went to a home in Katonah where they spoke with a Spanish-speaking individual who said their co-worker experienced a medical emergency. That person was already taken for medical treatment in their boss’ car. No further assistance was required by the police.  2:15 p.m. — A welfare check was requested by a parent who said they hadn’t spoken to their child since last Thanksgiving. An officer went to a home in South Salem where the child was said to live; they were met at the door by the resident who said the child lives with her father in Dutchess County.  Tuesday, Sept. 10 4:50 p.m. — Shoes were reported hanging from overhead wires at the intersection of Route 123 and Puddin Hill Road, South Salem. A caller requested the shoes be removed because, they said, “We are not in the ghetto.” The caller also stated his concern the shoes could be a traffic hazard. Police advised the caller, who lives in New Canaan, Conn., that the shoes did not appear to be causing any problem. No further action was taken. Wednesday, Sept. 11 10:25 a.m. — A suspicious black bag reported by a Katonah-Lewisboro School District bus driver on Route 35 near The Meadows, Cross River, turned out to be a lunch box belonging to a construction worker doing overnight work in the area. The item was moved to the construction staging area and placed with the crew’s overnight equipment.  10:35 p.m. — A black Mercedes-Benz with Texas plates was impounded after a traffic stop on Route 35 near Route 121 for malfunctioning brake lights. A records check showed the registration had expired. The operator was issued two tickets and the car was towed.  6:25 p.m. — A concerned caller reported a man walking on Smith Ridge Road, South Salem; the caller said he appeared confused. Police looked for him with negative results. Thursday, Sept. 12 9:02 a.m. — A caller reported a motorist in a gray Nissan in the vicinity of Indian Lane. The caller thought the person was suspicious because they were driving around the Truesdale Lake area taking pictures. It was later determined the driver works for a home appraisal company. They were advised to check in with police first in the future to avoid questions and confusion as to what they are doing.  12:07 p.m. — Fraud was reported by a South Salem caller who said two days earlier she received a phone call from someone purporting to be from Amazon advising her of fraudulent purchases on her account. The caller also reported several attempts to illegally enter her bank account. The fake Amazon caller requested she put $48,000 in an envelope to be picked up at her home. This is when the reporting party realized she was about to be scammed and hung up. She said she was not out any money and would continue to monitor her accounts.  2 p.m. — Police and emergency personnel responded to a location in Goldens Bridge after a man was reported as falling 15 feet off a roof. He was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital for ankle injuries by Lewisboro Volunteer Ambulance Corps.  4:10 p.m. — Filmmakers on the property of Four Winds Hospital in Cross River were reported by hospital staff who asked them to leave. Two officers responded; they saw a Jeep with Florida plates on the property occupied by three men and one woman who said she was in charge. She told the officers they were filming a documentary about a mass shooter who had been a patient at the hospital in the past and she’d been attempting to get permission to film at the hospital for six months. Police gave her the name and number of a proper contact and also advised that if the crew intended to film, they would need a special permit. The officer offered her his card and advised her on the process. The crew left the property without further incident.  Friday, Sept. 13 11:30 p.m. — A summons to appear in court was issued to a resident of Deer Track Lane, Goldens Bridge, for having an unlicensed dog. The man responding at the door said he would give the paperwork to his wife.  12:25 p.m. — An Uber driver on Deer Run Road, South Salem, was reported as suspicious. Police found the driver of a black Chevrolet SUV who said he accidentally pulled into the wrong driveway. Saturday, Sept. 14 10:35 p.m. — Noise was reported by a caller from a residential facility in South Salem. Police determined someone was having a birthday party. No further action was required. Sunday, Sept. 1 4 11 a.m. — A domestic dispute was reported at a  residential facility in South Salem. An officer spoke to the victim and the family was interviewed.  A report was made for documentation.  11:39 a.m. — Police and Goldens Bridge emergency medical personnel responded to a location on Waccabuc Road, Goldens Bridge, for a reported motorcycle and bicycle collision. On arrival, they found the bicyclist on the ground with a minor leg injury. The motorcycle operator said he saw a bicyclist ahead peddling up an incline. It appeared to him the bicyclist was struggling. He said he crossed the double yellow line to give the bicyclist more space but a witness said it appeared the motorcyclist was too close behind the bicyclist when he hit him. The bicyclist declined medical attention. A report was made for documentation.  5 p.m. — A head-on collision was reported at Smith Ridge Road and Elmwood Road, South Salem. Police assisted with traffic control.  6 p.m. — A Katonah woman was treated at her home by Lewisboro EMS after she fell and cut her arm. No transport was requested.  — Eve Marx, The Recorder staff writer. This report was made from official reports provided by the Lewisboro Police Department.

Car exhaust sounds like gunshots  On Saturday, Sept. 14, at 8:13 a.m., a caller reported what they thought were shots being fired on Westchester Avenue. Police say the loud sound was caused by a vintage car with a loud exhaust possibly backfiring. Police say the car was arriving to participate in a vintage car show on Westchester Avenue.  Wednesday, Sept. 11 9:42 a.m. — A woman was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital by Pound Ridge Volunteer Ambulance Corps. No further information was provided.  10:05 a.m. —  A caller on Upper Shad Road reported illegal dumping. Police went to the described area but couldn’t find any litter or evidence of illegal dumping. 11:30 a.m. —   A summons was issued to a driver on Westchester Avenue for using a cellphone while operating a car.  7:29 p.m. — Multiple agencies responded to a report of a missing hiker in the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation last seen in the vicinity of Michigan Road. The hiker was located and was evaluated for care. He told his rescuers his phone ran out of charge, leaving him unable to call out or access his GPS. He was fine and no transport was required.   Thursday, Sept. 12 9:00 p.m. — Police conducted a speed radar detail on Westchester Avenue. No violations were observed.   Friday, Sept. 13 12:30 a.m. — Police reported  a one-car crash with  damage to the vehicle on Westchester Avenue. No one was injured and no tow was required.  1:04 p.m. — A traffic summons was issued to a driver traveling on High Ridge Road for failure to obey a traffic signal. Saturday, Sept. 14 9:40 a.m. — A woman who called for medical assistance later refused treatment when Pound Ridge ambulance medics arrived on scene. No further information was provided.   Sunday, Sept. 15 6:05 a.m. — Property damage was reported on Westchester Avenue following a one-car crash .  T he operator was transported to Stamford Hospital via Pound Ridge Volunteer Ambulance Corps for unknown injuries. The car was towed from the scene.  12:24 p.m. — A caller reported a possibly distressed dog locked inside a car parked on Westchester Avenue. Police on arrival saw the windows were open and the dog appeared fine. The dog owner/car operator was spoken to by police about the possible dangers of leaving dogs in the car on a warm day. No further action was taken.  — Eve Marx, The Recorder staff writer This report was made from official reports provided by the Pound Ridge Police Department.

Stolen car stopped after license plate scanner alert On Sunday at 12 a.m., Bedford police assisted the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies responding to a Real Time Crime license plate reader hit showing a car reported stolen from Brewster traveling in the Bedford jurisdiction. A Bedford officer observed the car traveling northbound on Interstate 684 near Exit 6. The officer followed it to confirm it was the correct vehicle and then maintained visual contact until the car was intercepted at the rest stop where Putnam County sheriffs, Bedford police, and state and county police conducted a traffic stop. Two individuals were detained by Putnam police and no further assistance was needed.  Monday, Sept. 9  3:43 p.m. — A Mclain Street, Bedford Hills resident came to headquarters to report a landscaper who recently appeared at his home asking for money. He told police he’d hired the landscaper in 2020 after agreeing to pay a specific fee for a storm cleanup; he said the landscaper sent him an invoice afterwards for twice the agreed upon amount. He did not respond and until this date, heard nothing from the landscaper for four years. The landscaper left without incident and without receiving any money. The homeowner requested the police contact the landscaper and tell him to send an invoice for the originally agreed upon amount and he would pay it. The landscaper was contacted and advised.   3:43 p.m. — A citizen who found a dog running loose on Cantitoe brought it to the Bedford Village fire house in Bedford Village. An officer responding saw the dog was not wearing a collar or any form of identification. The dog was transported to the SpringHill kennel.  Tuesday, Sept. 10 6:15 a.m. — A male, 97, who fell at his home on Rome Avenue, Bedford Hills, was found on the floor by police. He said he’d fallen the night before and was unable to get up. He was taken to the Westchester Medical Center by WEMS medics.   9:03 a.m. — An explosion reported in the vicinity of Partridge Ridge Road, Katonah, was determined to be a possible transformer explosion. No fire condition was observed and the power company was contacted.   Wednesday, Sept. 11 2 p.m. — A woman came to headquarters to report an incident with her boyfriend that turned physical. She requested an order of protection. She said they argued over her grabbing his phone after he declined to answer it. There was some shoving and she fell although she wasn’t injured. Police provided her with the domestic incident hotline and a New York State domestic incident report was completed.  Thursday, Sept. 12 11:03 a.m. — A male, 51, who fell off his bicycle in Katonah on Old Katonah Drive was taken to Westchester Medical Center by Katonah Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance for general injuries. He told police he’d swerved out of the way of a car exiting a driveway when he lost his balance and control of the bike. Medics were already on scene on police arrival.  9:36 p.m. — Teens were reported scaling the fence surrounding the pool in Bedford Hills at the Memorial Park. Police searched the area for them without result.   Friday, Sept. 13 5:01 p.m. — A Cherry Street, Bedford Hills resident came to headquarters to report they’d lost or misplaced their law enforcement badge and ID. They didn’t know when they lost it or where. Both items were entered into the EJustice system and a report was made for documentation.   10 p.m. — Police went to a home in Katonah for a domestic incident. They spoke with a wife who said she’d argued with her husband, resulting in his screaming in her face. She said she was afraid. Police say alcohol was involved. They were unable to speak to the husband although he was inside the house. The wife said she was going to leave for the night and stay elsewhere. A New York State domestic incident report was completed.   Saturday, Sept. 14 12:22 p.m. — Police and Bedford Village fire personnel responded to Clinton Road, Bedford, for a report of a person locked inside a shed. On arrival they went to a sports field shed on the Rippowam Cisqua school property only to find the person had already freed themselves and had left the scene.   8:18 p.m. — A male, 85, from Bedford Village was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital by Bedford firefighters for sepsis.   Sunday, Sept. 15 11:59 a.m. — A real estate agent showing a property on McLain Street, Bedford Hills, reported their sign was stolen overnight by an unknown individual. They said they placed the sign outside the night before a scheduled Open House but the sign was gone in the morning. A report was made to document the theft.  — Eve Marx, The Recorder staff writer  This report was made from official reports provided by the Bedford Police Department.

Russell C. “Rudd” Rowan III, a carpenter who owned a remodeling business and was a well- loved Sunday school teacher at Stevens Memorial United Methodist Church, died Aug. 23. He was 70. Rudd was born Nov. 17, 1953, in Cleveland, Ohio, raised in Springdale and Wilton, Conn., and lived more than 50 years in Lewisboro. He graduated from Wilton High School in 1971 before attending Fairfield University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a young man, he volunteered doing Christian outreach with students. A carpenter by trade, Rudd owned Entasis Woodworks Inc. and worked as a general contractor, woodworker and furniture maker. HIs family said many homes throughout Westchester and Fairfield counties have been enhanced by his attention to detail and unrelenting work ethic, though perhaps his proudest work was the home and custom pieces he built for his family. In earlier years, he enjoyed playing ice hockey, backpacking, and performing in community theater. Rudd participated in Infinite Roots, a culture-building drum group, learning to play West African drums and performing at schools and other venues.  Rudd was a member of Stevens Memorial United Methodist Church for many years, where he was a Sunday School teacher and youth leader. His family said Rudd will be missed for his compassion towards all people, silliness, dedication to recycling, and deep love for his family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Susan Downie Rowan of Vista; his daughters, Shana (Geoff) of Canastota, N.Y., and Thea (Steve) of Taunton, Mass.; his brother Hayes, of Cleveland, as well as many cousins, extended family members and friends. He is predeceased by his father, Russell C. Rowan II; mother, Genevieve Gallagher Rowan; and sister, Tracy Rowan. Visiting hours will be held Friday, Sept. 27, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. with a service following. All will be located at Stevens Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 8 Shady Lane, South Salem. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders at doctorswithoutborders.org .

Ronald Raymond Atkins, of Salt Point, N.Y., died Sept. 1, 2024. He was 91. Born March 8, 1933, in Kingston, he was married 68 years to Mary-Elizabeth (Betsy). He was predeceased by his parents, A. Raymond and Charlotte S. Atkins. Atkins dedicated his legal career to specializing in trust and estate law, corporate taxation, and art law.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1954, served as a first lieutenant in the Army for two years, and went on to earn a Juris Doctor from Columbia University in 1959. He practiced law at Gwinn & Pell until 1967, when he became a partner in Bisset & Atkins until he retired. His family said Atkins was a philanthropist, nature lover, bibliophile, and art historian. He and his wife lived in Bedford for 54 years in a historic home across from the Mianus River Gorge. Atkins served as board chairman to the Gorge for 10 years. In 2016, he and his wife moved to his wife’s family dairy farm in Salt Point, N.Y. Atkins is survived by his wife; his three children, Peter (Mary Ann), Timothy (Jeanne- Marie) and Suzanne; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  A service will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, at 12:30 p.m., at Saint Matthew's Church, located at 382 Cantitoe St., Bedford. Memorial donations may be made in Atkins’ honor to the Mianus River Gorge at mianus.org .

Above, John Jay’s Devon Kislin and Fox Lane’s Daniel Troksi battle for loose ball. Fox Lane goalie Drew Bagley makes a save over John Jay’s Ben Swiderski. By JIM MACLEAN  It is very rare for a player to score four goals in a varsity soccer game, but Fox Lane senior, Kenny Mejia Lopez, managed to do just that in the season opener lifting the Foxes to a 4-0 victory Saturday over rival John Jay on the new turf field at Fox Lane High School. Fox Lane took control in the first half with Mejia Lopez scoring two goals for a 2-0 halftime lead, and he then converted a pair of penalty kicks less than a minute apart in the second half to blow it open at 4-0 with 34:42 left to play. For John Jay, it was the third game of the season as the Wolves had a busy first week of school and scored a 5-0 win on the road at Nanuet the night before coming to Fox Lane. However, this game belonged to Fox Lane as the hosts wanted to put on a good show on the new field and the Foxes delivered with a strong game from start to finish. It was a good start to what Fox Lane coach Mike Tomassi feels could be a very good year for a talented team. “Our first game, we’ll take it. This is my fourth year as coach and we’ve been building to this year. We feel like this is a year where we can take a step forward and really compete and I think we showcased that today.” Fox Lane has only six seniors on the roster, but the Foxes have a lot of experience and depth at every position. Senior captains Connor Cox and Eli Daglio are both three-year varsity players with Daglio the returning starter in goal for the Foxes. Tomassi feels the best part about his  roster is its depth.   “We have a lot of depth this year, probably the deepest team we’ve had with about 20 guys ready to step on the field, very fortunate to have guys at all positions that can really play. We’ll continue to get better, only our first game, so we’re excited to start the year on the right foot. This group is super motivated, they want more and they showed today we’re ready to go.” While John Jay went home with a 4-0 loss, co-head coach Elliott O’Sullivan felt it has been a good start overall to the season for the Wolves as they opened with three games in four days and stand at 1-2 overall. “This one was a tough one, Fox Lane has a super star (Mejia Lopez), playing back-to-back is never easy, and the two penalty kicks didn’t help, but it was a good battle and I think both teams can do well this year. It’s been a good start for our group, a lot of sophomores, we’re quite young, but we’ve come out a lot sharper this year, team morale is high and we’re looking forward to it, taking it one game at a time.” The highlight of the week for John Jay was the trip to Nanuet the day before Fox Lane as the Wolves traveled across the river and cruised to a 5-0 victory. Dennis Galvin led the way as he scored two goals, while Will Harris, Jeremy Walerys and Ryan Ramirez each scored a goal for the Wolves. John Jay opened the season with a tough 1-0 setback at home Wednesday, Sept. 4, to Ramapo. FL boys soc celebrate Fox Lane’s Kenny Mejia Lopez (center) is mobbed by teammates to celebrate after he scored one of his four goals in victory over John Jay.

By THANE GRAUEL The Pound Ridge Town Board on Tuesday will hold a public hearing on a proposed zoning regulation that might leave Purple Plains the only cannabis dispensary in town. The public hearing will be held at the board’s next meeting, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Town House, 179 Westchester Ave., and via Zoom. Also on the agenda for the meeting is a public hearing on whether to allow the thin blue line to get a little grayer. The board might increase the maximum age of part-time police officer hires from 55 to 70. A recreational cannabis ripple effect? The cannabis issue has been hanging in the air for several years, since New York state legalized the recreational sale of marijuana products in March 2021. The state offered municipalities an opt-out window, which closed Dec. 31, 2021, but Pound Ridge let the deadline pass without action. The town board later asked the state Legislature to reopen the opt-out window, but the effort was unsuccessful. The issue launched an election challenge to Town Supervisor Kevin Hansan and Democratic town board members last year led by John McCown and a party that was formed, the Pound Ridge Party. McCown sought to unseat Hansan in the November election and came close with more than 40% of the vote. Two of the new party’s candidates for town board also lost. It also led to a lawsuit against the town by the owners of Purple Plains, a cannabis dispensary that opened, legally, in a former wine shop in Scotts Corners in April. The suit challenged a town board moratorium on cannabis dispensaries, alleging town officials mishandled the initial filing (in June, the moratorium was extended another six months). Purple Plains has remained in business. And most recently, the cannabis issue sparked a lawsuit by a local lawyer and longtime resident, John E. Nathan.  Nathan, who has said he doesn’t care one way or the other on the cannabis issue but only about process and the rule of law, alleges in his suit that the town board, unlike all surrounding towns, did not hold a public hearing to hear the citizenry’s views on whether cannabis dispensaries should be allowed. The town earlier this year commissioned a lengthy report from a consultant on the cannabis issue and how local zoning might address it. The proposed zoning regulation is just four pages. It restricts a new dispensary’s opening within 500 feet of public or private school grounds, within 500 feet of a public youth facility, or within 200 feet of a house of worship. Also, it states cannabis dispensaries and consumption sites “shall not be located within a 2,000-foot-radius of another cannabis dispensary or consumption site.” Purple Plains is located at 32 Westchester Ave. With the town’s business district being less than sprawling, that sounds like Purple Plains could be the last man standing, at least for now, in its line of business. Hansan did not disagree in an interview with The Recorder on Tuesday. “It would be very difficult to get into the district,” he said of the proposed rules. “Most of that comes from the state,” he said, “we just put it in there to be consistent with the state.” Hansan said he didn’t expect a lot of discussion on the topic Tuesday night because many concerns that had been raised were included in the proposed regulation. Nathan, meanwhile, told The Recorder on Tuesday the town requested an extension to reply to his suit, until Oct. 18, and he agreed. But he took issue with Hansan’s earlier comments on his complaint, which the supervisor called “100% false.” Nathan said the evidence he provided the court was drawn entirely from the town board and official records. The Purple Plains suit is still pending, co-owner Mark Buzzetto said Wednesday. Asked if he had an opinion on the proposed zoning regulations, he said he leaves that to the lawyers and didn’t want to comment. While opponents of cannabis have been outspoken, there appear to be plenty of people glad to have Purple Plains in business. Buzzetto said the store has about a hundred customers daily, many of them from Pound Ridge. “Everyone walks in with a smile, and leaves with a smile,” he said. McCown, meanwhile, sent out an email Wednesday thanking those who had supported his suggested changes to the draft regulation. He urged them to attend Tuesday’s public hearing. “This public hearing is your opportunity to ask questions and to have your voice heard on this matter,” he wrote. “I encourage anyone with an interest in this to consider attending the Tuesday meeting in person or via Zoom.”  Finding police officers an ongoing challenge The town board also might decide Tuesday night, after holding a public hearing, whether to extend the maximum age of new part-time police officers from 55 to 70. “In the town of Pound Ridge, Westchester County, part-time patrolmen at the time of appointment must be at least 21 years of age and not more than 55 years of age," Hansan wrote to fellow board members in August. “I would like to amend Section 21-4 to state, ‘In the town of Pound Ridge, Westchester County, part-time police officers at the time of appointment must be at least 21 years of age and not more than 70 years of age.’” “This change will help the town attract more retired officers who may consider extending their careers as part-time police officers in Pound Ridge,” Hansan wrote. “It’s a big problem we have in the town of Pound Ridge,” Hanson told The Recorder on Tuesday. “They’re capped on how much they’re allowed to work and how much they’re allowed to make.” Those restrictions are pension rules for retired officers, who can’t work too many hours without compromising retirement pay. The town requested state legislation to raise the requirement and was not successful, Hansan said.

Mathias Baez makes a tackle for John Jay at Mamaroneck. Pat Ryan carries after a catch for the Wolves. By JIM MACLEAN   John Jay knew it was taking on a tall task by agreeing to a week zero game on the road at Mamaroneck to open the varsity football season. Mamaroneck is a bigger school coming off a great season last fall and expected to compete for a Section 1 Class AA title again this year. One look at the sidelines on Friday made it clear the Wolves were outnumbered and outsized, but deep into the fourth quarter there was John Jay driving into Mamaroneck territory still in the game. The John Jay comeback came up short as the Wolves came home with a 14-8 setback, but coach Joe Candarelli felt it was a good test for his team to help get them ready for the games that count toward the league standings as the Wolves hope to make the Class A playoffs. “We wanted a tough game week zero to find out who we are, and I think we played very well. Mamaroneck is a very good team, in the mix in Class AA, much bigger than us up front, definitely outmatched in size, but we learned a lot about our team. We hung tough.” It didn’t help that John Jay got off to a slow start and fell behind 14-0 in the first half. Twice the Wolves gave Mamaroneck short field position inside the John Jay 30-yard line, and both times the Tigers capitalized on the opportunity with a pair of touchdown carries by quarterback Kieran Jacobson to take control. However, the second half was a different story. John Jay put together a drive with sophomore quarterback Braydon Currid completing a pair of first down passes to Pat Ryan. Currid then hooked up with Nick Rinaldi on a screen pass and Rinaldi turned it into what appeared to be a touchdown, only to have it called back due to a penalty and the drive stalled. The John Jay defense stood firm and the Wolves were back in business taking over at their own 18-yard line. Another screen pass to Rinaldi moved the ball out to the 40-yard line, and another completion to Ryan moved it to the Mamaroneck 40. A Rinaldi carry gave the Wolves another first down at the Mamaroneck 12-yard line, and Tommy Machado capped off the drive with a 2-yard touchdown carry on the first play of the fourth quarter. A 2-point conversion pass to Ryan made the score 14-8 with 11:55 left to play. John Jay wasn’t finished as the defense held once again and forced a punt. The Wolves were pinned at their own 1-yard line, but put together another drive. A pass completion to Machado moved the ball out to the John Jay 49-yard line, and another completion to Machado resulted in another first down at the Mamaroneck 25-yard line, but the drive stalled there and the Tigers closed out the victory. In his first varsity game at quarterback Currid completed 26 of 38 passes for 265 yards for the Wolves. His fellow sophomore Rinaldi also had a big game with seven catches for 76 yards and seven carries for 18 yards. Machado caught four passes for 95 yards and scored the only touchdown for John Jay. Ryan finished with six catches for 55 yards. “A good start for Braydon (Currid) in his first varsity game,” Candarelli said. “The right side of our line, with Ryder McCarthy at guard in his first varsity start as a sophomore, and Peter Hill at tackle, did a really nice job. McCarthy forced a fumble and had a sack on defense. Credit goes to Mamaroneck, they made fewer mistakes, but we played well and it’s something to build on. We were in a position to win that game.”

By NEAL RENTZ The simmering controversy regarding Lewisboro Councilman Dan Welsh continued at Monday’s town board meeting with some residents sharply criticizing him for posts on his Facebook page regarding Israel’s conduct in its war against Hamas. Welsh’s comments about the war have been a topic debated for months before the board.  “I don’t want to attack you as you have been attacked by everyone else but you actually called your colleagues racist on your profile page on Facebook. I personally find it offensive, especially since the people who support you are constantly telling us to be kind and you’re aggressive and you’re mean,” resident Simone O’Connor told Welsh on Monday. "I personally find it offensive, especially since the people who support you are constantly telling us to be kind and you’re aggressive and you’re mean,” – Simone O’Connor addressing Dan Welsh Another resident, Cathy Deutsch, also criticized the posts, including a recent one that has received 223 comments, “none of which are his. He throws up posts then walks away,” Deutsch said. Welsh called his board colleagues racists on Facebook, Deutsch added.   In a related matter, the board voted 4-1 to approve the employee handbook, but agreed to hold off on considering changes that would regulate how town employees and elected officials could use their official social media accounts. Councilwoman Andrea Rendo voted against adopting the revised handbook because she wanted to incorporate a new social media provision and was concerned about the cost of creating a new handbook if the social media section was altered, as she recommended.  Supervisor Tony Gonçalves said the handbook is produced electronically, though there is a hard copy available for residents to read at the Town House. The process to revise the handbook took nearly two years and included feedback from the town’s three unions, he said.  The revised handbook has regulations regarding social media use for the first time and could be revised by the town board, Gonçalves added.  Councilwoman Mary Shah noted that the social media policy included in the revised employee handbook stated, “an employee’s social media usage must comply with town policies pertaining to, but not limited to, nondiscrimination and harassment, confidentiality and violence in the workplace, any unlawful harassment, discrimination or retaliation that would not be permissible in the workplace is not permissible between co-workers on line even if it is done after hours outside the workplace using computers or communications systems that are not” connected to their work.    Prior to the vote on the revised employee handbook, Rendo said, “more prompted by recent events,” she reviewed the social media policy in the proposed revised employee handbook and she wrote a revised policy for social media usage by town employees and elected officials, comparing it to other social media policies in other municipalities. Rendo said the social media policy needs “to be expanded to include other types of instances.” The policy should include “employees who publish personal or professional opinions must not invoke their town of Lewisboro title when not representing the town of Lewisboro. In such cases users must use a “disclaimer” stating they are posting their own opinion, not the town’s. Rendo said the social media policy should also prohibit employees from making “any discriminatory, disparaging, defamatory or harassing comments when using social media or otherwise engaging in any conduct prohibited” by the town’s harassment policy. In addition, Rendo said the social media policy should include a variety of prohibitions on the posting of content or images that are defamatory, slanderous or pornographic, among other types of conduct.  Also, Rendo said, town officials, employees and volunteers should keep separate social media accounts. Welsh did not agree to a suggestion from Councilman Richard Sklarin to drop a reference that he is a Lewisboro Town Board member from his Facebook page.  “The weekend before last I got contacted by a board member who said that there was a proposal to make a statement about the murder of the hostages and to lower the flag and would I sign on to that?” Welsh said during the polling of the board portion of the meeting. “I told the board member, well, OK, we’ve been going for 10 months. There’s 40,000 people dead of all sorts.”  Just to honor the hostages killed recently would not make sense, Welsh said. If flying the American flag at half-staff on the Town House honored all those who have died during the conflict, he would have agreed, Welsh said. The town board rejected his alternative statement, he said.  “I do consider this as a racist act because every action the board has taken from the beginning of the conflict last October has only been to address the Israeli victims of the war and not including the Palestinians,” Welsh said. “Saying it’s a racist act doesn’t mean I think everyone on the board are outrageous racists in every aspect.” Welsh added that others at meetings, not him, have brought up his comments about the war.  “I’m sorry that this hits hard, but that’s absolutely my opinion,” he said.  Zoning code update The town board received an update from the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee on the proposed zoning code update process. The town board approved the revised town comprehensive plan in August. Steering Committee Chairwoman Katherine McGinn told the town board that in the winter of 2021 it decided to update the comprehensive plan at the same time it would update the zoning code as one project to save time and money. A series of proposed edits have been submitted to the town board since last October, McGinn said. Final drafts have been reviewed by the town board since January, she noted.  Some of the proposed updates to the existing zoning code from the committee include the topics of cluster zoning, the definition of a performance bond, exterior lighting, and landscaping and district regulation. Some of the committee’s proposed new regulations include such areas as steep slopes protection, battery energy and storage, streets and sidewalks and solar energy.  McGinn said the next steps in the process to update the zoning code will include a town board public hearing or hearings, a referral to the Westchester County Planning Board, a referral to the town planning board and separate future reviews of septic and short-term rental regulations.    Garden Club plantings The town board voted unanimously to wave the Architectural and Community Appearance Review Council fee and allow the Lewisboro Garden Club to plant 4,000 golden yellow daffodils on town-owned vacant property along Main Street between the South Salem Post Office and Keeler Court. The request was made at the meeting by George Scott, a representative of the Garden Club.  The daffodils are the same variety the club planted at the town house/library exit drive in 2022, Scott told the board. The planting, set back 3 feet from Main Street, will be about 180 feet long and 10 feet deep. Scott said the club is slated to do the planting on the morning of Nov. 2.

George Washington Pouder, 101, of New Milford, Conn., died Friday morning, Sept. 6. His family said at the time of his death he was looking over his beloved garden with his dogs by his side. Born Jan. 18, 1923, to George and Hedwig (Esser) Pouder in the Bronx, he was predeceased by his parents and his brother, William. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Dr. Katina Aurelia Raciti of New Milford, their sons, George (Linda) of Northwood, N.H., Leonard (Gabrielle) of Sharon, Conn., and Nick (Linda) of New Milford, and four grandchildren. A longtime resident of Greenwich Road in Armonk, he was active with the Bedford Farmers Club. Always curious, Pouder spent much of his retirement propagating plants, exploring botanical curiosities in his garden, and attending courses at Pace University and Westchester Community College. He had a particular interest in local history and was active with the North Castle Historical Society and the “History Hounds,” an ad-hoc group of like-minded history buffs. He received the Sy Schulman History Award from the Westchester Historical Society for his biographies of Civil War veterans.  Pouder was a member of VFW Post 1672, Post 31 of the American Legion, and served on the vestry of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and on multiple town of North Castle committees. His family said that from an early age, he was fascinated by the natural world. In the backyard of his Bronx apartment, George planted his first garden in 1927 and continued gardening his entire life. Saplings he planted in the 1920s at his home on Pittman Avenue now shade the yard and have done so for generations of its residents.   He received his degree in ornamental horticulture from the State Institute of Agriculture at Farmingdale in 1943 and worked for his mentor, Werner Lieb, at Lieb’s Greenhouses in New Rochelle before enlisting in the Army during World War II. After returning from the war, he worked for various greenhouses, eventually returning to Lieb’s which he purchased in 1954 and operated with his son, Leonard, until retirement in the 1990s. While working for the Liebs, their daughters introduced him to their high school classmate, Aurelia Raciti, who had just opened her pediatrics practice in New Rochelle. They were married in February 1957.  According to his family, Pouder was deeply proud of his service to his country, though he despised the atrocities of war. He served in North Africa and Europe from 1943 to 1946. While assigned to the 42nd Infantry Division, he participated in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp and later served at the Nuremberg prison during the trials. Shaped by the inhumanity he witnessed during war, he spent the remainder of his life bringing beauty to the world through his work with plants. In 2014 he was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur by the president of the Republic of France.  Services were held at St. Stephen Episcopal Church in Armonk.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Westchester County Historical Society, 2199 Saw Mill River Road, Elmsford, NY 10523, or westchesterhistory.com/support-us/ .

By JEFF MORRIS  The plan for a 23-lot subdivision at the former Bailey Hall site in Katonah returned to the planning board Monday, but the only actions taken were to schedule a site walk and a public hearing on the application.  At the same meeting the board approved site plans for a temporary home for the Community Center of Northern Westchester. Katonah subdivision Now known as the Tripi subdivision, the plan for 22 new single-family homes between Harris Road and New Street, Katonah, previously came before the board in a workshop session July 22 designed to refamiliarize the board with the proposal. The 25.59-acre property was once home to the Bailey Hall School, a vocational school for boys.  The school closed in 1987 and was destroyed by fire in 2000. An initial 2006 plan for a conventional subdivision was later changed to a 23-lot “conservation subdivision” with 21 new residences on a looped road, surrounding a community septic system. That plan would leave over 12 acres undisturbed, but it stalled in 2018 during negotiations with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. An agreement was reached with DEP, and the application has now returned to the planning board, which had already completed a draft environmental impact statement in 2011. Public hearings held in 2011 became quite contentious, with multiple neighbors objecting to the plan. Planning board members, most of whom are not familiar with the proposal’s earlier iteration, are now scheduled to walk the site Friday, Sept. 27, at 8:15 a.m. The applicants agreed to also allow members of the public to visit the site at that time, though noting that parking is limited. A public hearing was then scheduled for Monday, Oct. 28, which is on the calendar as the board’s only meeting in October. Community Center of Northern Westchester With the board having already granted final approval for plans to expand the Community Center of Northern Westchester’s existing building at 84 Bedford Road, Katonah, in April, CCNW now came before the board seeking site plan approval for a temporary location in Bedford Hills to be occupied while construction is taking place. CCNW had long sought to expand its facility, but their ability to do so was limited by the fact the property was being leased to them by the town of Bedford on land owned by New York City DEP.  After five years of negotiations, in 2023 the town was able to arrange for the parcel to be conveyed to it by DEP, and in turn to develop a long-term lease with CCNW, allowing the organization to proceed with expansion plans. Those plans, which will more than double the size of the current building, will require extensive construction work and force CCNW to relocate for approximately 16 to 18 months.  Attorney Geri Tortorella said the difficulties and challenges of attempting to operate in place once construction begins became obvious during discussions with contractors. She said they expect actual construction to last about 12 months, with logistical concerns leading to the need to be in the temporary space for several months before and after. Tortorella said they had found available space at 693, 687 and 669 Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, and reached an agreement with the owner. That property is a former car dealership that has been vacant for a number of years, with the parking lot used primarily for vehicle storage; an image search on Google Street View shows the building has been unoccupied since at least 2013. According to Tortorella, they plan to have donations, food pantry, clothing boutique, some ancillary related services, and administrative offices at the temporary location, but will not be doing any classes or other instructional activities or skills training there. Hours are expected to remain the same as they are currently: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday, from noon to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Richard Williams of Insite Engineering said they are planning to make minimal improvements to the property aside from signage and striping of the parking area. He said they are going to keep the existing curb cuts and avoid making any changes in the state Department of Transportation right-of-way on Route 117 that would require DOT approval, citing personal experience of having applications in to DOT “since last November” that have yet to be acted on.  Tortorella said there will be a banner on the front of the building that complies with town sign regulations, as well as a sign in a window. Board members all said they were fine with the plans, and unanimously agreed to grant both preliminary and final site plan approval. No timetable for the actual start of construction at the current 84 Bedford Road location, or when a move to the temporary site might occur, was given.

By JEFF MORRIS Perhaps it is the fact that he came from the school district “right next door,” but after two months as superintendent of Katonah-Lewisboro and just a week after the school year started, Ray Blanch seems to be right at home. After 14 years as superintendent of Somers Central School District, Blanch was brought in to succeed Andrew Selesnick, who announced his retirement last January.  Blanch’s hiring was the culmination of a search process that began in March with the Board of Education engaging the search firm of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates. A month-long survey utilizing interviews, focus groups, open forums and online surveys was used to develop a profile of the type of leadership the district was seeking. After what the board described as “multiple rounds of interviews with a very strong group of sitting superintendents from excellent school districts with established records of success,” Blanch was announced as the new superintendent June 14. Speaking with The Recorder this week, Blanch said he felt very much like he was fitting in. “It’s been very welcoming,” he said. “Everyone couldn’t have been more receptive, and it’s great to be here with the team.”  He noted that during the summer he had a chance to get to know the support and administrative staff and some of the Board of Education members, and was now getting to know some of the teachers. Blanch said in education, in “this part of the state” with which he’s most familiar, there is a general caring for children, and that having children at the center of your thinking is something that is “very evident here right off the bat.” While noting the Somers and Katonah-Lewisboro districts are similar in size — in 2023-24, Somers had a total enrollment of about 2,600, while KLSD’s was 2,792 — Blanch said one of the differences between the districts is KLSD has much more space between the schools from a geographical perspective. Demographically, though, he doesn’t see any significant differences between the districts, or among any of the districts in northern Westchester for that matter. He does see a general decline in enrollment being a common situation in most districts in the state, with a few exceptions in the larger cities. Most of his prior contact with KLSD was through collaboration between superintendents. “We have a very strong professional network among the 18 districts that make up the Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES,” Blanch said, “so over these last number of years I’ve gotten to know Andrew (Selesnick) on a few different projects we may have been involved in for the collective area; as superintendents we tend to ask and share tips and tricks and best practices rather than getting into any great detail.” Since joining the district, Blanch has promoted what he is calling the KLSD 2030 Project. He said it is just starting, and part of the conversation is to talk with different parent and faculty groups and students at the high school, discuss the strengths of the district, and then find “where do we see some of the opportunities for us to continue being the great district that we are, and bringing clarity to that.”  He said that will help them map out the desired steps for the next five years, and hopefully they will be able to unveil a plan by the end of January or early February.  “The idea with those different groups is, it’s really a co-created document and vision; it’s collectively where we need to go. It’s a wonderful school district with a lot of really creative people doing really great things for kids, and my best hope is to bring that voice together and make it strong.” Blanch said in his experience, this kind of plan takes anywhere from four to six years, hence the 2030 name. Though he seemed somewhat reluctant to talk about himself, Blanch was coaxed to reveal that he has taken a circuitous route to his current position. Born in Buffalo, the seventh out of eight siblings — four sisters and three brothers — Blanch started his public education career in Colorado, when one of his sisters invited him to “come on out” because there were openings in that state at a time when teaching positions for college graduates were hard to find.  He started as a first- and second-grade teacher, but after he and his wife had four children, he decided to make the transition to administration, which resulted in a move to Wisconsin.  “The principal I worked for in Colorado also worked his way through from elementary teacher to administration, so maybe that was a model for me. It’s done well for me and hopefully for the communities I’ve served,” he said.  After being a principal in Wisconsin, Blanch returned to Colorado for a number of years, where he served as a principal, an assistant superintendent, a director and a superintendent, before landing “back here in Somers,” closer to his wife’s family in New Jersey while returning to his own home state.  For now, Blanch will continue meeting as many people as possible while he settles into a position in which he already seems quite comfortable. On June 14, board president Julia Hadlock said, “We were impressed by his experience as a superintendent and his thoughtful leadership. He is committed to being accessible, visible and approachable. Colleagues describe him as an excellent listener and communicator who keeps student growth and success as the priority — all qualities identified by our community in the leadership profile report.”