BEDFORD Texas couple report threats made on Facebook  On Friday, Feb. 13, at 4:25 p.m., a Texas couple came to police headquarters  to report threats made to them on social media regarding their Texas-based rescue for stray and endangered dogs. They said a Bedford resident and online provocateur who financially supports a different Texas rescue got into a heated argument with them on social media, offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who could reveal their exact location. Police said the couple, who live in Texas, came to Bedford to make their report in person. A report was made for documentation.  Monday, Feb. 9  12:37 p.m. — A tenant in Bedford Hills reported to police an issue with another tenant who subleases a bedroom in the unit. They told police they overheard the man speaking badly about his daughter. The subtenant denied the accusations. The complainant was advised to take up any issues with their landlord.   3:33 p.m. — A female, 97, was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital by the Katonah Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps after falling at her Katonah home and injuring her leg.  Tuesday, Feb. 10 2:22 p.m. — A female, 29, from Bedford Hills, came to headquarters with her boyfriend to report that the boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend was calling and texting her and messaging her through social media. She said the messages were concerning and threatening in nature. She requested police contact the woman and tell her to stop. A voicemail was left for the woman and police suggested the complainant change her phone number.  7:18 p.m. — A housecleaner reported an issue in a vacant house in Bedford Hills; she arrived to find the door locked but the dishwasher running and leaking water. As no dishes were inside it was presumed a pipe burst. The homeowner was notified and a plumber called.  Wednesday, Feb. 11 9:44 a.m. — Police requested the Westchester County Mobile Crisis Response Team assist them for a welfare check of a woman at the Metro-North parking Lot 1 in Katonah. The woman, who police said lives in an RV, sent a strange  email to the town supervisor; a town employee notified the police. She spoke with both police and the crisis team but declined medical assistance. Medics said at this time she was not a danger to herself or others and no further action was taken.   10:06 a.m. — Police and medics went to a home in Bedford Hills after a woman reported that her husband, 47, was possibly deceased. She said he was in advanced stages of cancer. A medic pronounced him dead and a funeral home was contacted.  Thursday, Feb. 12 11:08 a.m. — A raccoon running in the roadway near Whitlock and Anderson roads, Katonah, was not located by police.   11:55 a.m. — A sick raccoon reported on Whitlockville was unable to be located. 12:16 p.m. — Police and Katonah fire personnel went to a home on Terrace Heights for an odor of gas. Firefighters detected a small reading and a tank was emptied and the homeowner notified. It was unspecified what kind of tank it was.   6:09 p.m. — A van drove into a utility pole on Broad Brook Road near West Patent, Bedford Hills, snapping it. The driver told police he was headed southbound when his brakes became inoperable and he crashed. No injuries were reported and no citations issued. Police said the driver is from White Plains. The van was towed.  Friday, Feb. 13 9:17 a.m. — A male, 89, who fell to the ground the night before told police he was stuck there all night and was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital by Bedford firefighters for evaluation.  12:40 p.m. — The manager of CVS on Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, reported that he observed a man earlier that day holding a bag of electric toothbrushes. When he attempted to get closer, the man ran, activating store alarms passing the exit. Store surveillance video revealed two men were involved. The incident is being investigated. Saturday, Feb. 14 12:42 p.m. — Police went to a car wash on Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, for an altercation after one man cut the line for the wash. Words were exchanged in the patron waiting area and the man who cut in shoved another man; four people became involved. The line cutter/shover left prior to police arrival. No one was injured.  Sunday, Feb 15 11:52 a.m. —A male, 16, was taken from his Bedford home to Northern Westchester Hospital by Bedford firefighters after having a seizure.   4:54 p.m. — A dog, a boxer, was reported in the roadway in the vicinity of Valley and Edgemont roads, Katonah. Police looked for the dog but couldn’t find it. MOUNT KISCO Friday, Feb. 6 8:37 a.m. —  Police received a report of an attended death of a 78-year-old woman at her home on Croton Avenue. Officers and Westchester EMS responded. The death was not deemed suspicious. The Medical Examiner’s Office authorized release to a funeral home. 9:02 a.m. —  Police investigate a report of a disturbance among four men at a gas station on the 600 block of East Main Street. The condition was corrected. 4:56 p.m. —  Officers responded to West Way due to a 911 hangup. A woman at the residence said she dialed 911 during a verbal dispute with her daughter but decided to hang up. The woman was advised to call again if the matter escalated further. A New York state domestic incident report was prepared. Saturday, Feb. 7 2:35 a.m. —  Officers responded to the Green Street precinct after a man used the callbox to say he was intoxicated and needed a ride to his sister’s house. Officers told the man they could not give him a ride and asked him if he needed medical attention. The man declined any medical attention and flagged down a taxi on Green Street. The driver was advised of the man’s intoxication but said he would accept the fare and get the man home safely. 1:10 p.m. —  Police received a report of two men lying in a snowbank in the Village Center parking lot. An open bottle of rum was found next to them. One of them was awakened but the other was unresponsive. Officers gave the unresponsive man oxygen and wrapped him in a blanket due to possible exposure and hypothermia. Both were transported by EMS to a hospital and were reported to be in stable condition when an officer followed up on the incident with medical personnel. 9:41 p.m. —  Officers responded to Barker Street on a report of a violation of an order of protection. They located a 38-year-old man in the building who is barred by court order from being there. The man was taken into custody and charged with first-degree criminal contempt, a felony, due to a previous conviction for a similar offense. He was held overnight at Westchester County Police headquarters in Hawthorne and arraigned the following day in Mount Kisco Justice Court. Bail was set at $5,000. 11:04 p.m. —  Police received a report of a domestic disturbance on Ridge Lane. A woman reported that the dispute was verbal but that she called 911 because she was afraid for her safety and wanted to leave for the night. Officers waited for her to leave the area before departing from the scene. A New York state domestic incident report was prepared along with a lethality screening form. Sunday, Feb. 8 11:07 a.m. —  An officer responded to Grove Street on a report of an unattended death of a woman in her 90s. Westchester EMS also responded. The death was determined to not be suspicious. 5:49 p.m. —  A man called the police to report that he found a man sitting in his parked car when he returned to it on Main Street. The vehicle owner and the man exchanged words and the man walked off toward North Bedford Road. Officers canvassed the area but could not locate the man. It was determined nothing was missing. Monday, Feb. 9 4:53 a.m. —  An officer responded to St. Mark’s Church on a report of an intoxicated man giving EMS personnel a hard time. The man was subsequently taken to the hospital with an officer following the ambulance to ensure the safety of EMS personnel. 9:10 a.m. —  A man fell along the 400 block of Main Street and was bleeding from a facial injury. He was taken by the Mount Kisco Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Northern Westchester Hospital. 11:30 p.m. —  Officers responded to Moore Avenue on a report of a domestic assault that had just occurred. A man told officers that his girlfriend became enraged because he was late picking up their child from a babysitter. He alleged that she slapped him, struck him in the head with her cellphone and hit him with a lamp, all in the presence of the child. Although the man said he did not wish to pursue charges, officers observed various injuries he had suffered and took the 20-year-old woman into custody. The man was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital for evaluation of his injuries and Child Protective Services was notified of the incident. The woman was charged with second-degree assault, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. She was held overnight at county police headquarters in Hawthorne and arraigned the following afternoon in Mount Kisco Justice Court, where she was released on her own recognizance. Temporary Orders of Protection were issued barring her from any contact with her boyfriend or their child. POUND RIDGE Speed at your own risk  A Yorktown Heights man was arrested at 2:50 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, on Westchester Avenue after being stopped for speeding, clocked doing 56 mph in a 30 mph zone. A records check revealed the man’s license was suspended on multiple occasions. He was given a summons to appear in court March 23.   Tuesday, Feb. 10 10:20 a.m. — A driver on Westchester Avenue was issued a summons for no inspection sticker.  11:00 a.m. — A driver on Westchester Avenue was issued a summons for no inspection sticker.  10:00 a.m. — A driver on Westchester Avenue was given a summons for not stopping at a stop sign.   1:25 p.m. — A driver on Westchester Avenue was given a summons for not stopping at a stop sign.   2:14 p.m. — Someone brought an iPhone they found on Old Pound Road to police headquarters. It was vouchered and taken into safekeeping.   1:58 p.m. — A man, age and condition unknown, was taken to Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow by Westchester EMS.  2:45 p.m. — A woman, age and condition unknown, was taken by Pound Ridge Volunteer Ambulance Corps to Northern Westchester Hospital. Wednesday, Feb. 11 7:31 a.m. — A driver on Salem Road was given a summons for not stopping at a stop sign.  7:39 a.m. — Icy conditions were reported on Salem Road. The highway department was notified.   7:52 a.m. — A car stuck in a snow bank in the vicinity of Stone Hill Road was towed. No damage was done to the vehicle.  7:52 a.m. — A car was towed after it became disabled on Stone Hill Road. No injuries were reported.   9:55 a.m. — A driver on Westchester Ave was given a ticket for traveling 54 mph in a 30-mph zone.  10:35 a.m. —  A driver on Westchester Ave was given a ticket for traveling 60 mph in a 30-mph zone. 4:40 p.m. — A dog reported loose on Cross Pond Road was gone prior to police arrival.  Thursday, Feb. 12 7:30 a.m. —A driver on Old Mill River Road was ticketed for failure to obey a traffic signal.   11:00 a.m. — An Upper Shad Road resident reported a vehicle as suspicious after it pulled into their driveway. The operator told police he realized he was at the wrong address. 12:50 p.m. — A driver on Westchester Avenue was ticketed for traveling 50 mph in a 30-mph zone.   Friday, Feb. 13 10:55 a.m. — A driver on Westchester Ave was ticketed for having a heavily tinted windshield.  11:15 a.m. —  A driver on Westchester Ave was given a ticket for traveling 60 mph in a 30-mph zone.  12:08 p.m. — A driver on Horseshoe Hill was given tickets for traveling 57 mph in a 30-mph zone and for not having a valid driver’s license.  12:50 p.m. — Four tickets were issued to drivers traveling on Westchester Avenue. Police said they were doing 50 mph, 52 mph, 54 mph and 51 mph in a marked 30-mph zone.  Saturday, Feb. 14 9:45 a.m. — Two drivers were ticketed on Westchester Avenue for doing 50 and 55 mph in a 30-mph zone.  11:45 a.m. — A man, age and condition unknown, was taken to Northern Westchester Hospital by Lewisboro  Volunteer Ambulance Corps.  9:30 p.m. — A driver stopped on Salem Road for failure to stop at a stop sign and for not having a valid registration and was ticketed.  Sunday, Feb. 15 9:15 a.m. — A driver pulled over on Long Ridge Road for using their mobile phone while operating a vehicle also was ticketed for dark tinted window treatments.   7:00 p.m. — A radar detail on Westchester Avenue detected one driver going 51 mph in a 30-mph zone.  Monday, Feb. 16 8:39 a.m. — A man was given a lift assist at their home. No further attention was needed.  1:45 p.m. — A person on Lower Trinity Pass Road accidentally activated their  medical alert.   8:30 p.m. — A driver on Westchester Avenue was given a ticket for failure to obey a traffic signal.  This report was made from official records provided by the Pound Ridge, Bedford, Lewisboro and county (Mount Kisco) police departments. Mount Kisco is compiled by Martin Wilbur, all others by Eve Marx.

By THANE GRAUEL The town and the people of Pound Ridge have the opportunity to comment on a state license renewal for SMMB Inc., which runs the Purple Plains recreational cannabis dispensary. A public hearing took place on Tuesday to gather input. Several people spoke. One of them,  John Nathan, a lawyer already suing the town over its handling of the cannabis issue, questioned whether the rules were followed when SMMB filed its original application. The Town Board, which met without Supervisor Kevin Hansan, listened to the comments but did not take a stand of its own. Whether it will eventually endorse the renewal, oppose it, or take no action — which is one of the options offered by the New York State Cannabis Control Board — remains to be seen. Deputy Supervisor Diane Briggs said when opening the hearing that the town can report on the comments made at the hearing to the state, “however, the town is not obliged to report on the input it received.” She said the public could submit comments directly to the state by emailing info@cannabis.ny.gov . Purple Plains opened on Westchester Avenue in April 2024. Many were upset because the business was able to open after the Town Board held no hearings to gather public input on whether it  should opt out of the state’s new rules allowing recreational retail dispensaries. The other neighboring municipalities held such hearings. Nathan began the public comments by saying he didn’t care one way or the other about the cannabis issue, “I only care about one issue and that’s the law — was the law followed.” He said he wasn’t there to discuss the issues addressed in his lawsuit against the town, which alleged the board’s decision not to opt out of allowing cannabis dispensaries was made outside of public view and in violation of open meetings laws. (A judge ruled against his case, but Nathan has appealed).  He said he  was concerned instead whether SMMB “followed the law when they submitted their application back in 2022.” He said that if it didn’t, any citizen had the right to petition the state to revoke the license. “And if they didn’t follow the law back in 2022, it infects their right to get a … renewal of a license,” Nathan said. He said SMMB was among the first outfits to obtain a license from the state because it applied under a program that gives priority to those who meet two conditions: having a prior conviction for a marijuana offense, and that person with the prior conviction owning 51% of the business. Nathan said he had been trying for two years to obtain the application papers, “which would tell us whether or not they played by the rules. We’ve never been able to get them.” Nathan said published stories identified three people involved in SMMB, a father, his daughter, and her fiance. The father is Jack Mortell, his daughter is Sophia Mortell, and her fiance is Mark Buzzetto. “Until December, nobody knew, except SMMB, who was the person who had the conviction,” he said. However, an article in Bedford & New Canaan Magazine included an interview with the fiance, “and he disclosed for the first time on the public record that he’s the one who had the conviction,” Nathan said. “Fine,” Nathan told the board. “But did he own 51% of SMMB? I can tell you after months of work on this, there is no evidence in the public record which discloses that he owns 51%, or more. All of the evidence that I have found shows that he didn’t own it.” He said he planned to petition the Cannabis Control Board “to institute a proceeding to investigate this and revoke the license,” Nathan said. “If they did the right thing and he has 51%, that’s the end of it,” he said. “But if it turns out that he didn’t, then that license should be revoked.” Nicholas Cianciola Sr. brought up the board’s original decision on the cannabis opt-out opportunity. “Why hold a hearing now when one was not needed, but not when it would have been in the best interest of the constituents who elected this board to seek and represent the voice of the people?” he asked. “The most plausible explanation is that the board wishes to publicly endorse the renewal process.” Town Board member Dan Paschkes took issue with Cianciola’s characterization of the board’s actions previously, and responded. “The purpose for tonight’s open hearing is specifically to try to do better at what we could have done better, and probably should have done better the first time around which is to seek public input because the Town Board has the opportunity to comment to the state as to whether we have an opinion one way or the other or not,” Pashkes said. “This is our effort to reach out to the community,” he said, adding, “we thought it best to seek public input.” John McCown said that in light of Nathan’s comments, the question for him was simple. “Does the rule of law matter?” he asked. “I think this board would have a strong view if they found out that someone built a house without getting a building permit. I don’t think there’d be any debate that, is that right or wrong?” “In my view it would be absolutely reckless for this board to recommend a license be renewed,” McCown said. Alex Goldfarb noted that the potency of the legally raised cannabis can be much higher than what was available illegally and before it was legalized, saying it was something the board might want to consider. No one from SMMB spoke.

NYSEG employees demonstrate outside Bedford’s Town House while a press conference was held inside calling for the state to reject a rate request. JEFF MORRIS PHOTO By JEFF MORRIS Last month, county officials and state representatives held a press conference in Mount Kisco to announce their opposition to proposed Con Edison rate hikes. They urged the Public Service Commission to freeze delivery rates, accusing the utility of exorbitant increase requests while households struggle to pay bills. Despite those efforts, on Jan. 22 the PSC approved Con Ed’s rate hike. On Monday, it was NYSEG’s turn. State Sen. Pete Harckham, D-40, held a press conference at Bedford Town Hall, joined by Assemblymember Chris Burdick, D-93, County Legislator Erika Pierce, D-2, and Bedford Town Board member Stephanie McCaine, and urged the commission to rein in the utility’s proposed rate increases.  While Con Ed supplies electricity to a portion of Bedford, most of the town, along with all of Lewisboro and Pound Ridge, receive their power from NYSEG.  The rate request was filed June 30, 2025. NYSEG is asking for an increase in annual electric revenues of approximately $464.4 million — a 35% increase to delivery revenues, or 18.4% increase to total revenues, for the rate year ending April 30, 2027.  It estimates that the requested increase in delivery revenues will result in a monthly bill increase of $33.12, or a 23.7% increase to the total bill, for a typical residential customer using 600 kWh. Most of the press conference was devoted to the testimony of a number of area customers who were angry about the size of their recent utility bills, and outraged that NYSEG is now proposing to raise them even more.  “It’s ridiculous to pay $867 more a month,” said Janet Pearlmutter of Somers. “No one can basically afford that. This is totally crazy. I beg you, Public Service Commission, do whatever you can to help us. We really can’t afford this.” Jackie Silkowitz agreed, saying, “My neighbors have $1,300 and $1,400 bills. NYSEG should not be allowed to pass along the cost of supply. It’s absolutely outrageous.”  Similar sentiments were expressed by others, including one person who said for a one-bedroom condo from which she’s away all day, she has had recent bills of $950 and $1,100. Additional speakers attested to bills that have gone from several hundred dollars to over $1,000.  “New Yorkers are facing a cost-of-living crisis,” Harckham said. “At a time when families are struggling to pay rent, buy groceries, and afford medicine, imposing dramatic utility rate hikes is not the answer. The PSC must stand with consumers — not approve massive increases that most households simply cannot afford.”  Burdick agreed.  “Our constituents have seen their utility bills double and even triple in recent years,” he said. “People who have lived within their means are now struggling to make ends meet because of soaring utility rates.” He urged customers to submit a public comment to the PSC, letting them know that NYSEG’s proposed hikes are unconscionable.  According to Harckham, new statewide data shows more than 1.3 million customers are over two months behind on bills, with total unpaid balances exceeding $2 billion — and tens of thousands of households have been disconnected in 2025 alone.  “Utilities operate as regulated monopolies with guaranteed returns,” Harckham said. “Shareholders should share in the risk too. They should not be insulated from economic realities while families make impossible choices between heating their homes and feeding their children.” Pierce was critical of more than just NYSEG’s rates. “For years, I have been working with individual constituents and the Public Utility Project on a myriad of issues related to NYSEG and its billing practices,” she said. “It is bad enough when the bills are too high, which they currently are, but it is even worse when the bills are also frequently incomprehensible or just downright wrong, and connecting with customer service is an impossibility. For so many reasons, the PSC must say no to this rate request, and further, must demand more accountability and  better customer service from NYSEG.” Meanwhile, a group of NYSEG employees held signs outside the Town House, with messages such as “Don’t Block Investment” and “Reliable Energy = Reliable Jobs.” Asked whether they were rank and file or management, they said they were a mixture of both.  The utility also pushed back by issuing a press statement of its own. “Unfortunately, the Senator’s and his colleagues attempts to grab quick headlines by calling on the rejection of the rate plan completely misses the mark and intentionally ignores the skyrocketing unregulated supply costs, taxes and state mandates pushed through by New York legislature that combined make up the vast majority of customer utility bill charges, which NYSEG has zero control over,” it began. “We urge the Senator and his colleagues to tell the whole story of what’s in customer bills and include the facts of our rate plan, which will fund critical investments needed for local union members to upgrade aging poles and wires to strengthen the grid, increase capacity to lessen outages, and attract new economic development and jobs to communities.” In addition, The Recorder was copied on a letter sent to Harckham, co-signed by multiple unions and building trades organizations, that said while they “share the urgency around rising energy bills” and many of their members “understand the affordability crisis in New York,” they are at the same time “highly concerned about a blanket call to reject the rate case.”  The letter went on to say, “We need to make the critical investments in the grid that will unlock opportunities to bring new generations online quickly.” A rejection of the proposed plan, it said, “could put the entire rate framework in jeopardy, increase outages and create uncertainty for communities and employers across the region.” It bears repeating that the only portion of a NYSEG bill that would be subject to a rate increase is the delivery charge. The price of the electricity supply that NYSEG delivers is determined by market forces out of the utility’s control.

Legal tweak would speed collections process  By MARTIN WILBUR Mount Kisco is likely to amend the village code allowing its justice court to accept a default judgment for drivers who have ignored their parking tickets in hopes of collecting thousands of dollars in fines. It is expected that the Village Board will approve an amendment at its next meeting that would permit the Mount Kisco Justice Court to enter a guilty plea on behalf of a defendant. Before that step is taken, the village attorney’s office would send a letter to the individual at least 30 days after the deadline for them to respond to the ticket notifying them of the charge and the pending judgment. An appearance or plea within 30 days of the attorney’s notification would help to avoid the default. Village Manager Ed Brancati said that the village needs to include language regarding a default judgment into its code in order to send a person’s delinquency to a collection agency. “Most people pay, some don’t, and so we want to be able to send them to collections, but the attorneys felt that if we would do that, we need to first add an amendment to the code so we could get a default judgment entered in front of a judge,” Brancati said. “So, while it’s civil in nature, the default, it gets treated as a conviction.” The village has $138,245 in unpaid parking violations over the past three years, not including any additional fines, interest and penalties that would be incurred, he said. About $40,000 in base fines from unpaid tickets are from tickets issued within the last six months and close to $60,000 of that sum are from summonses within the past year, according to Brancati. The remainder of that total is for offenses up to three years ago. Brancati said the village already reports scofflaws who fail to pay parking tickets to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which prohibits those drivers from renewing their vehicle registration. The proposed amendment would not change that but provide the village another tool to collect the money it is owed, he said. There were no speakers who turned out for the Feb. 2 public hearing on the amendment to the code. Officials decided to close the hearing at that time but accept written comments for up to 20 days. Brancati said it is likely the board will vote on the amendment at the March 2 meeting. Mayor J. Michael Cindrich said the village has been looking to create a process to collect the outstanding money from fines and penalties connected to the unpaid parking tickets. “If you’ve been in Mount Kisco for a while, you realized at some point in time, we’ve had to forgive tens of thousands of dollars of tickets,” Cindrich said. “We don’t want that to happen again.” Under the proposed code amendment, a default judgment and a guilty plea cannot be entered for any ticket that is more than three years past the expiration of the original plea date.

Clockwise from top left, John Jay’s John Aniello and Piero DiNicola of Fox Lane battled to the final seconds. Fox Lane’s Andrew Brauning and John Jay’s Joe Ferrer square off in 215-pound bout. Fox Lane senior Finn Guyder wins his match by pin. Emerson Flamm of John Jay looks for an opening. Jim MacLean Photos By JIM MACLEAN For the seniors on the Fox Lane wrestling team it was a big night as the Foxes hosted rival John Jay for a dual-meet on Thursday, Jan. 29. After a ceremony with their families before the meet on senior night, the Foxes had to put their emotions behind them and get down to business. Led by a trio of senior captains who all pulled out victories, the Foxes were able to pull out a 48-24 victory over the Wolves to complete the celebration in front of family and friends in their final home match on the mats at Fox Lane. Both teams knew coming in that some matches would be tougher than others, especially senior captain Piero DiNicola as he knew he would be facing a tough match against John Aniello of John Jay at 126 pounds. It was a match that lived up to its billing as both wrestlers left it all on the mat. Aniello held a 9-7 lead late in the third period, but DiNicola was able to score the takedown in the final seconds to pull out a 10-9 victory. “This means a lot, really special to see all my friends and family out to support me. I’m wrestling against a real good kid who was All-Section last year, so it was great to get that last second take down and win,” admitted DiNicola. “It was all guts, I just couldn’t lose that match in front of everyone on senior night.” Fellow senior captains Luke Ryan and Chris Bloom also came through on senior night, along with senior Finn Guyder to lead the Foxes to the victory. Ryan is a defending Section 1 champion looking to finish his Fox Lane career strong, and he won his match by tech fall at 175 pounds. “It was awesome to be here, last time out on the mat at home, wrestling in front of the home crowd,” explained Ryan. “Fox Lane wrestling, this program has really changed me as a person, I don’t know where I’d be without it. All the hard work pays off and I’m feeling great going into sectionals and just want to focus and get to states and get it done.” Bloom took the lead in his 190-pound bout and won by injury default as he continues to turn in a strong season in his senior year looking for a big finish at the Section 1 tournament. “This is my last time ever wrestling in this gym, so it means a lot and I had to perform,” said Bloom. “Fox Lane wrestling means everything to me, I dedicated the last five years of my life to it and I’ve enjoyed every minute. I put in a lot of hard work and it’s paying off and I feel good going into sectionals. Last year I did pretty poorly at sectionals and this year I had to get back and I have a lot to prove.” In addition to the three captains, senior Finn Guyder also won his match by pin for the Foxes at 165-pounds. The Foxes started off the meet with a pair of pins from Joe D’Alesa and Flavio DiNicola to take a quick 12-0 lead. Other Foxes who won their matches by pin were Colin Hirschel and Andrew Brauning, while Steven Morales Palacios won by major decision. “Senior Night comes up on you so fast, it’s sort of bittersweet because some of these kids I’ve had for four or five years and they’ve all been great,” Fox Lane coach Anthony Rodrigues said of his seniors. “They’ve all made unbelievable jumps since they started and it’s a credit to them and the work they put in. The match that actually made me the happiest was Christian Lopez-Ramirez. He was losing 8-1 and he came back and almost won. He’s only a freshman and he’s taking a beating, but he kept wrestling.” There were plenty of highlights on the mat for John Jay as well, despite a young roster as the Wolves continue to get better and better. In addition to the match between Aniello and DiNicola, another exciting bout featured David Corrales of John Jay against Maynor Argueta., two of the top wrestlers in the section in the 118-pound weight class. Argueta took the lead with a takedown in the first period, but Corrales was able to rally back and score the decisive takedown in the third period to pull out a 5-3 win. Emerson Flamm won his match by pin for the Wolves, and Spencer Chan won by pin at 145 pounds to pull John Jay to within six at 21-15, but the Foxes won five of the next six bouts to pull away. Nick Candia closed out the meet with a win by pin for the Wolves, and Hunter Carini won his match by decision. “A couple of great, tight matches, a couple went our way and a couple didn’t, but it was a nice rivalry match,” said John Jay coach Mark Swertfager. “David, that was a good match between two good wrestlers and I think David was a little tentative, but it was a good win and he got the job done. Emerson had a good win, and Spencer is an up and coming wrestler for us. We just have to keep building, our last dual-meet going into sectionals and we’re working hard and excited and ready to go.” Both teams will move on to the Section 1 Division 1 championship tournament this weekend at the Westchester County Center starting Saturday, Feb. 7, and finishing Sunday, Feb. 8.

By MARC WOLLIN If you’re a sports fan you’re in heaven these weeks. We’ve just wrapped up the Australian Open in tennis and the Super Bowl in American football. Depending on when you read this, maybe you’re settling in for the NBA All Star Game in basketball, not to mention the mother lode of winter sports that is the Winter Olympics. If you want to root for a team or individual to win a crown by hitting, hooping, running or sliding, you’re in luck. While there is certainly crossover if you watch more than one event, you’re hardly alone: we’re talking a huge amount of eyeballs. The Olympics alone garners some 2 billion viewers globally, with the Australian Open close behind. While the Super Bowl dominates in the U.S., its global reach is a good bit smaller though still sizable. And were it in any other playing field the NBA’s 5 million viewers would be significant, though it’s tiny in this context. Still, add them all up, and across the globe we’re talking a rough total of 4.1 billion people cheering someone or something on. That doesn’t mean that all the other championships in other contests are standing on the sidelines. It’s just there are only so many minutes of airtime and column inches in the sports report or section. And so you have to dig a little deeper to find out the exploits of England’s Judd Trump (snooker) or the Dragons of Wales (rugby) or Philippines OG’s (esports) as they compete with the best in the world for their respective cups. Let’s start on the other side of the globe at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. This is not your backyard version of the sport, with pros routinely smashing the shuttlecock (you called it a birdie as a kid) at speeds over 200 mph; the record is 351 mph. In the finals last weekend Japan won their first men’s title stunning last year’s winner China, while the South Korea women shutout their Chinese counterparts by three to zip. Meanwhile, the ICC men’s T20 Cricket World Cup is in its first week, with matches being hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Twenty teams are playing a total of 55 matches, including Italy making its tournament debut. All eyes are on Group A, the so-called “Group of Death” featuring heavyweights India and Pakistan alongside the Netherlands, USA, and Namibia. India enters as the No. 1 ranked team, having won 33 of their last 41 T20 matches, and features Abhishek Sharma as the tournament’s top-ranked batter, with a 2025 season average of 42.95 and a strike rate near 200. (My good friend Nana, a cricket fanatic, may be one of the few reading this who understands just how good that really is.) And in Paris they are heading into the finals this weekend for the Rainbow Six Siege World Championship. RSS is one of the games in the world of esports, this one developed by Ubisoft. A tactical first-person shooter game, it’s described as different from “run-and-gun” games like “Call of Duty,” being much more of a “chess match with guns.” In these 5 vs. 5 matches one team defends an objective (like a bomb or a hostage) inside a building, and the other team tries to infiltrate and neutralize them. Top contenders include the FaZe Clan team which is based in Brazil. They are looking to repeat as winners and take home the $1 million prize.  To be sure congratulations are due to Carlos Alcaraz, the Seattle Seahawks and Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen for taking the first gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. But let’s not forget to offer kudos to Switzerland’s Lisa Bauman for capturing the cup in Châtel, France at the UCI Snow Bike World Championships. Bauman beat out France’s Vicky Clavel in the Women’s Elite Super G, a sort of downhill ski race on a bike, with a time of 1:58.270. And while the aforementioned Judd Trump got snookered this time by getting knocked out in the first round, Zhao Xintong of China triumphed over his countryman Zhang Anda by 10 to 6 at the 2026 World Grand Prix of snooker in Hong Kong. As for the T20, Nana, just keep cheering that Team Blue will be in the finals come March 8: “Jeetega Bhai Jeetega, India Jeetega!”  Marc Wollin of Bedford doesn’t follow any particular sport. His column appears weekly via email and online on Substack and Blogspot as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and X.

Fox Lane senior Piero DiNicola wrestled in the 126-pound title bout. David Corrales of John Jay works for a reversal. Wrestlers take center stage at County Center for the Section 1 championships. Fox Lane’s Luke Ryan makes his move for the pin to win the 165-pound title at the Section 1 wrestling championships. Andrew Brauning of Fox Lane grapples in the 215-pound championship. Jim MacLean Photos By JIM MACLEAN  It was Super Bowl Sunday, but all eyes were on the mats as wrestlers took center stage at the Westchester County Center in White Plains for the Section 1 championships, a three-day tournament finishing up on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 8, just in time for football fans to get home for the game. Wrestlers from Fox Lane and John Jay took to the mats on Saturday and Sunday to compete in the Section 1 Division 1 tournament against a field of 32 teams overall. Fox Lane senior Luke Ryan led the way, as he was a repeat champion, claiming his second Section 1 title by cruising through the 165-pound weight class. Ryan faced a familiar foe in the finals, wrestling against J. Gaylord from Rye for the fourth time this season. Ryan took care of business, opening up a 13-0 lead and finishing it off with a pin to secure the crown. “My main goal when I started wrestling was to be a Section 1 champion, so to double that it feels great,” Ryan said of winning his second title. “It’s super hard to wrestle the same guy so many times. We both knew our strengths and weaknesses. That first period, still 0-0, I just had to keep wrestling smart, wrestling composed. It’s a good feeling to win again, but I have high expectations. I’m focused on states and just wrestling my best.” Ryan wasn’t the only Fox Lane wrestler having a big day as the Foxes had three wrestlers advance to the finals and five wrestlers placed in the top six. The Foxes finished seventh overall of the 32 teams with 144.5 points. In addition to Ryan, senior Piero DiNicola advanced to the finals in the 126-pound weight class, and Andrew Brauning advanced to the finals in the 215-pound weight class. DiNicola won his first four matches in impressive style to advance to the finals, where he faced three-time Section 1 champion Nick Fortugno of Byram Hills/Westlake/Valhalla. It was a close match into the second period when Fortugno took the lead and went on to a 7-2 victory as DiNicola finished second. He then had to bounce back in a true-second bout as DiNicola rallied from a 10-7 deficit to pull out a 13-10 win over Gio Tornambe of Yorktown to earn a trip to Albany for the state tournament. “I wanted it really bad, it was all guts, I just had to win,” DiNicola said of the match to go to states. “Especially after being in the sectional finals and losing, it was tough to go back out there, but I just had to win and get to states and I’m excited, getting to the state tournament was a goal for my senior year.” Brauning continued his impressive junior season as he came in as the sixth-seed and scored three impressive wins to advance to the finals at 215-pounds and finish second overall. Brauning then had to face defending champion Rocco Lore of Yorktown, who won by tech fall to claim his second-straight crown. Brauning then had to get right back on the mat for a true-second bout, where he suffered a tough loss by decision to miss out on a chance to advance to the state tournament. Senior Chris Bloom finished third for the Foxes at 190 pounds, as he advanced to the semifinals and then wrestled back to win on a late takedown to secure an 11-8 victory for third. “More than anything, I just couldn’t end my career on a loss, that was my motivation,” said Bloom after his third-place bout. “It felt great when I got that takedown. The hard work paid off, I went from 0-2 at this tournament last year to third place.” Joe D’Alisa placed fifth at 103 pounds for the Foxes. D’Alisa was the 10th-seed, but the freshman beat the second-seed in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals, and he scored a 14-0 victory in his final bout to finish fifth. “If you had told me going into the season this is what would happen as a team, I’d sign up for it,” explained Fox Lane coach Anthony Rodrigues. “There was certainly a lot of growth with the team all year. The young kids are really into it. We had the three senior captains and they all had nothing as freshmen and worked to get where they are. Those three had a combined six wins as freshmen. How much they grew is amazing, Bloom in season made a bigger jump than I’ve ever seen, he really turned it up. Luke has been great, not just about the wrestling, just as a role model, he’s been a great leader. Him and Piero both, they show you what hard work can do. I’m hoping this next group sees that and will do the same thing.” John Jay had a pair of place finishers as sophomore David Corrales finished fifth at 118 pounds and sophomore John Aniello was sixth at 126 pounds. Corrales won his first two matches before falling in the quarterfinals, and he then won three more matches, including a 10-1 victory in his final bout to take fifth. Aniello won his first three matches, including a big win over the third-seed in the quarterfinals, before falling to DiNicola in the semifinals. Aniello had to injury default in his final bout to finish sixth overall. “It’s something to build on, they’ll both be back and they have two more years,” John Jay coach Mark Swertfager said of Corrales and Aniello. “They all need a solid off season. It’s good to go into the off-season with a fire in your belly. We had a crew of young wrestlers here watching them and they all needed to get to work. It’s a 12-month process, the 2027 season starts right now.” Ryan and DiNicola will now advance to the New York State Championships to be held Feb. 27 to 28, at the MVP Arena in Albany.

The Fifth Division Market building in Cross River. THANE GRAUEL PHOTO; The historic market was named for an Army unit. CONTRIBUTED; Still waiting for a refill. The gutted interior. THANE GRAUEL PHOTO Fifth Division Deli gutted inside, awaits reconstruction By THANE GRAUEL The building that has been home to a post office, general store and for decades the Fifth Division Market has been empty for weeks, ripped down to the studs inside and awaiting its next incarnation. The 2,100-square-foot structure perched over the Cross River Reservoir was recently sold to an LLC.  It appears the interior work began before necessary paperwork was in hand. A notice of violation was issued by the Lewisboro Building Department on Jan. 14, stating the reason as “building permit required.” The violation was issued to 788 RT 35, the LLC that purchased the property. That same day, an application for for demolition work was submitted by a builder from Trumbull, Conn. The permit was issued by the town a week later, on Jan. 21. Since the work was ordered stopped, it appears little progress has been made converting the space to its next use, which some say will also be a deli or similar food business. The owners have not responded to questions from The Recorder. There is no shortage of history at the wooden, two-story structure a stone’s throw from the northwest edge of what is now the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Westchester County’s largest park. The building was assembled using some parts of an old general store that was dismantled across the road in 1890 when the reservoir was constructed.  In 1938, Anthony Felice began running the “new” general store, which he renamed the Fifth Division Market, in honor of his World War I army division, according to Maureen Koehl, Lewisboro’s town historian. The “Red Devils,” as the division became to be known, was hastily formed for the U.S. to enter the growing conflict in Europe. It saw heavy casualties in eastern France. After World War II, the store was run by Ralph Felice and his fellow veteran and lifelong friend, Waldie Gullen. Gullen died in December 2024, at age 100. Felice died at 77 in January 2004.  “The Fifth Division is indeed a Cross River historic landmark,” said Koehl, who included photos and history of the business in her book, “Images of Lewisboro.”  “It is the successor to John Hunt’s market from the 19th century,” she said. “Hunt’s market stood across the street from the 5th’s location, in what is now reservoir property. When the Cross River reservoir was built, the store had to be moved. The store stood kind of between the swampy woods and the Route 121 bridge. When the Hunt store was dismantled, much of the building was used to build the present store and it was still called Hunt’s Market. During this time and in the next postmaster, Chapman Miller’s time, it served as the Cross River Post Office until Postmaster Miller moved the PO eastward on Route 35 to a building that is now part of Yellow Monkey Village.” The Lewisboro Building Department does not yet have an application that details building plans for the old deli. The Planning Board said it does not have any application filed. Neal Rentz contributed to this report.

Clockwise from top, the Wogies Philly cheesesteak, owner Aaron Hoffman, the outside of the old firehouse, a fire truck bell and helmet shields. Amy Sowder Photos By AMY SOWDER Aaron Hoffman comes by his Philly cheesesteak chops honestly. A native of Philadelphia, Pa., he opened Wogies Bar & Grill in New York City’s  West Village 22 years ago and then in the Financial District 10 years later before moving his family to Katonah and opening a third location in the old firehouse downtown in June 2025. Named after his mother’s nickname for his father, Katonah’s new restaurant and full bar caters to the suburb’s family-oriented customers but also a bar crowd with happy hour, trivia nights and music bingo. Expect elevated bar food. “Everything is made from scratch. We have our own baker, we butcher our own meat, and the barbecue, ranch and blue cheese sauces are all made from scratch,” Hoffman said. So, it’s no surprise that the signature dish of the place is the classic Pennsylvania sandwich. Besides the classic version stuffed with 6 to 7 ounces of chopped steak, Cheez Whiz-hued cheese sauce and diced, grilled onions on an Italian hoagie, there are chicken, Buffalo chicken, and portobello mushroom versions.  “It’s a simple menu, but you can get it a million different ways,” Hoffman said. You can add or swap different vegetables and change the cheese to provolone, American or sharp cheddar. “When it’s the other cheese, it’s mixed in the meat on the flattop,” Hoffman said. “It’s a big cheesy, goopy, pepper, meaty mess. It’s great.” And the bread can be swapped for a wrap, gluten-free bread — or one of just a few pretzel rolls made each day. The restaurant’s head baker makes a sheet of Philly-style, numeral eight-shaped pretzels sold as a snack or appetizer. But those in the know with lucky timing can order an off-menu pretzel roll for their cheesesteak. The trainer for the bakery team was a coach for the USA team in international bakery competitions and now consults for King Arthur Baking Co., Hoffman said. Those lucky enough to get the pretzel version may want to split the sandwich, because it’s heavier than the one on Italian bread, he said. The pretzel dough has malt and butter in it, and it’s dipped in a food-grade sodium hydroxide solution to create a deep brown, glossy, chewy crust through an intense Maillard reaction. The rolls are scored and baked at 450 to 500 degrees, sprinkled with big flakes of pretzel salt. To make the beloved messy mound of meat enveloped by the roll, the restaurant starts with a hunk of inside round. Also called top round, this beef is found behind the hind leg and is lean but still has marbling. The butchers remove the outer fat, cut it and shape it into a football, freeze it for one night to make it easier to slice into those signature slivers. They portion it out and marinate it in olive oil, salt and pepper. When an order comes in, the cook throws a portion onto the flattop with a sizzle, and a chop-chop-chop, adding onions and whatever variations the customer ordered. Enjoy the dish at the bar in front of the firehose-wrapped poles and the bell from the first motorized fire engine in Katonah and firefighter badges. Or dig in from the Poughkeepsie church pews or at a table behind the antique, wrought-iron Parisian doors separating the bar’s high-tops from the more family-oriented dining area. There are many Wogies original and favorite dishes — besides the wings, ask about the “garbage bread” inspired by Hoffman’s wife’s upstate Italian family. During the Depression, they ordered the throwaway end pieces of meat and cheese at delis to then chop into pieces and bake inside bread to soften them. But there’s only one way to satisfy the craving for a classic Philly cheesesteak. And no one will bat an eye if you want to switch it up. This place is casual. After all, almost everybody pronounces the restaurant and bar name wrong (it’s “whoa-jeez”), but it doesn’t matter.  “I don’t care how you say it, as long as you come back,” Hoffman said with a laugh.  Wogies Bar & Grill is located at 156 Katonah Ave., Katonah. For more information, visit wogies.com .

Spencer Grayson leaps from the starting block for the 100-freestyle race. Ryan Loveless swims backstroke at Section 1 championships. Henry Dauterman swims breaststroke leg of medley relay event. Andrew Acocella competes in the 500-yard freestyle. Jim MacLean Photos By JIM MACLEAN  For the seniors on the combined Fox Lane/John Jay swim team, it was one last chance to compete in the Felix Festa Middle School pool in Clarkstown for the Section 1 championships, and they made the most of the opportunity. Swimmers converged on the pool from all the Section 1 high schools for the two-day meet with the preliminaries on Monday, and the top 16 swimmers qualified to come back the next day for the finals on Feb. 10. Fox Lane/John Jay had swimmers qualify for every event in the finals on Tuesday, and the team turned in a number of impressive swims to place in the top 10, and five swimmers earned a trip to the state meet. “It was a good meet overall, the boys finished with some really fast times,” said John Jay coach Suzanne Guziec. “The relays were so powerful, a little heartbreaking that the medley relay just missed the state cut. For these seniors, this is kind of their last time swimming with their group. They’ve been together for four years, so it’s really kind of bittersweet.” Three of those seniors will get a chance to swim again as they met the qualifying times to compete at the state meet.  The team saved its best for the last event as Matija Novakovic, Andrew Acocella, Aidan Polese, and Spencer Grayson teamed up for second-place in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a personal best time of 3:15.19. The team had qualified for the state meet in the preliminaries on Monday with a time of 3:17.86, and they shaved off another two seconds in the finals to finish second. “It feels great, states are always a fun meet and we’re excited to make it as a team,” Grayson said of the relay going to states. “It’s a great time all around, a great meet, great to be going with the boys. We were fired up and dropped another two seconds and hope we can go faster at states.” Grayson also qualified for the state meet in the 100-yard freestyle with a fourth-place finish in a time of 48.26. He was also fourth in the 50-yard freestyle event. Polese qualified for states in the 200-yard freestyle as he was fourth with a time of 1:45.15, and he was right behind Grayson in the 100-freestyle in fifth place. “It was a good meet, I’m happy with what we did,” Polese said. “The relay, we just have more energy every time we swim it. It will be nice to end it together up at Ithaca for states, a really nice pool and a fun travel trip together, a fun time.” Acocella will be competing in the relay and two events up at the state meet as he was fifth in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:43.26 to qualify, and he was right behind Polese in fifth for the 200-yard freestyle meeting the state cut with a time of 1:47.15. Senior Ryan Loveless also qualified for the state meet as he was fifth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 54.75. “It was a hard meet with some good races, and we put together some good swims,” said Loveless. “It felt great to make the state cut in the 100 back, I didn’t make it in the prelims, so going out and getting it in the finals felt really great.” Loveless was also part of the 200-yard medley relay team along with Henry Dauterman, Jack Tsai and Grayson that finished third with a time of 1:40.79, barely missing the state cut time of 1:40.67. Fox Lane/John Jay also had an impressive swim in the other relay event as Tsai, Novakovic, Dauterman and Polese teamed up to finish fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:31.84. Dauterman earned a pair of top 10 finishes in individual events as he was seventh in the 100-yard breaststroke race with a time of 1:03.58, and he was ninth in 200-yard Individual medley event with a time of 2:04.75. Novakovic competed in two individual events as the freshman was 11th in the 100-yard butterfly and he was 16th in the Individual medley race. Tsai was 14th in the 100-yard butterfly, and Loveless was 14th in the 200-yard freestyle event. Swimmers that qualified will now move on to compete in the New York state championships to be held at Ithaca College starting on Friday, March 6 and finishing on Saturday, March 7.

Sebastian Getz scores inside for the Foxes. Janak Bain gets fouled in the lane. Arthur Shevick fires a three-pointer for the Foxes against rival Horace Greeley. Chris Sanchez had the hot hand leading Fox Lane with 19 points on senior night.  Jim MacLean Photos By JIM MACLEAN  In front of a packed gym on senior night with 12 seniors on the roster, it was a thrilling night of high school basketball as Fox Lane hosted archrival Horace Greeley on Friday, Feb. 6, in a game that went down to the final whistle. The only thing missing for Fox Lane was a happy ending as Greeley held on for a 53-51, handing the Foxes a heartbreaking loss. “That was a tough one, they’re a good team, we’re a good team, just came down to they made a couple more plays than we did,” admitted Fox Lane coach Mike Tomassi. “It was unbelievable, it’s tough that people say this isn’t one of the best rivalries in Section 1, this game is special. Our gym is special and I was lucky to play here and coach here in this rivalry. Our fans showed out, our community, and so did theirs. It was an incredible atmosphere — that’s what high school basketball should be, late in the season, two really good teams playing in front of a packed gym.” It was standing room only as the two teams took to the court after a pregame ceremony honoring the 12 seniors on the Fox Lane roster. It took a few minutes for the Fox Lane seniors to put the emotions behind them as Greeley opened up a 4-0 lead, but then senior Chris Sanchez came alive and started hitting shots from all over the court to keep the Foxes in the game. After Sanchez hit a 3-pointer and then sank three free throws, Ethan Mayers scored for the Foxes to tie it up at 9-9 before the Quakers scored to close out the first quarter with a 12-9 lead. Sanchez hit another 3-pointer to tie it up again at 14-14 in the second quarter, but the Quakers went on an 11-0 run to open up a 25-14 lead. Once again, it was Sanchez keeping the Foxes in it as he hit a pair of three-pointers, and he scored again in the final seconds to close out the first half with Greeley clinging to a 27-23 lead. Overall, Sanchez finished with 19 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers, scoring all but four of the Foxes points in the half. “Chris did a great job keeping us in it, because we did not play a good first half and he carried us,” Tomassi said of Sanchez. “Chris was awesome, he’s been grinding every day and he made some big shots and was great tonight.” In the second half, senior Arthur Shevick opened up the scoring with his first hoop of the game. Greeley responded with a 7-0 run to take a 34-25 lead, but the Foxes started chipping away. Shevick scored again, and Ethan Mayers came up with a steal and scored and was fouled and sank the free throw for a 3-point play to cut it down to 34-30. Senior Joe Cerone came up with a couple of offensive rebounds for the Foxes, and Mayers finished off another three-point play, and then Shevick drilled a 3-pointer to tie it up at 37-37. Shevick sank a pair of free throws to give Fox Lane its first lead of the game at 39-37, but Greeley responded to tie it up and set the stage for a thrilling fourth quarter finish. It was a nail biter as the lead changed back and forth throughout the fourth quarter. The Quakers took a 45-41 lead, but Janak Bain scored for the Foxes and then Shevick followed with a pair of hoops to give the Foxes the lead at 47-45. Greeley tied it up, and Shevick answered again with a hoop, but the Quakers took the lead at 50-49. Bain scored again to give the Foxes a 51-50 lead, but Greeley reclaimed the lead at 52-51 with 43 seconds left to play. Shevick had a chance heading to the line for two free throws with four seconds left, but he was unable to convert and the Quakers closed it out with a 53-51 win. “He’s a great player, he’s had a great career here, every game I’ve coached here with Arthur Shevick in that exact same scenario with him on the line, I’d take that every time,” said Tomassi. “All of our seniors played hard. Janak played hard, Joe Cerone played hard, Sebastian Getz is battling a shoulder injury and gave us everything he had. It was just one of those games, we did a lot of good things and came up short. That’s why I love sports, you do the right things and sometimes it doesn’t happen for you. The true test of character is to see how you practice the next day to show what type of team you are.” Sanchez led the Foxes with 19 points, and Shevick finished with 17 points all in the second half. Mayers was in double figures with 10 points, and Bain finished with 5 points for the Foxes. With the loss Fox Lane now stands at 9-9 overall with two games left on the regular season. The Foxes were set to host Walter Panas on Wednesday, Feb. 11, and then close out the regular season on the road at John Jay on Friday, Feb. 13.

By NEAL RENTZ The Lewisboro Town Board took up a national issue on Monday night — whether it should affirm Fourth Amendment protections and lawful policing practices when federal immigration enforcement officers are in town — but ultimately declined to vote on a resolution. The resolution was proposed by Councilwoman Julia Hadlock, who said the proposal was not legislation and that she sought to begin a discussion on the topic.  Her “Resolution affirming Fourth Amendment protections and lawful policing practices when Federal Immigration Enforcement is present in the Town,” stated, in part, that “the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution and Article state constitutions to protect all persons from unreasonable search and seizures and requires warrants to be supported by probable cause issued by a neutral magistrate or judge.”  New York state law requires law enforcement to work within constitutional and statutory limits to protect the civil rights of town residents, the resolution stated.  “The actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in detaining individuals, including United States citizens, immigrants, students and tourists, without due process and in violation of their constitutional rights, present a grave threat to the foundational principles of liberty, justice and democracy in our nation …” the resolution stated.  It said that town police should comply with the Fourth Amendment when interacting with or in the presence of federal immigration officers. It also stated it was not authorizing local police to do independent immigration enforcement and it did not oppose lawful cooperation with federal immigration officers consistent with constitutional guidelines. In addition, the resolution stated it was not intended “to obstruct, impede or interfere with lawful federal enforcement activities.” Councilman Dan Welsh said the Town Board could address national issues while doing its work on local issues. “We can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said.  The intent of the resolution is not to criticize the town’s police department, Welsh said.  “It is rather about all the stuff that’s going on around the nation and in our county,” he said.  “There’s no good reason to sit back and pretend that it’s not going on,” Welsh said. “The stories that come out every day are just horrific.” The intent of the resolution is on due process, which is not always being observed by ICE, Welsh said. Councilman Richard Sklarin said the resolution is about when federal immigration officers are in Lewisboro, not what has occurred in other parts of the country. Parts of the resolution are directed toward the town police, he said.  Each Town Board member is a police commissioner, responsible for overseeing the police department, Sklarin said.  “There’s no doubt about things going on in other places,” he said. “I don’t think that anybody could seriously dispute that.”  The question, he said, was why the Town Board would need to adopt the resolution, which is stating the local police need to uphold the law, Sklarin said. Police officers have taken an oath to uphold local, federal, and state laws, he said.  The resolution is “undermining our confidence in our public confidence in the Lewisboro Police Department,” he said. Hadlock said she met last week with Police Chief David Alfano to discuss issues related to the department. She is the Town Board’s liaison to the department. “We’re going to meet regularly so I can just understand what the practices are and how I can support their needs,” Hadlock said. Hadlock discussed the resolution with Alfano.  “My goal is not to undermine them but to support them,” she said, adding she said the Town Board would back the town police if ICE officers came to town. “He specifically said I have no problem with this resolution, and you can share that with your board colleagues,” Hadlock said. Alfano could not be reached for comment. Hadlock said she supported the town police’s work to uphold the laws they have taken an oath to uphold. Passing the resolution might not be necessary, she said. “Chief Alfano has been a big proponent of and an advocate for community policing,” Councilwoman Mary Shah said, adding that he has done “a stellar job” of protecting the community and upholding town, national and state laws. Shah questioned if the Town Board needed to pass the resolution.  Several people attending the meeting criticized the measure. Glenn DeFaber asked Hadlock about her motivation.  “Are you doing it for Lewisboro or are you doing it for yourself?” he asked. “Are you building a brand or are you working for the people of Lewisboro?” Discussion of the latest immigration resolution “seems to be a waste of our time and our money,” DeFaber said.  A  resolution was discussed by the Town Board five years ago about “immigration in Lewisboro, which is nonexistent,” DeFaber said.  Hadlock wants to become town supervisor, DeFaber said.  Former Councilwoman Andrea Rendo agreed with DeFaber’s comments about the resolution being politically motivated. The resolution was an insult to the police department, Rendo said.  Instead of expressing her opinion on immigration enforcement, Rendo said she wanted to hear Hadlock’s thoughts on such town-related issues as where a proposed cell tower should be located and zoning for battery storage and solar power farms.  One resident, Lateasha Stapleton, thanked Hadlock for initiating the discussion.  “You don’t know what it’s like being black or brown,” she said. “You don’t know the feelings that we have.” Some ICE officers “are not respecting our constitutional laws,” Stapleton said. “So therefore, please make sure that we should be more united than apart.” The resolution brings up issues that need to be addressed, she said.