January 27, 2012
by Christine Yeres

By this time last year, says Commissioner Anthony Vaccaro, New Castle had weathered six snowstorms totaling 40 inches of snow on 120 miles of road (= 240 lane miles).  So far this year the town has seen only three events requiring salting or plowing:  the out-of-season October 26 snowstorm that wreaked havoc on trees and powerlines, a freezing rain on January 16 and the one-day-winter-wonderland last Saturday.

Waiting to begin; see more photos in “Read more…”
January 6, 2012
by Christine Yeres

A full crowd at town hall chatted and noshed as they waited for U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey to arrive from Albany to swear in new Town Supervisor Susan Carpenter, re-elected Deputy Supervisor Elise Mottel, town councilman Jason Chapin, re-elected town justices Douglas Kraus and David Zuckerman and County Legislator Mike Kaplowitz.  Lowey as emcee was worth the wait—still beaming after a day that had begun with her attendance at Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “State of the State” address at 1:30 that afternoon in Albany and eager to usher into office New Castle’s town board members and justices.

Monday, January 2, 2012
by Christine Yeres

The Recycling Center yard itself, for residential recycling, will remain open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., but starting this week, the Recycling Department office will be closed from 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 noon on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Leaf bag and recycling bin purchases, mulch delivery orders, and electronics disposal services will not be available during this 45-minute time period.  Saturdays the office will remain open continuously from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. “Because Saturday is by far the biggest day for recycle visits,” explained Recycling Foreman Bart Carey.

See photos of the ceremony, the old bridge, construction, and the new bridge in “Read more…”
December 23, 2011
by Christine Yeres

The last pieces to put into place were the railings on top of the walls on the section of the bridge over the railroad tracks.  A little more than three years after de-construction of the 1930’s Route 120 bridge began in September 2008, local, state and federal elected officials as well as Department of Transportation reps met yesterday morning at the base of north wall of the completed bridge, eager to take multiple scissors to a golden ribbon stretched across Allen Place and breath a collective sigh of relief.

December 23, 2011
by Christine Yeres

THIS JUST IN: Word came from a spokesperson for Co. Exec. Astorino at 9:20 A.M.  that he has signed the legislation to allow extension of the sewer district to Yeshiva, Random Farms, Riverwoods and Chappaqua Crossing.

Hershel Reich, administrator of Yeshiva, was uneasy when he heard an ambiguous message from County Executive Rob Astorino on his answering machine yesterday morning. Reich wonders now about the chances for admission of Yeshiva, Random Farms and Riverwoods into the Saw Mill sewer district, which the legislature voted on December 15 to approve. See Co. “Legislature approves admission of 293 New Castle parcels into sewer district,” NCNOW.org, 12/16/11.

December 16, 2011
by Christine Yeres

In her last meeting as Supervisor, Barbara Gerrard cheerily announced on Tuesday that, to her “great pleasure and disbelief,” Westchester County legislators had voted the night before to accept the town’s petition for Random Farms, Riverwoods, Yeshiva and a portion of Chappaqua Crossing to be admitted to the Saw Mill River sewer district.  Visiting at town hall, Mike Kaplowitz, New Castle’s representative on the board of legislators, characterized it as “an overnight success—after 14 years!”

Thursday, November 10, 2011

With all 16 districts’ votes now counted, the race for supervisor shows that the gap between Democratic candidate Susan Carpenter and Republican-Independence candidate Bob Kirkwood narrowed to 142 votes.  Since voting machines were impounded throughout Westchester by a state Supreme Court justice due to several close races in other jurisdictions,  the paper ballots —affidavits and absentee —remain uncounted.  According to the Westchester County Board of Elections, among the uncounted are 130 absentee ballots mailed out to New Castle voters, including six to residents in the military; so far, 90 of these have been returned. See the full results in “Read more…”

Monday, October 17, 2011

On Thursday, town Administrator Penelle Paderewski sent town board members a tentative budget for 2012 of $36.3 million. Of that, $14.7 is revenue the town brings in; residents supply $19,333,001 million in property taxes, a figure that comes in under the 2% tax cap by $145,010. The remaining $2 million is taken from the fund balance.

Supervisor Barbara Gerrard visiting the completed south sidewalk
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
by Christine Yeres

The south sidewalk of the bridge is free and clear for passage; the north side not quite finished.  Last night metal workers continued the take-down of the pedestrian walkway, the last impediment to workers’ finishing up the north side of the bridge, most importantly, the staircase to the bridge.

Monday, October 3, 2011
by Jason Chapin

We moved to New Castle because of the great schools, appealing neighborhoods and overall charm of the Town. But how did the Town get that way?

September 30, 2011
by Rob Greenstein

At the School board’s September 20 meeting, board members voted unanimously to change the night of their meeting from Tuesday to Wednesday, to begin in the next school year, 2012-2013.  Bravo!

September 23, 2011
With 12 comments since publication
by Christine Yeres

At the invitation last week of Supervisor Barbara Gerrard and Deputy Supervisor Elise Mottel, about 30 downtown Chappaqua merchants came together in a conference room at town hall last Tuesday night to report on the vicissitudes of commercial life in the downtown hamlet and make contact with one another.

September 23, 2011
With 53 comments since publication
by Christine Yeres

Republican candidates for town board held a press conference to lay out their plans to pump life into the commercial tax base of New Castle.  Both are owners of small businesses. Bob Kirkwood’s insurance agency is in Pleasantville; Rich Diefenbach runs his video production company from New Castle.

September 23, 2011
by Christine Yeres

In a work session last Tuesday following a meeting with Chappaqua merchants, Supervisor Barbara Gerrard urged town board members to look hard at the schedule for capital improvements and, if the condition of the sewer line on South Greeley is in good enough shape, to put off its repair for another year.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
from Sheila Bernson

• Monday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. at New Castle’s Town Hall: Community Forum on increasing town board by two members, and adopting a ward system of representation

• Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chappaqua Library: Candidates’ Night