UPDATE: 8:11 a.m. Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Several hours after yesterday’s burglary advisory was sent an additional burglary was discovered. This burglary was on Birch Lane in Chappaqua and the home is owned by a person of Asian descent. This strengthens our belief that the burglars are targeting homes owned by persons with Asian last names. Residents are advised to take necessary precautions to protect their property.

4:43 p.m. Monday, December 10, 2012
~ from the New Castle Police Department

On November 5th the New Castle Police investigated the report of a burglary on Surrey Lane in Millwood. Today we received a report of a burglary on Chappaqua Mountain Road in Chappaqua. Both burglaries occurred during daytime hours. Both victims were of Asian descent.

At the corner of King and Bedford Road; a school at right, now Talbot’s
Monday, October 22, 2012
by John Magoun

October in Westchester is, of course, bow-hunting season for deer. In 1944, it was more a part of town life than it is now.

What was thought to be a small addition to the 1869 Victorian house is really the original, dating from around 1740.
October 26, 2012

Editor’s Note: In last Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, New Castle Town Historian and Chair of the Landmarks Advisory Committee Gray Williams related the story of the house—or, rather, conjoined houses—on Quaker Road that his committee was recommending for landmark status.  ““I am this day 71 years old,” wrote Sutton Reynolds, Jr. in 1865. “I thought I would write a record of some of my family. About the year 1698 or 9, my grandfather was born. . . “

Monday, October 15, 2012
by Christine Yeres

The Fall Festival’s Apple Pie Contest drew an intense crowd of pie-lovers who watched and waited—hovered, really—attentively for their chance to taste, too.  Sherry Blockinger, creator-owner of the newly-opened Sherry B Dessert Studio, armed with clipboard, pen and plastic fork gave each pie its due, judging them on looks, quality of the crust, taste and consistency of the filling.  From among 14 entries, Teresa Shen’s was best.  See more pie and taster photos in “Read more…”

October 12, 2012
by Rob Greenstein

This Saturday, October 13, the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce transforms downtown Chappaqua into a harvest-fest showcasing local merchants and fun activities.  From 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., find a pumpkin patch at the gazebo and an apple pie contest at the Chappaqua Farmers Market (judging at 11:30 a.m.), and—all over town—bumper cars, a petting zoo, a photo booth, a continuous hayride, face painting, music, a jumping castle and inflatable slide, a balloon twister, nail painting, a doughnut-eating contest and an obstacle course.  See the line-up and sponsors below:

Newest four-story version of Conifer’s proposed project, viewed from town
July 6, 2012
by Christine Yeres

Conifer returned two months ago with a revised four-story apartment building of 36 affordable housing rental units at Hunts Place—a building 48 feet longer, but down one story, from the original proposal.  In a Tuesday work session, the town board again declared itself lead agency in the environmental review of the project, which ultimately requires a special use permit from the town board.

Local architect Chuck Napoli, with his Hamlet Revitalization Project
With 23 comments since publication
June 29, 2012
by Christine Yeres

Picture this: The Bell school field behind the shops on South Greeley raised above the poor drainage that plagues it, now a full-size turf field with parking for 400 cars underneath it, and a brand new row of shop fronts facing the South Greeley shop backs—only now they’re remade into second front facades—and it was all created by a private developer.

Supervisor asks merchants themselves to suggest solutions

With 17 comments since publication
June 22, 2012
by Christine Yeres

From June 2005 to June 2011, each year the town charged merchants $150 per merchant parking space in downtown Chappaqua.  In 2005, merchants paid for a total of 202 spots, in 2010 for 176.  But when the town decided to drop the fee entirely in 2011-12 and allow each merchant to take up to seven free permits, that number ballooned to 368, reported the town’s Receiver of Taxes, Jill Shapiro, who administers the commuter parking program.  And with a total of 450 parking spots in the downtown, that’s a problem, she told board members last Tuesday.

June 22, 2012
by Christine Yeres

HOT NEWS:  First, now that summer’s here, know that you can buy a summer parking pass for July and August at one-quarter the cost of the full year’s permit.  That’s $106.25 for residents and $212.50 for non-residents.

June 1, 2012
by Rob Greenstein

We are proud to introduce the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce—for now, a page dedicated to the Chamber of Commerce, hosted by NewCastleNOW.org. As our mission statement indicates, The Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to fostering economic growth and to advancing the commercial well-being of the community through strong and vibrant business districts.

Station front at bottom, tracks at top; drawing by Wallace Toscano
May 18, 2012
by Christine Yeres

The chef and pastry chef of the former Flying Pig visited a town board work session last Tuesday to present their proposal for a 60-seat restaurant in the historic 1902 Chappaqua Train Station building owned by the town.  Their plan would have Sutter’s Track 32, a “moderately-priced, family-affordable” restaurant open by summer – this summer.

April 27, 2012
by Christine Yeres

Last Tuesday, Wallace Toscano, a local architect who has been critical of the Conifer proposal for 36 units of affordable rental apartments at Hunts Place in downtown Chappaqua, appealed to town board members to reject Conifer’s plan.  He urged board members to instead consider two sites substantially bigger than the 0.36-acre Hunts Place lot, both behind town hall, both owned by the town.

Monday, April 23, 2012
by Christine Yeres

Luckily, the rain that will stay with us for most of this week held off till after the 2nd Annual Fishing Derby at Gedney Sunday morning.  Families spread out all around the pond to catch the 500 or so trout released into the pond two days before.  With big night crawlers supplied free, anglers of all sizes, abilities, casting styles and equipment snagged not only trout, but also sunnies, catfish and crappies that had overwintered in the pond.

More photos in “Read more…” or in Photo Gallery
Monday, April 23, 3012
by Christine Yeres

Around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night, firefighters from Chappaqua and Millwood—along with six neighboring fire departments, paramedics and three ambulance corps—responded to a three-alarm fire at 15 Ivy Hill Road that engulfed the dormered garage that formed an ‘L’ extending back from the north side of the white Colonial, and had begun to reach into the house itself.

With 33 comments since publication
Monday, March 12, 2012
by Christine Yeres

After an appearance before the planning board last week, Conifer’s architect, Gary Warshauer, returned to town hall the next evening to consult New Castle’s five-member Architectural Review Board, Lonnie Goodman (Chairman), Sara Kaplan, Robert Schenkel, Anne Hasegawa and Terrence Dunn. With a set of his latest drawings in hand, Warshauer described to ARB members Conifer’s proposal for a five-story, “fair and affordable” 36-unit rental apartment building on Hunts Place with access to the Quaker Road bridge at its third story. The project is called “Chappaqua Station.”