Welcome to the Town Section

Private banking info captured in 24-hour card-skimming scheme


ATM at Bank of America branch in downtown Chappaqua
January 29, 2010
by Christine Yeres

On Wednesday, January 20, at 6:00 p.m. a person entered the vestibule of the Bank of America branch at the corner of Woodburn and South Greeley Avenues and planted some kind of recording or photographic device on the single ATM machine inside, reported Detective Sergeant James Wilson of the New Castle Police Department. For the next 23 and a half hours, he explained, the device captured the ATM card numbers and PIN codes of about 50 of the bank’s customers who used the single ATM machine in the vestibule.

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Editorial: New Year’s Resolutions

January 1, 2010
by Susie Pender

Groan! I can hear it through the Internet. A big collective groan. Two things no one wants to hear about on New Year’s Day after a night of revelry: someone’s resolutions and, worse yet, admonitions to make resolutions.

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Community Day Tomorrow . . . Rain or Shine


Tomorrow, Saturday, October 3, Community Day at the Train Station
October 2, 2009
by John Ehrlich

Rain or shine , Community Day, hosted by the Rotary Club of Chappaqua in conjunction with the Town of New Castle, will be one of the largest yet, featuring 100 exhibitors, rides and attractions at Chappaqua train station plaza from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, October 3.  If it pours the booths and attractions will be moved to Bell Middle School across South Greeley Avenue but the day will go on as scheduled.

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UPDATE: No parking this week from Starbucks to Post Office; alternating traffic, Pizza Station to PO


Monday, July 13, 2009
by Christine Yeres

According to an e-alert sent out on Friday, July 10, by the town of New Castle, there will be no parking allowed on North Greeley Avenue this week, Monday through Friday, from Starbucks to the U.S. Post Office. The town has arranged to have soil borings taken this week along that section of Greeley Avenue.

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New Castle Unplugged: Storm stories by residents


March 5, 2010
by Susie Pender

The library was alive Saturday with a warm community spirit. I sat with and spoke to friends who would not usually be there. We often pick our books, pick our movies and run.

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Chappaqua Rotary to bestow three community service awards at Saturday, March 6 celebration


March 5, 2010

by John Ehrlich

Next Saturday, The Rotary Club of Chappaqua New York will present community service awards to Gray Williams, New Castle Town Historian, Harold Campbell, a long-time Rotarian, and Brandon Azoulai, a senior at Horace Greeley High School. All the honorees will receive their awards at the Annual Community Service Dinner celebrating Rotary’s 27th year in Chappaqua.  The event is open to the community and all those interested in attending are warmly welcomed.

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Eulogy for a tree


March 5, 2010
by Rita Tobin

I was making a video of Friday’s storm for my cousin in Southern Florida, when what had been intended as a portrait of wintery splendor, turned into an episode of reality TV.  I had opened the front door and, wrapped in my parka, was filming branches laden with snow, and the dogs larking in the drifts, when a figure that had been obscured by the white haze enveloping our front lawn, suddenly began to speak.  That figure turned out to be my husband, and he was not delivering good news.

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Despite snow emergency, Library keeps regular hours: Sat. till 5 pm, Sun. 12:30-5:30 pm


Saturday, February 27

It’s a good, busy Saturday here at the Chappaqua Library.  Many visitors have no power back at home. Some are staying with friends who do have power, some are toughing it out by means of fireplaces. Others have booked hotel rooms or are moving in with family either in other ‘burbs or in the City.  Parents are reporting a dramatic uptick at home in use of board games, reading, listening to music, fire-feeding and talk. Write us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to tell us how you’re spending the time in New Castle Unplugged. Do you want the power back or no?

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Carbon monoxide detectors now mandatory in every household


Monday, February 22, 2010
by Russell Maitland


Governor David A. Paterson signed a bill into law, effective today, February 22, 2010, mandating that all residents within New York State have working Carbon Monoxide detectors. Known as “Amanda’s Law,” after a 16-year-old girl who died one year ago at a sleepover in the basement of a friend’s house, this law “will prevent future tragedies like the one that took Amanda Hansen’s life far too soon,” Governor Paterson said. “This legislation will create safer homes for New Yorkers.”  The Chappaqua Fire Department reminds all residents to comply with the new law.  Install these devices and regularly check to make sure they are working.

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Town learns sobering story of woman who died unnoticed in August


February 12, 2010
by Christine Yeres

Triggered by a call last Thursday, February 4, from Jane Wild’s Florida-based lawyer asking New Castle police to check on her welfare, at 4:50 p.m. the police, with the assistance of the Chappaqua Fire Department, broke into the white Cape Cod on Bedford Road and discovered that the 78-year-old woman had died. The county medical examiner estimated that her death had occurred six months ago.  Wild, a retired New York City school teacher, had moved to New Castle in 1968 with a sister who died in 1985. Neither was married or had children. 

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Reader’s Digest: The Local Magazine that Conquered the World


See slide show in “Read more” or in Photo Gallery.
February 12, 2010
by Ali Klein

Starting Saturday, February 13, the New Castle Historical Society presents “Reader’s Digest: The Local Magazine That Conquered the World,” an exhibition chronicling one of the most phenomenal publishing successes in the 20th century . . . and it all happened in our own backyard.

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League of Women Voters sponsors speaker on local government modernization, Wed., Jan. 27


January 22, 2010
by Suzie Maltz

The League of Women Voters of New Castle has invited Noreen Fisher, the former Mayor of Scarsdale, New York, to speak next Wednesday at New Castle Town Hall at 10:00 a.m. on government modernization through consolidation and shared services. The event will take place in the assembly hall, 200 South Greeley Avenue, second floor, Chappaqua, New York.

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Pegasi (plural of Pegasus) to fly from Reader’s Digest cupola


January 8, 2010
by Christine Yeres

The four Art Deco winged half-horses that anchor the four corners of the iconic Reader’s Digest cupola will fly out of New Castle along with Reader’s Digest later this year.  According to Gray Williams, New Castle town historian, “the Pegasus (plural: Pegasi) was chosen by Lila Wallace herself, as the symbol of poetic imagination and creativity,” over the architect’s preference for American eagles. Williams is not happy at the idea of losing them.

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DPW tracked media tracking the storm, treating snow handily

December 25, 2009
by Christine Yeres

News that a snowstorm was approaching so completely permeated the airwaves before its (late) arrival last Saturday, December 19, that there was plenty of lead time for the New Castle Department of Public Works to track it closely.  “Channel 2, channel 62, CBS radio and online weather maps,” said Commissioner Anthony Vaccaro, “were all sources for us, although they were a little off this time.” 

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Fire commissioner election results


Gerry Golub
December 11, 2009
by Christine Yeres

Tuesday, December 8, both the Chappaqua and Millwood fire districts ran elections for one of five seats on each board of fire commissioners.  Millwood’s was uncontested.  Tony Olenik, already serving on the board, was re-elected to his seat. In the contest between Lou Macente and Gerry Golub for Chappaqua’s board of fire commissioner seat, Golub won 94-72.

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Survey update: Join the almost 500 residents who have expressed their opinion

November 27, 2009
by Susie Pender

Our 90-second survey on two issues the town board continues to ponder regarding the proposed 2010 budget has drawn outstanding participation and pithy commentary by New Castle residents. Click HERE to find our article of 11/24/09, including some of your neighbors’ two cents.  The survey will only remain open until this Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. On Monday, November 30, we will post the remaining comments we received, as well as the final results of the survey. Let’s make this as wide-ranging a survey as possible. Everyone’s opinion counts. Click click here to take the survey right now.

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Letter to the Editor: Update on CVAC request for new frequency for pagers


November 20, 2009
by Warren Hart

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UPDATE: Winter Rec Programs 2009-2010: Registration starts TODAY, Monday, Nov. 23

Online registration begins Monday, Nov. 23

November 20, 2009

See the brochure online; register starting Monday, Nov. 23.  Check out some new program offerings, such as…

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Letter to the Editor: Response to medical emergencies in New Castle hampered by old paging system


November 13, 2009
by Warren Hart

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Front seat view of the storm that knocked out power for three-quarters of the town’s 6500 households


See more photos in Photo Gallery
March 5, 2010
by Gennaro Faiella, as told to Christine Yeres

Editor’s note: In order to give the community a complete picture of this past weekend’s storm, its impact on New Castle and the official responses to it, NewCastleNOW.org asked Town Administrator Gennaro Faiella to share his “storm story” with our readers.

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Crews work around the clock to restore power, remove debris; schools closed Monday

Morning Commute Cautions : Roads Still Hazardous - Drive With Care


More photos inside and in Photo Gallery
UPDATE Monday, March 1, 2010

CERT members returned the last of the shelter visitors to their homes on Sunday evening, and this morning at 1:30 a.m. New Castle police declared the last obstructed roadway—Whippoorwill Road between Whippoorwill Lake Road and Berol Close—reopened, though with some debris remaining.

Through Nixle.com, the New Castle Police department announced on Sunday that schools will be closed today, Monday, March 1, 2010:

• Chappaqua Schools Will be Closed on Monday, March 1, 2010.

“Chappaqua School District in concurrence with Town of New Castle officials have closed schools on Monday, March 1, 2010.  Many town roads remain hazardous with electric lines down and low hanging tree branches.  School Officials and Town Officials agreed that the safety of the children riding on School Buses is the paramount concern.”

Chappaqua Board of Education President Jeffrey Mester explained, “The district, in conjunction with the town, believes that—with so many residents still without power, with many secondary roads being only one lane passable, with Con Ed, Cablevision and Verizon still needing to repair wires before town crews can clean up, with those wires posing a hazard to the buses, with snow days available—it is in the best interest of the children and community to keep schools closed for Monday.  Classes will resume on Tuesday.” 

• David Fleishman got the job. He’s Newton’s choice for school superintendent.  See local Newton news coverage HERE.

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Robo-receptionist answers calls to town hall after 1:00 p.m.

February 19, 2010
by Christine Yeres

A live receptionist who is a certified notary public will continue to answer the main number for New Castle Town Hall, 238-4771, from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. But from 1:00 p.m. until town hall closes at 4:30 p.m., a recorded message directs callers to the various departments there. The robo-system – a cost-cutting measure by the town board – has been in place for close to a month.

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“Click it or ticket” campaign begins Monday, November 16


Drivers will be issued summons for no-seat belt
November 13, 2009
by Christine Yeres

In order to encourage all motorists to buckle up, the New Castle Police Department will participate in the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee’s “Click it or Ticket” campaign from November 16 through November 29. 

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Follow Granite, an Alaskan sled dog, on a StoryWalk through Chappaqua


March 5, 2010
by Susie Pender

The fourth installment of StoryWalk, presented by the New Castle Recreation and Parks in partnership with the Chappaqua Library, begins today in downtown Chappaqua. The walk features the popular children’s book, “Granite,” a story about an Alaska sled dog written by Susan Butcher, a four-time winner of the 1000-mile Iditarod dog sled race, and her husband, David Monson, and illustrated by Sarah Douglas.

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Long weekend of storm: 51 calls for Chappaqua Fire

March 5, 2010
by Chappaqua Fire Department Chief Russell Maitland 

The Chappaqua Fire Department responded to 51 storm-related emergency calls beginning Thursday, February 25, at 6:00 p.m. until Monday, March 1, at 6:00 p.m. These calls ran the gamut from wires down, trees down, trees and wires down together, trees on houses with structural damage, carbon monoxide incidents, a natural gas leak, auto accidents, smoke conditions and automatic fire alarms caused by power failures.

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ConEd estimates perhaps 4500 NC residents are without power; may take till Tuesday to fully restore

Various residents report robo-calls from Con Ed saying “Saturday night,” “Sunday night,” “Tuesday 11 p.m”

More photos inside and in Photo Gallery
Saturday, February 27, 2010 UPDATED: 12:00 NOON

The Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, have set up the Senior Center: “We have electrical power, heat, food, sleeping cots, a comfortable area to watch TV and friendly people to share time with,” said CERT member Deborah Weiss.  “We know many, many are still without power.  We are here for them.”  Call the Center at 238-8888 or New Castle police at 238-4422, if you need help relocating to the Center.

That 4500 households is about three-quarters of the 6,000 homes in New Castle.

LIST OF STREET CLOSURES AS OF 10:30 a.m. TODAY IN “READ MORE”...

Last night’s advisory from New Castle Police Department:

• Falling trees and wires are creating a dangerous situation. Stay inside. Emergency shelter available if needed.

• The New Castle Police report that trees and wires continue to fall due to the weight of the snow. Residents are advised to stay inside and not travel unless absolutely necessary.

• There are power outages throughout Town. Con Edison is in New Castle and working to restore power.

• If you are concerned about the safety of any New Castle resident you can call the New Castle Police at 238-4422 and an officer will check on their welfare.

• Emergency shelter is available at the Community Center, 10 Senter Street. If you want to go to the shelter and need transportation call the New Castle Police at 238-2244.

Sign up now for Nixle.com alerts from police and town government.

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The Great Right Here:  Gedney Park in Winter


More photos by John Ehrlich inside and in Photo Gallery
February 26, 2010


Staying home this Winter, think “Gedney Park” for an hour or an afternoon.  It’s so much than just baseball in the spring for the kids.  These 126 acres purchased in 1964 have five different trails totaling 3.3 miles. One of the only parks in the area with leash-free sections, it attracts hundreds of dogs every day.  We visited last week after the snow and found a winter wonderland.  The most recent storm has brought an even more dramatic winterscape.  Enjoy this Millwood treasure.

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Pick up some luck of the Irish at Quaker Hill Tavern for a good cause


February 26, 2010
by Jill Gold

The Irish have considered the shamrock a good-luck symbol since the earliest times. Why not double the luck this year?  Purchase a beautiful glittering shamrock at the Quaker Hill Tavern in Chappaqua from now until St. Paddy’s day, March 17, and it will not only bestow luck on the you, but it will raise funds for Friends of Karen, a children’s charity that provides support for families with critically ill children, primarily with cancer. 

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Chappaqua resident arrested for prostitution

February 26, 2010
by Christine Yeres

On Friday, February 19, at 3:10 p.m. New Castle police officers arrested a 46-year-old Chappaqua resident for prostitution, a misdemeanor. 

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Dropping temperatures in big blizzard turn roads slick by evening


February 19, 2010
by Christine Yeres

Tuesday’s storm was deceptive.  While it looked blizzardy, previous salting plus favorable ground temperatures managed to help keep snow dissolving on roadways for much of the day. By 6:00 p.m. though, temperatures dropped, and New Castle police warned residents through http://local.nixle.com/register/” title=“Nixle.com”>Nixle.com by email and blackberry of perilous black ice, advising them to proceed with extreme caution.  To register for Nixle, click http://local.nixle.com/register/” title=“HERE”>HERE.  See “Read more” for mid-winter status report on New Castle’s salt stores and overtime costs.

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Monitor sends county back to drawing board for specifics on affordable housing implementation plan

County must resubmit its plan by March 12, 2010
February 19, 2010
by Christine Yeres

Municipal officials across Westchester are beginning to wonder whether the federal monitor appointed to oversee the fair and affordable housing settlement is as flexible as he was portrayed by the legislators who approved the affordable housing settlement over the summer.  The terms of the settlement require 31 of the county’s municipalities to build 750 units of affordable housing and to “affirmatively further fair housing” in marketing them. 

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Anti-Discrimination Center highly critical of county’s plan for fair and affordable housing

February 19, 2010
by Christine Yeres

On February 10, 2010 Federal Monitor James E. Johnson of Debevoise & Plimpton LLC sent the county his critique of its Implementation Plan, or IP, for the fair and affordable housing settlement county legislators agreed to last summer.  That same day the Anti-Discrimination Center— or ADC, the entity that brought the original suit against the county—released a document highly critical of the county’s IP, entitled “Prescription for Failure: A Preliminary Report on Westchester’s Attempt to Ignore and Evade the Requirements of the Historic Desegregation Order Entered in U.S. ex rel. Anti-Discrimination Center v. Westchester County, a/k/a Westchester’s ‘Implementation Plan.’”

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DPW workers battled snowstorm and aftermath for 30 hours straight


Visit slide show in Photo Gallery
February 12, 2010
by Christine Yeres

Everyone believed earlier than usual that the big snow predicted for overnight Tuesday-Wednesday would actually materialize.  Schools announced Tuesday afternoon that Wednesday would be a snow day, at Tuesday night’s town board meeting Barbara Gerrard told residents to keep their business with town hall till Thursday.  Wednesday it would be closed.  Roadways had been well covered by brine spray for the storm that didn’t materialize the weekend before. 

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Yikes! February break is here!  Looking for something staycation-y?

Great Kid, Teen and Senior Activities by the Rec Dept and Library

February 12, 2010
by Matt Nordt

Looking for something to do during February Break?  The New Castle Recreation Department has plenty to offer.  See “Read more:”

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New Castle Police Department warning: Roadways still hazardous

UPDATE: 4:00 p.m Wednesday, February 10, 2010

For a live eye on downtown from the webcam positioned in Nicolaysen’s second floor window, click HERE or in upper right corner of our front page.

Nixle Alert: With the snowfall intensity increasing roadways continue to be snow covered and hazardous. New Castle Police Department advises against any unnecessary travel.  To sign up for Nixle.com, a site through which New Castle PD issues warnings and alerts directly to residents’ email boxes, click HERE.

New Castle Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard has declared a Snow Emergency for the Town which will remain in effect until Thursday February 11 at 1:00 p.m. During the Snow Emergency any vehicle parked or left unattended on any New Castle roadway is subject to being towed at the owners expense.

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Opening reception at Martin Stankeiwicz Gallery for Breno Castagno


February 5, 2010

“Life Interpretations,” an exhibition of paintings by Brazilian artist Breno Castagno, opens today, Friday, February 5, with a reception from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Martin Stankiewicz Gallery, The Village Yard, 142 King Street. The community is invited to attend.

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Projects on the horizon for downtown Chappaqua


February 5, 2010
by Elise Kessler Mottel

Editor’s note: In response to written questions from NewCastleNOW.org, Elise Mottel, deputy town supervisor and chair of the Downtown Steering Committee, submitted the following update on plans for downtown Chappaqua.

There are three main projects that the Downtown Steering Committee (DSC) would like to implement first.

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Developer’s Chappaqua Crossing team speaks about future of Reader’s Digest


January 29, 2010
by Christine Yeres

A team familiar to New Castle residents spoke in White Plains on January 14 to the Commercial and Investment Division of the Westchester-Putman Association of Realtors about the future of the Reader’s Digest site, now called Chappaqua Crossing.

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