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.

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.

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. 

Tuesday, September 29, 2009
by Christine Yeres

The planning board submitted its comments on developer Summit Greenfield’s draft environmental impact statement to the town board on Friday, September 25, the last day for written comment. In its first section, “Overall Development Concept,” the planning board touches on the affordable housing element of the project, the desirability of a town pool and library branch, and recommends “a less dense alternative” to the 278 residential units proposed.

Great Moments in Chappaqua History

Front page and inside photos provided courtesy of the New Castle Historical Society
August 20, 2010
by N. O’Neil

1904 A tornado rips through Chappaqua, touching ground near the Dodge farm.  Destruction included many trees, livestock and farm buildings, but fortunately, there were no fatalities.  Survivors describe looking out their windows and seeing chickens flying through the air. Since then the town has been spared cyclonic turbulence, except for joint town and school board meetings.

Looking into town from the deck of the bridge
Click for a live view of the bridge from our webcam in Erik Nicolaysen’s 2nd floor window.
Monday, August 16, 2010
by Christine Yeres

The scraping (called “milling”) and resurfacing of King Street from Starbuck’s intersection up to Bedford Road that was scheduled to begin tonight has been postponed. The milling company canceled.  The job might be rescheduled for the week beginning August 23. 

July 23, 2010
by Christine Yeres

Last Tuesday night the town board viewed drawings prepared by landscape architect Nick Pouder for a new gazebo for the downtown recreation field, a project the Downtown Steering Committee, an advisory board to the town board, has had in development during the last several months.

July 23, 2010
by Christine Yeres

In the very early hours of Tuesday morning, July 20, four downtown businesses were the victims of burglary attempts, two of which were successful. Three businesses along South Greeley Avenue, Gail Patrick’s Cafe, Villarina’s and EZ Sports, showed signs of forced entry, or attempted forced entry, Gail Patrick’s and EZ Sports from the back and Villarina’s from the front.  All the businesses were securely locked at the time of the attempts.

More photos in “Read more” and in Photo Gallery
July 16, 2010
by Laura Rossi-Ortiz

Advocates for a new, sustainable food system are building pathways from local farms to your table in New Castle. If you are looking for a full-time, year-round supplier of good, local food, check out TABLE Local Market located at 11 Babbitt Road in Bedford Hills.  It’s a shop that tackles the industrial food system head-on, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the volume and quality of local food it sells and the care with which local farmers and food suppliers treat the natural resources they use to produce the food.

Parking lot on North Greeley, across from Susan Lawrence, looking south
July 9, 2010
by Christine Yeres

This last week, the parking lot on North Greeley Avenue across from Susan Lawrence was festooned with numerous orange cones standing guard along a trench running through the middle of the parking lot. Hmm, a concrete-crunching family of moles runs amok in downtown Chappaqua? A belated Greeley graduation celebration with all those orange cones?

Jacobson in the window of her new place
June 18, 2010
by Christine Yeres

Phyllis Jacobson’s new Petticoat Lane is nearly ready.  Today and Saturday, everything at Petticoat Lane’s Lower King Street shop is 40% off.  She makes her move on Sunday and Monday to the corner of Greeley Avenue and King Street.

June 11, 2010
See “Read more” or Photo Gallery for before and after pictures of the plaza.
by Christine Yeres

Last night at Xavier’s on the Hudson, the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation celebrated local efforts at innovative planning projects.  On behalf of New Castle, Deputy Supervisor Elise Kessler Mottel accepted a commendation award “for the construction of a downtown vest-pocket park at Citibank Plaza in the hamlet of Chappaqua, which also mitigates storm water runoff.”

Monday, May 17, 2010
by Carol Durst

Come find out how various green groups’ efforts are going and catch some ideas.  From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. this Thursday, May 20, the Chappaqua Library will host a roundtable discussion among panelists from community agencies, farmers’ markets, community-supported agriculture members (CSA), and environmental management agencies on ways in which to make Westchester County more sustainable. This event is free and open to the public. 

Stop!! ... and plan your return home tonight.  Try to get into the train station before 6:45 p.m.
May 14, 2010

From Supervisor Barbara Gerrard:  This Friday, May 14, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. the Chappaqua Fire Department is celebrating its 100 year anniversary with a parade down King Street. It promises to be an exciting and fun-filled event—with fire trucks and officials from all over the County.  We hope you will come out and support the Chappaqua Fire Department during its celebration. 

The New Castle Police Department would like to alert commuters and all area residents that, beginning at 6:45 pm, the following local roads will be closed until 9:00 p.m.:

May 14, 2010

The New Castle Historical Society proudly announces its 8th annual “Castles of New Castle” house tour to be held Thursday, May 20. The Historical Society will showcase a variety of beautiful area homes that vary in size, location, style and year of construction. 

CFD members Doug Hunter and Diane Jaulus
May 7, 2010
by Paul Eiden

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors Since 1910” isn’t just a slogan for us, it is what we do. None of is paid for it, but ask the long time members of the Chappaqua Fire Department why they have been getting up in the middle of the night for more than 20 years, and the answer will be the same: They love it.  And for good reason.

Residents spoke at last Tuesday’s town board work session on whether the town should pave half-mile of road.
April 23, 2010
by Randolph B. Randolph

April 23, 2010
by Christine Yeres

A triple-header for the town!  On Saturday, April 24,  the Little League Parade forms up at King and Senter Streets at 8:00 a.m., the town’s “Neat to the Street” mass volunteer clean-up after a whopper-of-a-winter runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and the Chappaqua Rotary will dish out its pancakes-sausage-bacon, O.J.and coffee from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the church hall at St. Mary the Virgin, between Bell and the library. 

Visit Photo Gallery to see how it’s done.
April 23, 2010
by Christine Yeres

New Castle’s town-wide clean up, “Neat to the Street,” takes place next Saturday, April 24.  Winter really clobbered New Castle this year and volunteers of all ages are needed all over town more than ever, anytime between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Leave the town dotted with neatly tied salmon-colored bags of litter!  Where to get bags and gloves?  Click “Read more.”