Saturday, May 25, 2013
   
Text Size

  • 2013-2014 Village BudgetsWith minor variations, the 2013-2014 budgets for the Villages of Irvington, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, and Briarcliff Manor all tell the same story. Expenses over which the Villages have no control, such as pension funds and health insurance costs are going up, while the pool of available taxable assessments is dwindling. Three out of the four Villages managed to be under the cap; three out of the four Villages will see tax rate increases over 4%.

    Read more...
  • Village of Irvington BudgetIt is more of the same in Irvington, though happy circumstance has allowed the Village to bring in the lowest tax rate increase of the four villages at roughly 2.25%. “The budget really represents the same level of Village services [as in previous years],” says Village Administrator Lawrence Schopfer.

    Read more...
  • 2013-2014 Tarrytown Village BudgetResidents of Tarrytown can expect a tax rate increase of 4.82%, which may seem like a lot, but it is a fraction of what it could have been and still have remained under the cap. When all was said and done, the Village of Tarrytown found itself sitting on an allowable tax levy increase total of $1,081,435, which means they could have increased tax rates over 10% and still have remained under the tax levy cap. In the end, they made do with an increase of $375,072, leaving nearly $706,000 on the table.

    Read more...
  • 2013-2014 budgets Sleepy HollowSleepy Hollow is going over the tax levy cap for the second year in a row.  On its surface, that simple statement gives one a certain impression of reckless spending run amuck, but that impression is unjustified.

    Read more...
  • 2013-2014-budget Briarcliff Manor“The 2% cap is totally unfair to municipalities, because it does not cap expenses,” espouses Briarcliff Manor Village Manager Philip Zegarelli. “Nevertheless, [the Mayor and Town Board] have given me firm direction not to blow through the cap.

    Read more...
Banner
Banner

Latest News

Briarcliff Traditions: Memorial Day

briarcliff memorialIn the early 1900’s in Briarcliff Manor, Memorial Day was not celebrated as it today.  As was the tradition in most communities, Memorial Day was a simpler holiday, with parades and community events reserved for the fourth of July. Briarcliff Manor held a Fireman’s Parade each year in June where you saw the bands and the fire equipment marching down Pleasantville Avenue.

Read more: Briarcliff Traditions: Memorial Day

 

Briarcliff Budget Vote Fails to Overcome 60% Hurdle…BM Board President Maglietta Ousted, Tarrytowns, Irvington Pass Easily

briarcliff irvington tarrytowns school budgetsIn the end, getting the supermajority required to go over the tax levy cap proved too much for the Briarcliff Manor School District, which saw voters reject its proposed budget, even though a majority voted in favor of passage. By a 805-763 vote, residents approved the 2013-2014 budget, but that only amounted to 51%, and not the 60% required by law to pass the cap.

Read more: Briarcliff Budget Vote Fails to Overcome 60% Hurdle…BM Board President Maglietta Ousted, Tarrytowns, Irvington Pass Easily

   

Run For the Briarcliff Library – 6th Annual Memorial Day Run/Walk

Briarcliff Has Heart Run 2011It’s time again for the fun-filled Memorial Day Run/Walk in Briarcliff Manor!  Coordinated by the Friends of the Briarcliff Manor Public Library (the “Friends”), the 2013 chip-timed 5K (3.1 Mile) Run/2 Mile Walk will take place on Monday, May 27, and start promptly at 8:30 AM, for both runners and walkers alike.

Read more: Run For the Briarcliff Library – 6th Annual Memorial Day Run/Walk

 

Two Area Farmers Markets Open on Saturday, May 25th

Down to Earth Farmers Market LogoDown to Earth Farmers Markets, the company with 22 years of experience managing farmers markets in Westchester County and beyond, is excited to begin the 14th Season of Patriot's Park Down to Earth Farmers Market. The market opens on Saturday, May 25th, and will run every Saturday through November 23rd, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. The market is named after its beautiful location: Patriot's Park, off of Route 9, where Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow meet.

Read more: Two Area Farmers Markets Open on Saturday, May 25th

   
Goliath Tarrytown illustrator earns national recognition as gifted artist of new children’s book. Book critics are unanimous in their praise of Goliath’s Secret (ISBN: 9780982546888) by Bonnie Feuer with illustrations by Sharai Platt of Tarrytown, NY. Released... Read more..

EF International Academy - A Global Home When driving to work over the Tappan Zee bridge, I often glance up at the dome of Education First International Academy (EF IA) and think about how a slice of the whole world resides there on that hill. Each day students from more than 40 nations and... Read more..

Randy Sarna of Briarcliff Interiors Brooke Astor, David Rockefeller and The Vatican Embassy have something in common; all of them hired Randy Sarna of Briarcliff Interiors to decorate their residences. Randy has embellished the homes of many high profile clients, many whose names he will... Read more..

winter and spring planters Spring has been extra fickle in New York this year – 80 degrees one week, 30 degrees many mornings, and crazy windy in-between! Dressing with all this unpredictability can be a challenge, which is why my wardrobe contains pieces that can layer up or... Read more..

Lyme Disease - deer tick Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease and is also the sixth most common reportable disease in the U.S.  Lyme disease is transmitted through the bites of very tiny, immature ticks, called nymphs, which are most active during the late spring... Read more..

Hernia Center at Phelps Memorial Hospital Tarrytown According to the National Center for Health Statistics, USA, approximately 5 million Americans have a hernia, with an estimated 800,000 people developing a new abdominal hernia annually. Yet, only about 750,000 people seek treatment each year. Read more..

side table vignette You’ve re-upholstered the sofa, rolled out the new Oushak rug, and hung the gorgeous custom drapery, but somehow your new room just doesn’t feel quite done.  You gaze around, rearrange the throw pillows, scratch your head and wonder… what’s missing? ... Read more..

kidnap victims As details continue to come in regarding the three young women abducted and kept prisoner in Cleveland, some people are questioning how Ariel Castro, the accused kidnapper, could commit such a crime, but also why it was that the women did not try to escape... Read more..

Baseball is a rough game Baseball is a rough game: blazing 90-mile-an-hour fastballs leaving trails of smoke in their wake, runners barreling into the catcher to score a much-needed run, fights on the mound, line drives zeroing in on an infielder’s head. Every pitch is rife... Read more..

Richard Thombs Renovation Richard Thombs, born and raised in the Rivertowns, has been servicing Westchester County since 1981 with his restoration and home improvement company. Second generation in the field, he holds extensive forty-three years of experience in all aspects of... Read more..

Lillian Brijeski of Kumon of Tarrytown Kumon, the world’s largest after-school math and reading enrichment program, helps pre-school to high school age students master fundamental concepts vital to success inside and outside of the classroom. Noticing a need for an enrichment program in... Read more..

Joseph DeNardo Although born in Dobbs Ferry, Joseph DeNardo has called Irvington his home, and his wife and children are highly visible in the Village socially and professionally.  Tall, handsome and soft-spoken, DeNardo is an example of a self-made man who loves what... Read more..

2013-2014-budget Briarcliff Manor “The 2% cap is totally unfair to municipalities, because it does not cap expenses,” espouses Briarcliff Manor Village Manager Philip Zegarelli. “Nevertheless, [the Mayor and Town Board] have given me firm direction not to blow through the cap. ... Read more..

2013-2014 budgets Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow is going over the tax levy cap for the second year in a row.  On its surface, that simple statement gives one a certain impression of reckless spending run amuck, but that impression is unjustified. Read more..

2013-2014 Tarrytown Village Budget Residents of Tarrytown can expect a tax rate increase of 4.82%, which may seem like a lot, but it is a fraction of what it could have been and still have remained under the cap. When all was said and done, the Village of Tarrytown found itself sitting... Read more..

Village of Irvington Budget It is more of the same in Irvington, though happy circumstance has allowed the Village to bring in the lowest tax rate increase of the four villages at roughly 2.25%. “The budget really represents the same level of Village services [as in previous years],”... Read more..

2013-2014 Village Budgets With minor variations, the 2013-2014 budgets for the Villages of Irvington, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, and Briarcliff Manor all tell the same story. Expenses over which the Villages have no control, such as pension funds and health insurance costs are... Read more..

Sleepy Hollow HS Intergenerational Book Club On May 13, the Intergenerational Book Club, consisting of Kendal-on-Hudson residents and five senior girls at Sleepy Hollow High School, had their final meeting and graduation party.  This club first formed in September 2009 with the help and guidance... Read more..



Whenever I see an ambulance whizzing by, lights flashing and sirens going, my first thought is always, “I hope everyone belong to me is safe at home or wherever else they are supposed to be at this moment.” Selfish, I know, but there it is. Then I... Read more..

I always feel that once we get through January, we have broken Winter’s back. In my mind’s eye I can see a calendar in which January’s page always looms larger than that of the other months. The white squares seem extra big and empty. With the exception... Read more..

Hope Springs Eternal by Cathy SantaColoma January 1 is my annual chance for redemption. It’s an opportunity to do all the things I didn’t do the year before….or the year before that. How can it be that in 365 days, I couldn’t “find” the time to write a short story, organize my photos,... Read more..

It seems like I just put all the Christmas stuff away! The annual dragging of the brittle, petrified Christmas tree down to the woods, the packing away of our Christmas dishes and the unstringing of holiday lights from inside and out, all seem so….recent.... Read more..

It is very unsettling, indeed, to witness a loved one falling prey to Alzheimer’s. It’s hard to reconcile that your mother, father, aunt, uncle, or friend who looks the same, sounds the same, dresses the same, seems the same, cannot remember who you... Read more..



I had an idea for this blog post. I thought it was a good one, too. In a series of interviews, I would compare three similar food products, each representative of one of my defining cultures. An American friend would thus speak for peanut butter, a European... Read more..

Julie doesn’t know. A French expatriate, Julie oversees the French literature section of the biggest independent bookstore in London. I work there as well, albeit in another department. We see each other every day, but she still doesn’t know we come... Read more..

My Kingdom for a Scone “I quite like scones.” Yulhee has her nose in a menu, and her eyes are shining with anticipation. We are sitting in a restaurant in Kensington Gardens, ordering afternoon tea with two other classmates. Read more..

There are tricks for a foreigner to sound like a native speaker. Two important ones I learned while in Tarrytown concern the letters T and R. When in the middle of a word, a T must be softened to a D (“sweetie”), or ignored entirely (“center”).... Read more..

Blog by Elodie Vidal “Don’t you do that in France?” I thought I was done with this question. I thought I was done with being just French. After all, my year as an EF School of English student in Tarrytown had promoted me to the rank of American French. I had survived... Read more..



Sometimes firsts are good.  The first time you ride a bike, the first time you eat ice cream, the first kiss, the first kid (just kidding both of my kids are terrific).  Firsts are meant to be moments that you will always remember.  But honestly,... Read more..

Hope…What an incredible word.  It is what holds us in anticipation, and it is what can spark your individual greatness from within.  It is always looking forward at the possibilities, and cannot be held back in the past.  You hope for the future,... Read more..

Recently, my kids and I were talking about the show “The Biggest Loser”.  There was a commercial clip on showing Jillian screaming at one of the contestants.  I said, “wow she seems so mean, how can that be motivating.”  I was sure my children... Read more..

thank you nanette stueck Well after I wrote my November 30th blog about Nannette Stueck, I received over 100 public and private comments on potential ways to find her. I listened to several comments and tracked a series of addresses to Maine.  I sent off a few letters hoping... Read more..

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my children, my husband and I were talking about sleepovers.  My son asked if I liked them and/or if I was ever scared to sleep somewhere else.  It was seemingly innocuous question.  Yet it caused the flash of a memory... Read more..



Time is a precious commodity. When you have a million different things that you want to get done and not a lot of time to get them done, you need to learn to be efficient; especially when time is money. As soon as that babysitter shows up, it’s go-time! Freedom... Read more..

Here we go, another holiday weekend (or week... July 4th on a Wednesday is just weird. Do you take Tuesday off, or Thursday... or just throw in the towel and skip out on the whole week?) Regardless, here come the potato salads, the chili cheese dogs,... Read more..

The NY Times has finally reported that when it comes to exercise, less can actually be more beneficial than, well, more. Cheers are erupting from across the globe as workout DVD's are being tossed out windows; trendy exercise clothing is now being refashioned... Read more..

Good form is important to remember when working out. When performing any exercise, you want to make sure that your form is correct and your movements are controlled. Learning how to properly hold yourself helps to make your workouts more effective, and... Read more..

Here's a little something to think about in how you can make a positive change in your life with the simplest of objects. When I was little I always loved, LOVED being able to buy new stationary. To me there was nothing better than a fresh new journal... Read more..



Banner
Banner

Blogs

Elodie Vidal's
London Calling is now available here at RiverJournalOnline.com!
Read here
Elodie Vidal
Cathy SantaColoma's
About Aging
Cathy is Director of Communications at Bethel Homes.
Read here

Carol Abramson's journal The Cancer Made Me Do It is now available here at RiverJournalOnline.com!
Read here
Carol Abramson
Joomla Templates and Joomla Extensions by JoomlaVision.Com
Banner
Banner

Disclaimer

Important: River Journal Online is the online publication of River Journal Inc., Tarrytown, NY. River Journal is not liable for failure to publish an advertisement or for typographic errors published, except for the cost of that portion of ad space within which the error first appeared. River Journal reserves the right to reject or edit any submission and all submissions become the exclusive property of River Journal. The opinions of River Journal's editorial board are those of the editorial board. Opinions stated in letters, articles, commentaries, ads, graphics or cartoons are those of indiviudal authors. No part of River Journal to include photos, artwork, ads, and text may be reproduced without the written consent of the Publisher.

Technical

Browser compatibility notes

Login Form