Rick Pezzullo

By Rick Pezzullo— A Dobbs Ferry man was reappointed this week as commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Social Services. Leonard Townes, who has held the post since Feb. 2021, is in charge of the county’s largest department with a $750 million budget and 1,000 employees. “Leonard took the reins during one of the most difficult times the department has faced, the COVID crisis, and has worked to revitalize the department with a data-driven approach focusing on service, staff […]

By Rick Pezzullo— A proposed rental housing project at 303 South Broadway in Tarrytown continues to attract much public attention. Last month, the Tarrytown Planning Board held another public hearing on the development that lasted two-and-a-half hours, with much of the discussion centering on visual and traffic issues contained in reports submitted by Am Trust Realty. Am Trust Realty, which has owned the 7.5-acre site since 1997, is looking to build 285 units. The project is slated to have 37 […]

By Rick Pezzullo— Approximately 250 Democratic supporters turned out Saturday in Chappaqua for a campaign rally for Cait Conley, who is looking to unseat Republican Mike Lawler in the NY-17 congressional district in November. The sun peaked through the dark, threatening clouds just as the event was set to get underway, setting the stage for an optimistic beginning to what promises to be a grueling 15-week battle for votes in what is viewed as a pivotal race. “When Democrats vote, […]

By Rick Pezzullo— Ghouls, goblins and ghosts won’t be the only spirits that will be surfacing at Tarrytown’s annual Halloween Parade and Main Street Block Party in October. At its July 20 meeting, the village Board of Trustees unanimously granted permission for the sale and consumption of beer, hard cider, wine and hard seltzer in a controlled, outdoor portion of Main St. between Kaldenberg Pl./John St. and Baylis Ct. and the South Washington Parking Lot during the Oct. 24 festivities […]

By Rick Pezzullo— The Village of Tarrytown is looking to make it easier and safer for residents to do business with internet transactions. Responding to a request from an unnamed individual, the Board of Trustees voted July 20 to designate the parking lot on the southwest corner of Village Hall at 1 Depot Plaza as a Safe Place for Internet Purchase Exchanges. The village’s Police Department is located in the same building as Village Hall and the parking lot has […]

By Rick Pezzullo— Northwell’s Phelps Hospital has appointed a new vice president and chief medical officer. Dr. Samuel Acquah, FCCP, brings more than 25 years of clinical, academic and leadership experience to the Sleepy Hollow medical facility. A board certified pulmonary and critical care physician, Dr. Acquah joins Phelps from the Mount Sinai Health System, where he served as section chief of medical critical care and director of the medical intensive care unit. At Phelps, he will oversee clinical quality, […]

By Rick Pezzullo— Irvington School District officials traveled to Orlando, Florida this summer to formally accept Dows Lane Elementary School’s 2026 National Gold Star Award. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mara Ratesic and Dows Lane Principal Dr. Andrea Kantor represented the district at the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Gold Star Schools Award ceremony. The National Gold Star School Award recognizes schools that demonstrate excellence through three key pillars: established culture, empowered people and optimal systems. Dows Lane was […]

By Rick Pezzullo— A handful of residents expressed opposition to a proposed rental housing project at 303 South Broadway in Tarrytown last week. The Tarrytown Planning Board continued to hear public comments July 22 on the development that Am Trust Realty is looking to change from a commercial building to residential use. Am Trust Realty, which has owned the 7.5-acre site since 1997, is proposing to build 285 units. The project is slated to have 37 studio apartments, 154 one-bedroom […]

By Rick Pezzullo— A Dobbs Ferry resident and six-year pancreatic cancer survivor took center stage recently at a walk to raise funds to help find a cure for the disease. Sharon Bond, 77, who lost a sister and close friend to the same disease she was fighting with treatment at Northwell’s Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, cut the ribbon to kickoff the Lustgarten Foundation’s 17th Westchester Walk for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Westchester Community College in June. The event, which […]

By Rick Pezzullo– Two men pled guilty Monday to intentionally setting a fire at the historic Tarrytown Lighthouse last year that caused more than $100,000 in damages. According to Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace, Elvin Ayavaca, 19, of White Plains, and Richard Joseph Barrero, 20, of Harrison, pled guilty to Arson in the Third Degree, a Class C felony, and Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree, a Class A misdemeanor. On May 31, 2025, a Westchester County Parks employee […]