The Hudson Independent: News for Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, NY

Our People

Capturing A Granddaughter's Childhood in Verse

by Andrea Kott

Ron Leonard has spent the past six years putting words in his granddaughter’s mouth. Not really. What Leonard does is write poetry that peeks inside the thoughts and feelings of his youngest grandchild, Caroline Brolly McGraw. While his poems, now self-published in two volumes, trace his adoring observations of Caroline’s first six years, they also open a window into childhood for all children, as well as parents and grandparents.

 “Perhaps you, like me, were too busy being parents and making a living to enjoy the miracle of childhood with your own children,” Leonard writes in the introduction to “Caroline, Caroline, What Are You Thinking?” the first of his two books. “Grandchildren present you with a second chance.”

Boats, Events Lined Up For Quadricentennial Celebration

June 6-8 Weekend to Mark State's 400th Birthday

by Kyle Lockett

Highlighting the 400th birthday of New York State, historic river towns nestled along the scenic Hudson River (discovered in 1609 by Henry Hudson) are coming together to celebrate the momentous occasion known as the quadricentennial.
The weekend of June 6-8 will be chock full of celebrations commemorating the discovery of the Hudson River. Among the events planned for that weekend are: a kayak race, water and bike trail events, a boat show and yacht race. The celebration has sparked a buzz of activity throughout New York State as well. Library shelves are now lined with books on Dutch and New York history comprising a quadricentennial bookshelf extolling the significance of discovering the Hudson River. Business owners are getting in on the act, too. J.P. Doyle’s is donating a floor for Y dance to perform on. The MTA has adorned many of its Hudson River Train stations with banners celebrating the 400th from the Tarrytown Train Station all the way down to the Marble Hill Station in the Bronx.

New Director Poised for Warner Library to be 'Heart of the Community'

by Robert Kimmel

 With a new, enthusiastic director at the helm, there are expectations that Tarrytown’s Warner Library will become even more prolific than it is now in attracting community participation in a variety of programs and events.

New Warner Library Director Maureen Petry. Photo by Rani Levy

Business News

Urgent Care of Westchester Opens new Medical Office

by Linda Viertel

 Westchester residents are now able to access convenient medical care for an injury or illness that requires immediate attention but is not serious enough to visit an emergency room. They can do so at Urgent Care of Westchester, located at 135 White Plains Road in Tarrytown, seven days a week, on late evenings and most holidays. Urgent Care’s newly renovated office provides easy and abundant parking, convenient access on 119, and no appointments are needed.
State Senators Pedro Espada Jr. and Andrea Stewart-Cousins pose with Dr. Jay Luthra and his wife, Vera Luthra at Urgent Care of Westchester office.

Safety Improvements at Patriot's Park Receive Attention

by Rick Pezzullo

 The sticktuitiveness of a group of Tarrytown residents interested in safety improvements at Patriots Park appears to be paying off.

Leaner School Budget in Tarrytown Hikes Spending 4%

by Andrea Kott

 Like most school districts, Tarrytown is facing a leaner year in 2009-10. As expected, next year’s $62,511,933 budget, which comes to a public vote May 19, reflects $2 million in spending cuts, with no money allocated for new textbooks, computers or buses, along with the reconfiguration of bus routes, as well as 8.5 instructional and 10 non-instructional positions.

Point/Counter Point

A Government Too Big To Succeed

by Lawrence W. Reed

Once upon a time in America, most citizens expected government to keep the peace and otherwise leave them alone. We built a vibrant, self-reliant, entrepreneurial culture with strong families and solid values. We respected property rights and promoted competition. We understood that government didn’t have anything to give anybody except what it first took from somebody, and that a government big enough to give us everything we want would be big enough to take away everything we’ve got. Americans practiced fiscal discipline in their personal lives and expected nothing less from the people in the government they elected.
Not anymore.

Point/Counter Point

In Defense of Bailouts

by Jeffrey Fisher

In his 1996 State of the Union address, President Bill Clinton announced, “The era of big government is over.”  Beginning in 2008, the era of big government bailouts began.

Five Vie for Two Seats on Irvington Board of Ed

by Rick Pezzullo

 Five candidates are seeking two available three-year seats on the Irvington Board of Education on May 19.
  Only one of the five hopefuls is an incumbent, current board President Tanya Hunt, who has been on the board since 2006. She has lived in Irvington nine years and has two boys who attend Dows Lane Elementary School.

Taxes to Rise About 2% in Sleepy Hollow

by Andrea Kott

Village of Sleepy Hollow officials were very clear: given the current economy, there is no way they could reproduce last year’s feat of delivering a budget with zero tax hikes. Although at press time the village still had a couple of weeks to go before handing in a final version of the 2009-10 budget, all signs pointed to a tax increase of approximately two percent.