Books & Badges on May 1st

 

Rest In Peace Firefighter Jared Lloyd

 

When I came off the crest of the hill heading down Spring Valley's Main Street at 1 a.m. Tuesday, just 8 minutes after the alarm for the fatal Evergreen Court Home For Adults fire in the village, I could see the lights of the responding Columbian Fire Engine Co. No. 1 trucks. A few hours later, one of their volunteer firefighters would be gone, perishing in a hellish blaze in an old hotel. Oddly, I saw the Columbian rigs just as I passed the old Ramapo Trust Co. building site at Main and Lawrence where another Valley volunteer gave his life some decades ago, rushing on foot from a nearby event dinner to jump into the fire scene.

This time, in that selfless dashing to save lives, it was Jared Lloyd, a 15-year fire service veteran with the Columbians, the oldest of three Valley fire companies (1861). Jared leapt into action, immediately responding while most slept. Because of his bravery, Jared's life was given. He gave it. Because of him and his fellow firefighters from Rockland's many departments, as well as police, EMT, Evergreen staff and community members, all 112 residents were rescued with an unfortunate but single fatality among them.

Training for Rockland volunteer firefighters, men and women, is rigorous, scientific and on-going, the county's special academy at the Fire Training Center in Pomona so well-respected that some cities and states have sent trainees.

So, when firefighters like Jared Lloyd hear the fire tone and jump out of bed or leave a job to report to the station house or fire call site, they do so with an adrenalin rush, yes, but also with clicked-in super, smart training. Both save lives -- courage and education.

All that bravery, study and practice, though, cannot always keep the firefighter alive. Hellish fire, with flaming lips that change direction like a serpent, smoke that is not gray but black and so acrid that it challenges face masks and air packs; and the disorientation that comes from not knowing the fire scene's floor plans, door and window exits and actual construction materials can make a crapshoot of firefighting, however well-trained the firefighter is.

There will be services for the latest Rockland fallen fire volunteer; his name will be added to memorials. There will be studied reviews of the Evergreen fire, and lessons will be learned and then taught in Pomona and at many fire academies.

But the intangible of any bravery such as Jared Lloyd's is the greatest lesson, the most significant tribute of all: that one willingly gives a life for others.

Written by Art Gunther, Editorial Page Editor, Retired from The Journal News

Hartsdale Neighbors Association (HNA) Hosts Forum

 Public Forum With The Commissioner of Public Works

 

Have questions about sanitation & recycling, road safety and repair, flood zone management, sidewalk installation, winter snow removal, or zoning in Hartsdale?

 

On April 6^th at 7:30PM, the Hartsdale Neighbors Association (HNA) will give you a chance to ask them during a virtual public forum with Greenburgh’s New Commissioner of Public Works, Richard Fon.

 

The event will be hosted on Zoom, with live streaming on HNA venues. 

 

Send your questions for Rich via email by April 2 to info@hartsdalenighbors.org/

Please put “Questions for Rich Fon” in the subject line.

Edgemont Denied Right To Petition for Incorporation

In a typical turn of events, the Town Supervisor was able to once again thwart the proponents of an Edgemont incorporation (EIC) by violating their rights to hold a referendum allowing them to essentially secede from the Town of Greenburgh and chart their own destiny out from under the monopolistic thumb of Mr Feiner. Sadly, the court condoned Mr Feiner’s desire to stop the EIC’s rights by agreeing with his convoluted assertion that the petition failed to include a description of the territory to be incorporated with common certainty. 

When the first court case came up in 2017, Mr Feiner routinely took advantage of his position to write numerous op-ed pieces and do interviews that bemoaned his eagerness to stop the incorporation. A proven liar (found guilty of lying in the Fortress Bible Church Discrimination Lawsuit), he said that should the incorporation happen, it would affect the Town budget by $17 million dollars. When the incorporation proponents repeatedly stated that they were planning all along to contract for Town services with the Town which might affect the budget in total but would make up a vast portion of the tax revenue that Mr Feiner claimed would disappear. And then he often said he would not do that deal. If effect saying, “Screw unincorporated Greenburgh residents!”

In a Town that is making Yonkers, known as the City of Hills – where nothing is on the level, look more and more like the Flatlands of New York, has had Mr Feiner enlisting the assistance of Councilman Jones, who has parroted the same mantra. Why would these representatives not do the best thing for the Town should the referendum go through? Why would they purposely sabotage the revenue of the Unincorporated budget? Jones, is also no stranger to controversy, having had two Ethics violation charges brought against him with the hapless Ethics Board. We have to say, though, that an Ethics Board in Town of Greenburgh is a contradiction of terms and has proven time and again to be a waste of time and energy when legitimate ethics violation charges have been levied.

In an interesting exchange of back and forth statements by Mr Feiner and EIC President Jeff Sherwin, the reality is that Mr Feiner, a purportedly non-practicing attorney, has  childishly slung verbal jabs at Mr Sherwin, the EIC and incorporation proponents just short of sticking out his tongue at them and saying, “Nan, na, na-na nah.” Considering Mr Feiner is supposed to represent all residents and taxpayers, he should be looking to sit down with the EIC and work out a number of things. First, can the EIC be reasoned with to back off the consolidation drive; second, could Mr Feiner help them draw up the correct proposal so it can go through; third, should the referendum application go through again – and there’s no reason to think it won’t – would Mr Feiner offer a Town Hall meeting to discuss openly and most importantly, honestly, what can and cannot be done should the referendum pass.

Mr Feiner only knows how to work with residents when they agree to what he wants and doesn’t allow differing points of view. This needs to change. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.