Trunk or Treat Event

We Applaud WP Common Council’s Decision to Reject Platinum Mile Plan

Mr Feiner apparently doesn’t have a stand-alone stranglehold on spot zoning and bad decisions for development in our Town. Neighboring White Plains, a city – therein a significant difference – had a request from Senlac Ridge Partners to tear down an office building at 701 Westchester Avenue and build a five story, 360-unit apartment building. The overall presumed goal is to repurpose what had been a vibrant office space known as part of the Platinum Mile into residential property, as business occupancy has dramatically declined over recent years.

Similarly, there was another proposal for a project also on Westchester Avenue for a mixed use development of 175 apartments at 70 Westchester Avenue, including the failed model of street level retail space, a restaurant and amazingly, a car dealership sales space - now that’s original. However, by throwing in all of the various zoning caveats, could they be seeking to throw in the kitchen sink should one (or more) of these fail to materialize and something else be needed in it’s place? And, while 11 of the 175 units will be subsidized (re: low income), these units will be purchased by the government (White Plains Affordable Housing Assistance Fund) to dole out as they see fit, changing the dynamic of the project.

By blanketing the area to fall under the White Plains’ Planned Campus Development District overlay, encompassing their Comprehensive Plan, several City Council trustees wisely voted to wait before taking a vote.

“The Common Council takes its responsibilities very seriously, one might say soberly,” Council Member Victoria Presser said. “We listen to our constituents, we review all the documents, we make site visits whenever we can, and we take the time to think through these matters because it is our job to make decisions for the benefit of the entire community.” Frankly, this sounds like the platitudes we’ve often heard from the Greenburgh Town Board regarding almost every development placed before them that one or more neighborhoods might be against or are questioning, followed by their phony “due diligence” speech.

“In this instance, it is to the benefit of the community that we deny this proposal,” Presser said. Truer words have not been spoken in many of our communities. Although, if you follow developments throughout the County, there have been several communities that have not given into developer’s wishes and tried to maintain the integrity of their communities. Don’t get the wrong idea. We believe property owners, whether new or established should be able to build . But that right to build should be tempered within the confines of the zoning. We also don’t believe “spot zoning” such as Mr Feiner and his Board routinely do, helps anyone but the developer. Sure, the Board will enact new zoning to enable the developer before them to proceed and then say that it applies Town-wide, covering their political hides.

It’s refreshing to see communities around us slowing the developer gravy train and seeking to really represent the taxpaying residents and established businesses. Progress doesn’t have to disregard neighborhoods, Comprehensive Plans (real ones, not political statements such as Greenburgh has), zoning and community inputs. If only we could get this in the Town. It’s how we’ll get A Better Greenburgh.

Scam Alert

Local business in the Village of Tarrytown and the City of Rye was recently scammed. A person presenting themselves as the Fire Inspector from those Communities appeared and demanded cash to pay a Village inspection fee, which was paid to them. No municpal employee will never ask for or accept cash or other payment in the field. This kind of scam and other similar scams could happen to anyone – a homeowner or a business owner – and could also happen in the instance of someone posing as a representative from a utility like Con Edison or Verizon, a Federal agency such as FEMA or the Small Business Administration (SBA) or some other company or organization.

To avoid being scammed, please keep the following tips in mind:
· Always ask for official identification.
· No Village employee will ever ask for payment, especially of cash, in the field. All documents and payments should be submitted at Village Hall and by check made out to the Village of Elmsford.
· Do not give out personal or confidential information such as your birthday, social security number, bank account number, or other personal or confidential information.
· If anyone attempts to demand cash or other payment from you on behalf of the Village of Elmsford, or another community, please call your Police Department to report criminal activity.
· If you have surveillance cameras, please retain and preserve the information and share it with the Police Department to assist in the investigation.
· Do not allow anyone to coax, coerce or bully you into buying or paying for something you do not want and/or did not ask for.
· For help with dangerous or possible criminal activities, please call your Police Department.

This message was provided by the Village of Elmsford.

Fast Hands Drum Studio Releases New Drum Book

“At the height of the pandemic, I was speaking to a drum student via Google Meet about learning how to play a drum roll,” explained Cameron Bock, owner and author of the Fast Hands Drum Studio. “My student, who practiced regularly, took up the drums as a stay-at-home activity during the Covid shutdown. While demonstrating how to bounce the drumsticks over video chat, I realized the need to dust off an old document that my drum teacher and grandfather once wrote for his students.” 

“This short 10-page document is a drum method concept that my grandfather began pioneering in the late 1970’s,” he continued. “He called it ‘Fast Hands for Drummers in 30 Minutes a Day’, and it is a series of short exercises designed to help the reader receive the most benefit from their practice session in the least amount of time."

As Cameron dusted off this old exercise manual from what he calls his tallest bookshelf, he realized this was a gold mine of information for his students at Fast Hands Drum Studio. The exercises written in this 10 page document held the most unique and efficient techniques for mastering a drummer’s bounce. With a little fine-tuning, and some 21st century magic, this classic exercise booklet is now available with expanded techniques to every drummer through access to the internet.

Mastering Your Drumstick’s Bounce is a comprehensive drum method book that guides the drummer through distinct exercises with the intent of gaining control of their drumstick’s bounce. The bounce that is developed while practicing this book will help drummers perfect their drum rolls, play in a more relaxed manner, and move fluidly across their drum set.

These rare exercises that were drafted in a small drum studio 50 years ago and are now again available to every percussionist. So, all drummers looking to develop their hands to play as fast and as relaxed as possible, pick up your copy today on Amazon.