Town Edits-Out Incriminating News From Official Town Board Video Record

The schedule had been changed from the traditional Wednesday night Town Board meeting to Monday night. Yet, this Town Board meeting was uncharacteristically filled with residents from Unincorporated Greenburgh. In fact, the Town Board, fearing a loss of votes from the same residents, decided to change the agenda and jump right into the 3-minute public comment portion to placate them. ABG staffers had watched the meeting online while it was underway as well as conferred with attendees. Imagine our surprise when we went to the Town website to review the video – which is the official record of the Town’s meeting – only to find it had been altered and then removed! Why? Read on.

The first portion of the meeting was solely outraged resident after outraged resident complaining about a shooting range next to the new Toll Brothers’ Ardsley Chase development, which consists of about two dozen million dollar-plus new homes. In fact, there is a police investigation currently underway because a resident was apparently “hit” by a stray bullet fragment that is alleged to have originated from the firing range. The police investigation is underway and should provide all of the facts.

Frankly, as lifelong residents, no one in the ABG offices were even aware that there was a shooting range in Westchester beyond the Yonkers shooting range on McLean Avenue and at the Westchester County Police facility in Hawthorne. Ironically, one shooting range that has existed for years was mentioned under the chapel at Archbishop Stepinac HS. It has been dormant for years.

These residents were at the Town Board meeting to complain that this shooting range, supposedly a mile away, according to the Toll Brothers prospectus, was is in fact much closer. Back before the project was moving forward at full steam, Toll Brothers illegally removed the forest of poplar trees on their site for their project. They were fined, subsequently paid the fine, and then sold the same trees to a lumber mill for a significant profit, much more than the fines cost them. Those trees, along with other forest and shrubbery, provided a natural barrier between the shooting range and the rest of the then-uninterested world. Consolidated Edison, the property owner and landlord of the shooting range, also removed many trees in the area from their property. This reduced the sound and protective barrier that had existed for years.

During the Town Board Public Comment session, after many of the residents had spoken, former Town Supervisor candidate Robert Bernstein took to the podium. During his 3-minute time at the microphone, he stated that, “Toll Brothers knew they were building adjacent to a gun range. And, what many might not be aware of is that Toll Brothers was one the largest campaign contributors to Mr Feiner while their application was pending.” If you listen to the video below of Mr Bernstein, what he said in the live meeting was changed when he says, “...was one of the largest financial con...Toll Brothers application was pending.” The gap in the video was altered to remove the reference that Mr Bernstein made about Mr Feiner receiving campaign contributions from Toll Brothers while having applications before the Town!

Some might consider Mr Feiner’s financial acceptance of money from a developer to be a bribe or at the very least an unethical way to purchase approvals for various requests for their multi-million dollar development. They would be considered wrong, because this is Greenburgh, and its just part of “doing business” in our Town. Most developers know this. Most residents do not. Mr Feiner taking Toll Brother money while their application was pending is a matter of public record. Ironically, this is not the first time the Town’s public record has been altered for to cover up bad information. A fifteen-minute section of video with Theodore Young Community Center leader Bill Carter was removed and later restored after the G10 went on the offensive with the Town.

Mr Feiner accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Toll Brothers when the developer sought approval to build ttwo dozen luxury homes in what is now called Ardsley Chase. Its a subdivision next door to a live outdoor shooting range on Ardsley Road. Sadly, Mr Feiner pandered to this crowd and told him he would contact everyone ELSE and do everything he could to close or at least regulate this gun range, which has been here for about 41 years. He has just done about everything he will do for them. And, Toll Brothers got their approvals, Mr Feiner got his contributions for his campaign fund and the text of what Mr Bernstein said has not seen the light of day.

It’s a long time overdue for this Town Board and Supervisor to go. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Addendum to Pretending To Be Honest, Open and Transparent

We neglected one vital point with all that we exposed in the previous article, Pretending To Be Honest, Open and Transparent. There is another critical factor that will ensure GameOn 365 be the successful bidder that acquires the property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road under the guise of an auction run by a third party. That point is simply advertising. How the property will be marketed and advertised will either increase the interest in purchasing the property or not.

As mentioned in our previous article, Ardsley's House of Sports offered the Town $3.5 million in cash and full remediation of all contamination for the former Frank's Nursery property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road. But since they were not Mr Feiner's business of choice, and the newly formed GameOn 365 was, Mr Feiner fabricated a lie that the House of Sports offer was not a serious one. As Donald Scherer, CEO of House of Sports said numerous times, he is always serious when it comes to money. So, Mr Feiner again took it upon himself to intentionally inflict more financial pain to the Greenburgh taxpayers by refusing a valid and more substantial offer.

Reviewing the Frank's Marketing Budget v2, there appears to be line item disbursements listed detailing advertising in several print and online mediums. One example is the Journal News (1x3 ad) for $379; run three times for a total of $1,137. At face value it sounds good doesn't it? The problem with a 1" x3" ad in any paper or online is that it's the size of a mailing label and will not much exposure and review at all. If the Town were serious about advertising in the Journal News, they should be doing an ad that is three or four columns wide by 15". That is the size of an average story in the paper. While we're not trying to beef up ad sales for the Journal News, they are simply taking the money and running what will be the size of a classified ad. How much information can be put in this ad? Realistically, it will probably say: Property For Sale, 715 Dobbs Ferry Road, call 914-993-1500. If there's any room left, maybe they can add: Serious offers (from GameOn 365) only.

Other print media advertisements listed tout more of the 1"x3" advertisements as well. There are several more ads in the Journal News. One such ad is a color ad in the Real Estate section that is 2"x3.5" which is the size of a business card. How much information can realistically and correctly be included in an ad of this size and still be effective. It can't. There's a 2" x 3" Wednesday and Saturday combo ad in the Wall Street Journal that will cost us $1830 for three ads. There are several other  1"x3" ads that will be run in other papers for a substantial amount of money. As we've watched our tax dollars urinated away by Mr Feiner's other follies we now come to this auction. We will see a total of $25,938 spent on ads that will have little or no success because the methodology is flawed.

Our previous article discusses what's called a Stalking Horse and that allows the seller and bidder to engage in a sale without actually having to bid for the property. This is the slight of hand that Mr Feiner, the Town Board and the others will use to ensure GameOn 365 receive the property. When information about the GameOn 365 proposal was requested by the Freedom of Information Laws, the request was denied as was the appeal. If there is no proposal on file, why was GameOn 365's name the only one on the Retention Agreement posted on the Town's website. We wonder if they in fact could be considered as having submitted a serious offer since no paperwork is on file at Town Hall? House of Sports made a legitimate offer. Why weren't they included in the Retention Agreement?

Games are being played again by the Town Board and especially Mr Feiner with the former Frank's Nursery property and what will be done with it. When the games stop, maybe then we'll see A Better Greenburgh.

Pretending To Be Honest, Open and Transparent

 Mr Feiner has tried for the better part of three years to illegally lease, then sell, then connive a way to gift the contaminated former Frank's Nursery property to his favored GameOn 365 buddies. He even went so far as to craft a lopsided and intentionally poorly worded referendum to provide the results he wanted to move the illegal deal forward. Ever the crafty politico, his plan worked. A complicit media even fed the public Mr Feiner's deceptions without question. Continuing to claim that he wanted the best deal for the Town, Mr Feiner steadfastly refused to entertain or accept a cash offer for double the amount, $3.5 Million, from an existing and profitable Town business, House of Sports in Ardsley.

Now Mr Feiner has finally decided its time to stop playing games and auction the property off. Or is it? The end game is never what it appears to be when Mr Feiner and his Town Board have an ulterior motive up their proverbial sleeves. There is multiple documentation on the Town's website regarding the property at 715 Dobbs Ferry Road, the hiring of GA Keen Realty Advisors to perform the advertising and the auction of the property for the Town. But its what missing that has us concerned.

The flyer for the sale of the property provides the most basic of information, none of which actually tells a prospective bidder/purchaser what they are really purchasing: multiple contamination and an R30 Zoning requirement. These two glaringly absent points are of major significance to anyone who would be interested in participating with the purchase of this property. Was leaving this information out intentional or accidental? Based on past performance of this Board and Mr Feiner, ABG is relatively certain it was intentional. But why?

The same documents posted on the Towns website lend a bit of a clue. We've already touched on the faulty flyer that will probably not be used with any real verve by the Town or GA Keen. In fact, we believe its creation was part of "Pinocchio Paul's" smoke screen to appear to want to advertise this property while maintaining a final strong hold over the process so that GameOn 365 will be the victor regardless of how many bidders or promises are made for R30 zoned construction. How do we know this, you ask?

There are two indicators that are skewing our opinion. The first is in the Retention Agreement on page four (4) under section F Good Faith. "The parties hereto shall deal with each other fairly and in good faith so as to allow each party to perform its duties and earn the benefits of this Agreement and shall not interfere, prevent or prohibit the other, in any manner, prior to or during the term of this Agreement from carrying out its duties and obligations under the Agreement." Ironically, this agreement was never utilized with the online "Town Square" website, the Daily Greenburgh. You'll recall that Mr Feiner and the Town Board entered into a one year agreement to use the website for no fee. And when the fee would be charged to the tune of $2,000 per month, Mr Feiner said they would not pay and cease using the site. Good faith operators? Hardly.

The second indicator that this is probably still a "done-deal" is on page eleven (11) under Schedule B-1. Here the page says "Game On 365, LLC" and below that it says "Remainder of Page Intentionally Blank". Blank indeed. This appears to be crafted with GameOn 365 as the sole beneficiary, again with the "done-deal" benefitting only Mr Feiner's cronies. Why would House of Sports intentionally be left off of this document? Probably because there was never any intention to sell or gift the property to anyone other than GameOn 365!

Then there's the "Stalking Horse" deal that can be found on Page two (2) of the Working Draft of Bidding Procedures. Stalking Horse? Really? Why not just say that GameOn 365 can bid prior to the auction and have a clear shot at purchasing the property as Mr Feiner intended all along? The Stalking Horse a) "allows the seller to solicit bids on the property prior to the Bid Deadline". ABG has learned that this is a common practice. And, b) "if the seller enters into a binding Real Estate Purchase Contract with the bidder prior to the Bid Deadline, which contract subjects the contract vendee to the Auction, such bidder shall be deemed the Stalking Horse". And of course, if the deal is made prior to the auction and the Stalking Horse is outbid, the Stalking Horse gets  a 3% breakup fee plus reimbursement of actual, reasonable out-of-pocket due diligence fees. And, the auctioneer still gets paid. It seems the only people that will suffer, again, are the Greenburgh taxpayers.

The Town Board has rescheduled the Town Board meeting for tomorrow night. We'll see how accurate our assessment of what is taking place will actually be. It's deals like this with the crafty wording, intentional vagueness and colorful terminology that hurts our Town. This must stop. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Impassioned Plea To Maintain Segregated Neighborhood

Several Planning Board meetings ago found a discussion on a proposal made by a family that is looking to combine three parcels of property into one and build a 2400 square foot home on it. The zoning for the neighborhood would allow for a 2800 square foot house. 2400 square feet is not an unwieldy, garish and/or oversized home as new homes go. This project would have most likely gone under the radar for approval except for one speaker. As the Board opened the “hearing” to the public to speak, the first speaker voiced their opinion against the proposal for several reasons which he proceeded to explain. Next up was Town Clerk Judith Beville.

She took to the microphone and speaking softly, introduced herself, stating that she was the Greenburgh Town Clerk. She began discussing “her” community and requested the Board “join” her in imagining going to her neighborhood and proceeded to ask the Board to envision how close her home was to the projected new home proposed across the street from hers. She stated that this was a woodlands, wetlands, nature preserve and protected environment that they would be allowing to to be disturbed. he left out wildlife preserve. The neighborhood is comprised of small colonial style houses. This home will stand out and not blend with the rest of the houses in the neighborhood. Living directly across the street from the proposed home, Ms Beville asked the Board, “ I want you to ask yourselves, ‘would you want this house built near you?’ ”

She proceeded with an impassioned plea saying this was a direct exploitation of this long-time African-American community.There it is. When all other arguments fail, bandy the race card to win the NIMBY argument. How disappointing it is to once again witness discrimination, this time in the form of racism through NIMBY-ism from another member of Mr Feiner's administration. Ms Beville has supported Mr Feiner and his Board's multiple construction projects against the wishes of many more people than the few in attendance this night. You may recall packed Town Hall meetings where neighborhoods protested Westhab, WestHelp, 88 North Rd, Frank's Nursery, Avalon Green, Toll Brothers, Dromore Road. The list goes on. What is different for her than what these other resident taxpayers were seeking to limit? Absolutely nothing!

Her claim was that this home shouldn’t be built because it would be a change to this long time African American community. Interpretation? Her racially segregated neighborhood should stay as it is. This is an example of reverse racism coming from another community leader and member of the Feiner administration. We’ve previously posted that the Feiner Administration condones racism from within and now it’s becoming more exposed. 

We invite you to watch these videos linked below from the meeting and ask you to decide. Here are two links we found on YouTube of her speaking at the Planning Board meeting. By the way, these are not videos that ABG produced or created. 

Watch her plea here:

TOGPB 04 16 2014 NIMBY Beville
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5a2n-AjUXY

The Board later detailed what constituted a wetland – this property was not. They explained a nature preserve – this property was not. They explained all of her other postulations only to summarize that the space she bemoaned as a waterway was determined to be a drainage ditch that occasionally collected water. They went through each of her points of objection and detailed how she was incorrect.

The Board’s response:

TOGPB 04 16 2014 NIMBY Beville QA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yHPu1HE-zw

It’s interesting to watch how the "Greenburgh elite", or "1%-ers", who are used to getting their way for what they want, react when something is going to affect them more directly. This time it is Ms Beville and a project across the street from her home. When Westhab was proposing their building in Fulton Park, the residents didn’t say “No” to the proposal. They only asked the Town Board to not change the zoning and keep its size within the confines of the existing zoning. They had worked with the homeless at that location for years while it was a homeless hotel. The Fulton Park Civic Association President, who lived directly across the street, just asked for a more reasonably sized building and a buffer. Ms Beville felt Westhab should be built regardless of the residents concerns and publicly stated as much. But Ms Beville is saying she doesn't want anything built there. That's just wrong.

When Mr Feiner decided that a new Stop and Shop on Rt 119 would be a good thing on Rt 119 and the Glenville Neighborhood objected, they were summarily dismissed. When the Parkway Homes neighborhood found out they were getting yet another group home at 88 North Road, there were two issues at play: the first was that Mr Feiner led the state to that piece of undeveloped property and second, Councilman Jones failed to inform his neighbors and former neighborhood association. When Mr Feiner realized he could get Valhalla votes by letting WestHelp rot, he instructed somebody at the Town to leave it open. Now it needs millions of dollars worth of repairs to be habitable. Why are Valhalla residents, who live at least one mile away from this facility against this affordable/low income housing?  
 

Some of the reasons people object to the developments throughout the Town are invariably told that it will raise our property values, increase diversity, increase tax income and make the Town more vibrant. The reality is usually not what we are told. Objections to the Dromore Road development is about overwhelming the school district, not about low income residents. Objections to the Comprehensive Plan's "nodes" is not about low income residents, but of urbanizing the Town and overwhelming the school system with more kids at an undervalued tax income as apartments pay less in taxes than single family homes. Of course, the elephant in the room is the continued racism emminating from our Town administration. Once this stops, we'll finally have A Better Greenburgh.

Happy Father's Day

ABG would like to wish all of our readers a healthy and Happy Father's Day!

Job Opening In Greenburgh

Thomas Madden, Commissioner of the Department of Community Development and Conservation, formerly known as the Planning Commissioner, has submitted his resignation to the Supervisor. Mr Madden was appointed as Commissioner of the Department of Community Development and Conservation for the Town in February 2008, after serving for four years as the Deputy Commissioner. While Mr Feiner claims to be upset about the resignation, residents we’ve discussed this with are overjoyed with the pending departure!

As Commissioner, he has been instrumental in the over-development of numerous areas throughout the Unincorporated Town and convoluted ideas that are simply a hindrance to business and doing business in the Town. More recently, as a member of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, he has leaked confidential information under review by the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee to developers with a financial interest in the Town. He also worked closely with the GameOn 365 people to help them build a for-profit recreational sports facility at the old Frank’s Nursery property. When questioned as to the ethical or even legal nature of a Town employee working on behalf of a private corporation (conflict of interest), he poo-pooed those critics.

Mr. Madden was a member of the Westchester County’s Central Park Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Study. Regardless of the outcome of this study, Mr Madden’s belief of increasing public transportation while doing nothing to alleviate traffic congestion is well-known. To focus on creating more bus routes while automotive traffic remains backed up almost everywhere is nothing more than social engineering gone awry. Why was the County looking to eliminate the Bee Line Bus System Express Route to New York City via Central Avenue, returning via Madison Avenue? Why was the County seeking to eliminate a Rye bus route only two years year ago? Because mass transit in a suburban area won’t work as it does in a city. Add the cost of running these systems and we, the beleaguered taxpayers, will be overburdened with another layer of increased taxes. Maybe now that Mr Madden is leaving Greenburgh, he'll be more apt to share his metropolitan vision in a more appropriate arena.

He will be taking a job in Stamford, Connecticut as their Economic Development Director. It’s ironic that he will be in a position for economic development giving his anti-business acumen here in the Town, highlighted when his suggested plan for taxing businesses was proven to be illegal. He can certainly “talk the talk”, but has difficulty actually working on behalf of businesses, unless of course they are a developer. Then, all bets are off, all the stops unplugged, and any resource they need is at their disposal.

He also worked closely with the Brightview Assisted Living Facility’s management to ensure success with their private assisted living project at Benedict Avenue and Rt 119. They, with Mr Madden’s assistance, wrote the zoning law change that Mr Feiner and the Town Board could not pass fast enough to allow the project to move forward. He did the same thing in Fulton Park by working intimately with Westhab to create an oversized subsidized housing project through changed zoning code that easily went contrary to why the zoning was in place to begin with. But Mr Madden needed a legacy and how better to get it than to be sanctioned by his convicted criminal boss, Mr Feiner.

While the Business Council of Westchester County recognized Thomas as one of their “Rising Stars – Forty Under Forty” program, in 2012, the criteria for this award is unknown. The program pays tribute to individuals who surpass expectations, raise the bar, set new standards for success, and make their mark in their chosen profession at a young age. We’re not saying he should not have gotten it, but given the number of vacant office spaces, retail spaces and taxpayers who are leaving the Town as fast as they can, we think the award may have been a bit premature. He had been instrumental in helping Mr Feiner shape the downward direction of the Town. Greenburgh certainly is a leader because of some of the actions of Mr Madden...the leader of what a Town should not do.

The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee has been holding community outreach meetings at Town Hall. Mr Madden was a key architect of the plan. The plan has gotten hammered by residents throughout the Town, leaving many to speculate that this could be Mr Madden’s Waterloo. Since the meetings have produced such a negative response from the community, and many of Mr Madden’s back room dealings are now being made public, it seems a good time for Mr Madden to accept the position in Stamford and "get out of Dodge" while the getting is good. Interestingly, his leaving may bring us one step closer to A Better Greenburgh.

This Job Stinks!

Driveway pipe

Looking up Randolph

Fulton Park has had its share of abuse from the Town for the last seven or so years. Mr Feiner, et al, dumped Westhab’s subsidized housing in the neighborhood. Then he appointed new Zoning Board of Appeals members and coerced his newly appointed subjects to approve the Deli Delicious petition to pave his entire property and (illegally?) expand onto the state property to create a drive-through window for a private company.

Now something completely different is happening that will have a better outcome for this previously ignored and now “dumped” upon neighborhood - but it still stinks – literally! Apparently, the Town Public Works Department discovered several of the sewers in the area were at an unusually high level after some recent rains. Not only does this create a foul smell, but it can cause the sewage to back up in multiple locations as well as being a health hazard. Fulton Park knows what that smell and cleanup nightmare is like after having had all kinds of sewage back up into residents’ basements when the neighborhood was flooded during Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene. Naturally, FEMA, NYS, Westchester County and the Town talked about helping but in the end, did nothing!

Looking down Randolph

An email was sent out to the Fulton Park residents from Public Works Commissioner Victor Carosi advising of what would be taking place starting today. Here's what it said:

We have a substantial sewer break in the brook behind Randolph Road.  We expect noise and disruption to residents along Randolph Road and Benedict Road during the work.  This will include operating a large pump and having pipes along the street for probably the next five days.  The pumping will be necessary to operate 24-hours a day.  The pump ordered is fitted with noise dampening mufflers, but it still will be noisy. 

I would like to inform the neighborhood association and/or key residents in this area.  Victor G. Carosi, P.E.

Commissioner of Public Works

Town of Greenburgh, NY

(914) 993-1644

We decided to investigate and found crews in the process of laying out 12" piping to bypass a section of pipe that had been found to have cracked and been leaking. Representatives from the Town stated the plan is to pump as much of the sewage and water from the dead end of Benedict Rd through the piping into another sewerage drain located on Randolph Road. Our photos show the piping and driveway plates that are actually flat piping, allowing cars in and out of their driveways. The Towns representatives were forthcoming with information and their plan. After all, this wasn’t a Town Board meeting so there was no need for secrecy, special meetings behind closed doors or Executive sessions.

“Quiet pump”

The schedule of events after the piping is hooked up is to pump the water and sewage tonight and tomorrow and then evaluate the amount left. If the level is low enough, they plan to repair the existing pipe with a liner, hopefully eliminating the need to tear up the road and physically replace the old pipes. If everything checks out okay, the work will continue probably through Monday. If they need to do a bit more, it could go longer. They are confident it should go smoothly. They also said this should not disrupt any residents use of water or sewers (toilets, showers, etc.).

Workers laying the pipe said it was a dirty job but once everything gets started, it should be “routine”. One fellow did comment on the extraordinary amount of mosquito bites he got just laying the equipment out in place. He said they sprayed the area but to no avail. Most residents are already well aware of the Panama Canal-like quality Fulton Park suffers from with mosquitos. Well, as the saying goes, “Its a dirty job but somebody has to do it.” And while this job really does stink, we’re glad the dedicated employees of the Town are there doing the job. 

Celebrating Our Service Members This Memorial Day

Each year we pause all too briefly to honor our brave service personnel throughout our country and overseas. Politicians give speeches extolling the virtues of those and their families who have served, continue to serve or have given the ultimate sacrifice for us all. After the parades, the speeches, and the barbecues begin to wind down, we will all return to our daily lives.

You may find one or more of these charities listed below appealing to you and worthy of your participation. Not sure what you can do? We've highlighted two worthy charities below. Regardless of your choice, you can make a difference either financially or in person.

Please click on a link and follow your heart with your wallet. If you lack funds to donate, many will welcome your time and energy if you can. We have the ability to do so much for so many right here in our own backyard as we celebrate this and every Memorial Day. God bless our troops, their families and America.

Two charities that help our veterans:







Soldier Socks
1127 High Ridge Road, 124 Stamford, Connecticut 06905; Tel - 203-832-2005

www.soldiersocks.com/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=68

Fisher House

Fisher House Foundation, Inc., 111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420, Rockville, Maryland 20850; (888) 294-8560 or (301) 294-8560; Fax: (301) 294-8562
info@fisherhouse.org

Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment.

During our research for a list of charities that help our military personnel, we found this page with an incredibly long list of charities for the military:

http://www.ausa.org/resources/familyprograms/resources/InternetResources/Pages/CharitiesSupportingSoldiersandtheirFamilies.aspx

If the links below do not work, please go directly to the link above and link to the charity of your choice from there.

Wounded Warrior & Family Support Resources Gary Sinise Foundation This foundation is designed to honor the nation's defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities. The Giving Effect The Giving Effect is a national movement getting food, gently-used items & more to people in need. From people like you! Homes for Our Troops Homes for Our Troops assists severely injured service men and women and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and coordinating the process of building new adapting existing homes with handicapped accessibility. Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund aids severely injured military personnel in their treatment and recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. Fisher House The Fisher House Foundation provides affordable lodging for family members of hospitalized military personnel. National Center on Family Homlessness The National Center on Family Homelessness develops and implements innovative solutions that address the unique needs of homeless children and families. Our extensive knowledge of the causes, correlates, and consequences of homelessness allows us to support families in their return to stable housing in the community. Operation Comfort Operation Comfort provides support to Service members who have been wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq and are receiving treatment at Brooke Army Medical Center. Operation Hero Miles Operation Hero Miles takes donations of unused frequent flier miles to help soldiers travel on emergency leave. They can also be used to help families fly to hospitalized soldiers. Operation Gratitude Operation Gratitude seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed in harm's way.** Operation Gratitude care packages contain food, hygiene products, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation, all wrapped with good wishes of love and support. Operation Paperback Operation Paperback is a non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Pennsylvania that collects gently used books nationwide and sends them to American troops deployed overseas. Since 1999, we have shipped over 1.3 million books to locations around the globe. Pets for Patriots We create unique opportunities for members of the military community to save a life by honorably adopting homeless adult dogs and cats. Project Prayer Flag Project Prayer Flag is recognized by the Department of Defense as a member of the "America Supports You" program, which showcases efforts to support American troops and their families. Since 2002 the organization has distributed flags, care packages, baseball equipment, family and financial support, military phone cards and Unit support to soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan and various international deployment areas. Project Valor-IT Project Valor-IT provides voice-controlled software and laptop computers to wounded Service members recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at major military medical centers. Visit the website to learn how to make a donation or request a laptop. Quilts of Valor The Quilts of Valor project provides homemade quilts to wounded Service members. Tempered Steel, Inc. Tempered Steel sends Wounded Warriors to speak to schools, community groups and corporate events about their very personal stories behind their scars of war. Our members are all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of all military branches; Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force who have been wounded during the last 10 years physically and/or psychologically. Wounded Warriors Family Support Fund Provides support and solace to the families of injured or fallen troops through vacations. Aid for Wounded Soldiers Aid for Wounded Soldiers is a non-profit project that provides comfort and relief items for soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines sick, injured or wounded from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Specific items requested by Military Medical Centers, VA Medical Centers and Fisher House rehabilitation facilities are purchased and donated each week.

Send Care Packages Resources Adopt a Platoon AnySoldier A Soldier's Wish List Books For Soldiers Boatsie's Boxes Operation: A Bit of Home Operation Air Conditioner Operation Care and Comfort Operation Gratitude Operation Homefront’s eCarePackage.org Operation Interdependence Operation Shoebox Operation Troop Appreciation Operation Write Home Packages From Home The Scott Valelly Soldiers’ Memorial Fund Holiday Gift Drive Soldiers' Angels Support America’s Armed Forces Treats for Troops USO Cares

Emergency Assistance Resources American Soldier Foundation The Foundation can provide grants or interest free loans to help Soldiers and family members with unexpected events. Armed Forces Foundation Family Assistance Program The Family Assistance Program awards financial assistance to military families ranging from hotel room cost and utility bill payment, to laptops for recovering veterans. Families must apply for assistance through the website and are accepted based on their need in relationship to monthly income. Army Emergency Relief Army Emergency Relief provides emergency financial assistance to Soldiers and their families. Army Homefront Fund Provides emergency financial and other support to the families of soldiers, with a focus on wounded warrior care and transition assistance. Includes cash grants, not loans, paid directly to mortgage lenders, auto mechanics, utility companies, doctors and other providers. Assistance is usually provided within 24-72 hours after receiving pertinent information from the warrior or family member. American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services The American Red Cross sends communications on behalf of family members who are facing emergencies or other important events to members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving all over the world. It also offers financial assistance to military families and veterans. Operation Eagle’s Nest Donations to this charity support the families of Soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Operation Homefront Operation Homefront can provide financial assistance to military families in need as well as help with emeregncy household and vehicle repairs. Reserve Aid Reserve Aid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to providing financial support to the families of Reserve Service Members called to active duty in all five branches of the Armed Forces. Reserve Aid makes unrestricted, need based grants to military families who have a Reserve Service Member on full-time deployment to a combat zone or homeland security position. Support America’s Armed Forces (SAAF) SAAF raises funds, collects care package items and issues grants to veteran organizations, active duty or reserve personnel, or families in need of assistance. Unmet Needs (Veterans of Foreign Wars) The Unmet Needs Program provides emergency financial assistance and has a network of skilled volunteers able to assist military families. USA Cares USA Cares exists to provide military families with financial support and other critical resources in their time of need.

Donate Item or Resources Services Air Compassion for Veterans ACV ensures that no financially-stressed wounded warrior / veteran / active duty military person or their family member(s) is denied access to distant specialized medical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or rehabilitation for lack of a means of long-distance medical air transportation. ACV provides air transportation to Wounded Warriors. AMVETS Task Force DVD The American Veterans collect new and used DVDs to distribute overseas to US military personnel. Cell Phones for Soldiers This charity accepts donations of old cell phones, which it then recycles for cash to buy phone cards for deployed troops. Commissary Gift Certificates Gift certificates purchased though the Defense Commissary Agency can be used by military families. Freedom Calls Donations to the Freedom Calls Foundation help build and maintain a state-of-the-art telecommunications network for military personnel to keep in touch with family members back home. Green Care for Troops A nationwide outreach program connecting local lawn and landscaping companies with the families of deployed Service members to help with lawn and landscape care. Help Our Troops Call Home Purchase prepaid calling cards through military exchanges for troops serving overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Homefront America, Inc. Homefront America is a volunteer, non-profit website that assists military families during deployment. Their programs include referral assistance, tuition and scholarship assistance, holiday programs, back-to-school supplies, teen education and routine auto maintenance. Operation Homelink Operation Homelink provides refurbished computers to the spouses or parents of junior enlisted (E1-E5) U.S. deployed Service members, enabling email communication with their loved ones deployed overseas. Operation Top Knot A program that supports the wives and children of U.S. soldiers through donations of baby gifts. Operation Uplink Run by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Operation Uplink accepts contributions in order to supply phone cards to troops and their families. Snow Care For Troops Snow Care for Troops is a nationwide outreach program that recruits local volunteers to provide free snow removal services at home for the men and women serving overseas USA Together Is a non-profit website that provides assistance through donors to injured Soldiers, Veterans and their families.

Help Soldiers Help Others Resources Operation Iraqi Children Many soldiers deployed to Iraq are rebuilding schools. Donations to Operation Iraqi Children help purchase desperately needed school supplies. Operation Give Operation Give provides toys, clothing and school supplies primarily to the children of Iraq and Afghanistan. Spirit of America Spirit of America helps US troops carry out humanitarian projects around the world through donations of much needed goods and supplies.

The Grand Plan (Part 4)

Mr Feiner has Thomas Madden, his favored planning and expansion employee, on the Town’s Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee to ensure control. He used to rely on Town Councilman Francis Sheehan until Mr Feiner threw him under the bus during the Democratic Primary campaign last year. Mr Madden operates not out of a love for Greenburgh (he does not live in Greenburgh), but out of a love for his meal-ticket, Mr Feiner, and of course his own job security. The more building and development that takes place in the Town, the more work he has to do and the more secure he is in his job and Mr Feiner’s good graces. Apparently its okay to congest Greenburgh with more and more projects, its just not okay to live in it?

When we listen to him present developer’s plans on their behalf, he seems to get more and more excited with his voice becoming softer and softer, almost to a whisper. When this was originally pointed out from an audience member, she suggested he was becoming flushed with excitement. Be that as it may, Mr Madden has repeatedly disclosed confidential information to “Feiner-friendly” developers while claiming the lack of confidentiality is nothing more than “planners talking”. This is hardly the case as his “talking” supplies them with insider information, akin to insider trading and aids them to craft their projects for future compliance with the yet to be proposed or adopted Town Comprehensive Plan! This insider trading is just another notch on the Feiner Administration’s developer approval chalkboard.

Now that the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee is having public outreach meetings, more and more people are focusing, even highlighting the over-development being proposed for the three major roadways in our Town: Saw Mill River Road (Route 9A), Tarrytown Road (Rt 119) and Central Avenue (Rt 100). The intersections with 4-corners will be developed with what is referred to as “nodes”. Travel any of these major arteries in Town and start paying attention when you sit at a traffic light. The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee believes this “design of the future” (our words) and urbanization (others’ words) will be good for the Town. It has been stated by many speakers at the two Comprehensive Plan Community Outreach sessions (so far) that they want less of what the Comp Plan is foisting upon us as “progress”. Several from the Comp Plan Steering Committee have said there were numerous common themes when they went into the communities during the first phase of evaluations with the neighbors and neighborhoods.

Some themes were to preserve open space, have more sidewalks and bike paths, not have bigger buildings and have less impervious space. Crowds of people listened in packed venues to hear what the Comp Plan architects sought and provided PostIt notes suggestions on big sheets of paper. This input would provide them critical neighborhood information and be the guide for the development of the Comprehensive Plan. Somewhere in the process, the politically correct members lost sight of what the people asked for and decided to go with a more extensive social engineering. One of the ideas is to have “nodes” throughout the Town on major arteries such as Central Avenue, Rt 119, and Rt 9A, to name a few. Nodes will consist of city-like four story buildings that do not follow our current set-back distances of space from the curb, include grass in-between and are built right to the edge of the sidewalk! It’s been referred to by many as the urbanization of Greenburgh. Mr Sheehan asked community leader Bob Bernstein for a definition of urbanization, which was provided.

The first floor will consist of a retail business because apparently the Town lacks enough unoccupied stores in the Town. The second, third and fourth floors will be residential units. The plan/goal of these, as we so often hear in developer proposals, is that these will be affordable housing units. We’re told these people will not have cars and will rely on a new and improved public transportation system of buses, so appropriate parking will not be necessary. But what if they do have cars, what then? No provisions have been made to accommodate them. Interestingly, we've repeatedly witnessed the BeeLine Express Bus and the local bus system in Rye have service reduced by the County because they, and really we, cannot afford to run them. Since this Comp Plan is a plan for the next twenty years, each intersection with four corners and a traffic light is on the chopping block. Urbanization? Your call. One point to note is that there are no requirements for these nodes to maintain a certain look or feel as they are constructed. And, when they cannot be rented, what happens? The property owners will go for Section 8 housing, which requires the tenant to pay 30% of their income toward the rent. Yes, they become subsidized housing, just like most Westhab facilities throughout the County. Is this the plan we want for the next twenty or more years?

Corner nodes are... hey,wait a minute... You don’t think Mr Feiner is pushing fire consolidation to get a jump on building a new Node at the four corners in Hartsdale, do you? Is he looking to close the Hartsdale Fire station near the four-corners to facilitate the reconstruction of Central Avenue with Nodes? Absolutely! The portion of the Comp Plan to construct nodes at corners such as the four-corners in Hartsdale, is exactly why Mr Feiner seeks to have a partial fire department consolidation. As he pushes his agenda of creating a new level of urbanization throughout our suburban Town, he violates the trust and wishes of the neighborhood who participated in ernest with the pre-Comp Plan meetings. This is not in keeping with Greenburgh’s history, culture, desires or residents’ requests and wishes. Nor do they approve of Mr Feiner and the Town Board’s history of continued spot-zoning.

We have just witnessed the affects of the Town Board’s gas-station tax on Central Avenue, a precursor to the Comp Plan changes in store. On Central Avenue, by Scarsdale Ford, a long-time gas station was recently closed as Mr Feiner and his Town Board tilted the playing field by literally driving an owner out of business with unnecessary fees that were really taxes. The G10 fought this move for months on end, trying to explain to the non-business savvy Board of the outcome that would be had if they enacted the tax. They would not listen, as usual, and proceeded to adopt this Central Avenue service-station only fee. Unfortunately, the G10 position was validated once again.

While service is really the mainstay of most service stations, the company funded Cumberland Farms gas station that was reopened after being closed for several years was given preferred treatment after losing their special zoning. Forget that the big company was underselling gasoline below what the "mom and pop" stations could purchase it for. Consequently, when the Town forced this new tax upon them, they were crushed. What’s next for that site? ABG has learned that through the new Comprehensive Plan (here it is again) information possibly leaked by Thomas Madden to the developer as simply "talk", the Central Avenue corridor will be changed to be more New York City-like. On the corners now are mostly single-story buildings of small retail businesses. What will be built on this small parcel promises to be the forebearer of things to come. This must be changed before the proposal is given to the Town Board for a hearing. Residents must get involved to slow this train wreck from changing the flavor of our Town. Only when this happens will we begin to see A Better Greenburgh.

School Budget Passes, No Objections from Supervisor

Mr Feiner has gone out of his way to attack the Fairview Fire District, Fire Department and former Chief. His repeated claims of financial chicanery were unfounded and proven to be either fabrications and out and out lies. His concentric group of giddy senior citizens rallied around him to espouse his message, keeping his hands “clean”, only to receive the adoration from a colusive press with publication of his lies. Where was Mr Feiner and his budget outrage for the school budget?

Tuesday saw the school budget for the Greenburgh Central Schools pass with nary a blip on the radar. There were several people running for School Board and there were no propositions. The results of the election for school board seats are Deborah Campbell with 604 votes, Claudia Glaser with 599 votes, Cora Carey with 402 votes and Jeffrey Barnes with 256 votes. The school budget also passed with a wide margin of approval with a vote of 671 to 342. Where was Mr Feiner and his budget outrage for the school budget?

Where was Mr Feiner and his budget outrage for the school budget? Obviously, he was no where to be found. He could not take a chance of alienating his base by going after the school board or their budget or “the children”. If he was truly concerned about the financial woes of the Town taxpayers, he would be doing things much differently. He certainly would not be discriminating against churches and be found guilty to the tune of $6.5M. He would not have tried to placate a minute handful of Valhalla residents by not renewing the WestHelp lease to the tune of $1.2M per year. Nor would he have ignored the land sale of the Frank’s Nursery property for $3.5M. And he certainly could have had revaluation done at any point during his 22-years in office and avoided the certiorari adjustment payments the Town is required to make to the tune of about $1M per Town Board meeting (2 meetings per month)! 

Where was Mr Feiner and his budget outrage for the school budget? He remained mute. He remained mute because his “outrage” is not genuine and strictly for media attention and his own agenda. If he was really concerned about finances in the Town, he could really save money for the Town taxpayer by simply resigning. He alone is the greatest expense to the Town taxpayers. Once he leaves, we’ll begin to see A Better Greenburgh.