The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

County Reports Westchester Residents Making Huge Strides in Recycling Efforts

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“Recycling revenue was up a whopping 107% in September compared to September 2019 and is up almost 10% for the year.”

The County Continues to be a Regional Leader in Environmental Management with Record Curbside Recycling and New Food Scrap Recycling Programs

Sunday, November 15 is National Recycling Day, providing the perfect opportunity to applaud Westchester’s residents for their commitment to recycling their household waste.

Due to the dedication of our residents, Westchester consistently posts some of the highest recycling rates in the region. This year, with so many residents at home and students attending virtual classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Westchester residents have recycled at an unprecedented rate.

County Executive George Latimer said: “When I was elected to lead Westchester, I made a commitment to improving the environment for all Westchester residents. Our team at the Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) has taken this commitment seriously. Together, we’ve developed a way to host public events with COVID-19 precautions, established the Transportation and Disposal program to allow communities previously unable to afford food scrap recycling a path to do so, and envisioned CompostEd to provide composting education for all County residents.”

According to data compiled by DEF, the agency responsible for managing the County’s refuse disposal and recycling programs, residential curbside recycling was up almost 31% in September compared to September 2019. For the year, curbside recycling is up over 10.5% compared to last year. Revenue from the sale of recyclables has also increased significantly, with the recyclables market beginning to rebound after being mired in a deep recession the past couple of years. Recycling revenue was up a whopping 107% in September compared to September 2019 and is up almost 10% for the year.

DEF Deputy Commissioner Louis Vetrone said: “We’re fortunate in Westchester that our residents are diligent in cleaning recyclables and separating them properly. This dedication combined with the state-of-the-art equipment we’ve installed at the County’s Material Recovery Facility allowed the County to continue to sell its recyclables over the past couple of years, while programs around the country faltered. With the added material collected these past few months, we’ve been in a position to take advantage of the markets.” As a result of the increased revenue, the County’s Refuse District is able to offer new programs related to food scrap recycling.

DEF’s two new food scrap initiatives include the Residential Food Scrap Transportation and Disposal (RFSTAD) Program and CompostED. Under RFSTAD, any District municipality can participate in food scrap recycling for the same– or less than– the transportation and disposal cost of garbage. Incorporating grant funding from NYSDEC for start up materials, allows local municipalities to start these programs for a few thousand dollars.

The County is also near to breaking ground on CompostED, DEF’s new Compost and Education Facility in Valhalla. CompostED will be a small scale compost demonstration facility, offering educational tours and classes on the benefits of composting and for municipalities on incorporating food scraps in municipal yard waste composting activities.

In addition to the uptick in curbside recycling, DEF has also seen record numbers of residents utilizing the services offered at the County’s Household-Material Recovery Facility (H-MRF) at 15 Woods Road on the Valhalla Campus. Between August 1 and October 31, the H-MRF had 4,703 households visit, including a record number of 1,670 in September, delivering over 262,000 lbs. of household waste.

The H-MRF accepts most items that are not collected curbside, including household cleaning supplies, pesticides, fertilizers, Freon-containing appliances, mercury-containing devices, tires, propane tanks, and electronic waste. In addition, the H-MRF offers document shredding services daily and medication drop-off on the first Tuesday of each month. The facility is open by appointment Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-3pm. For more information on the H-MRF or to make an appointment visit https://environment.westchestergov.com/facilities/h-mrf. 

Additionally, on October 24th DEF conducted a Household Recycling Day (HRD) Event at FDR State Park in Yorktown that attracted 840 households delivering household hazardous wastes and 550 utilizing the shredder. Residents can bring all of the same items to the HRD Events that are accepted at the H-MRF. The next HRD Event is scheduled for this Saturday, November 14th at Playland Park. For more information visit our DEF Facebook page at Facebook.com/WestchesterCountyDEF.

News courtesy of the Westchester County Executive

 

‘Feed Me Fresh’ Virtual Fundraiser Raised $100,000 to Support Quality Child Care Access

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Proceeds from the 16th Annual Fundraiser for the Mount Kisco Child Care Center to Provide Financial Support for Working Families in Need

L-R: Keira Treanor, Event Chair and Vice President, Board of Directors MKCCC/ Joe DiMauro, Owner, Mt Kisco Seafood/Dawn Meyerski, Executive Director, MKCCC

Mt. Kisco, NY – (October 19, 2020) – Mount Kisco Child Care Center (MKCCC) held its 16th Annual Feed Me Fresh: A Virtual Evening on Saturday, September 26th. The fundraiser was broadcast virtually for the first time and raised $100,000 for the Center’s need-based scholarship program. Viewers enjoyed a tour of the Center, honoree recognition, guest video appearances from long-time FMF restaurant partners and live raffle drawings. Approximately half of the 195 children who attend the Center receive financial support to help provide access to quality child care for working families.

This year, MKCCC was thrilled to honor its teachers and staff. MKCCC is the only local child care center to have remained open throughout the pandemic, and by sharing best practices helped guide other organizations as they made the decision to re-open. In addition to serving families of essential workers, the Center welcomed enrolled families who needed a safe and nurturing place for their children to be during this unprecedented time. The teachers also engaged remote families so that all students felt connected. Lessons and activities were sent home through Google Classroom while Zoom classes were created for all children including show and tell, music, dance, circle time and story hour. MKCCC’s in-house kitchen staff prepared and packaged 160 meals each week for 8 weeks throughout the summer and distributed them to more than 40 families. MKCCC’s Social Worker continues to be in touch with every family to ensure all their needs are being met – physical, social and emotional. Despite constant and varied challenges, the Center ran a full-day, 8-week summer camp program which also included a swimming component at the town pool.

 

 

 

 

 

When public schools reopened in September, a new Remote Learning Program was developed. Dawn Meyerski, Executive Director, explains: “With school districts all having different scheduling, we needed to add a third program for our school-age children. The Early Morning Club and After-School Program will remain, with the addition of the Remote Learning Program. New teachers were hired, classrooms were reconfigured, and schedules were coordinated with the elementary schools, which ensured a smooth transition to the new school year.” MKCCC teachers continue to pivot to meet ever-changing COVID-19 protocols and requirements, while never compromising their high-quality care and attention for the children.

The Center was also pleased to honor Tommy Calandrucci and Gianni Piccolino of Stone Fire, Basilico and Sunset Cove restaurants. Gianni and Tommy are long-time supporters of Mount Kisco Child Care Center through their participation in Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening for the past 14 years. Since March, they have been providing meals to the community and directly to MKCCC families needing support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Mount Kisco Child Care Center:

Mount Kisco Child Care Center is a non-profit, NAEYC-accredited childcare facility serving families in Northern Westchester since 1971. MKCCC provides exceptional and affordable early care and education to a diverse group of children from three months to eleven years of age. Experienced and professional teachers, an innovative curriculum, unique programs, such as the JEWEL Intergenerational Program and Feed Me Fresh, its garden-to-table, sustainable nutrition program, and a state of the art facility contribute to create an incomparable early childhood education experience.

MKCCC is located at 95 Radio Circle, Mount Kisco, NY. For additional information, please visit www.mkccc.org or call (914) 241-2135. Follow MKCCC on www.facebook.com/MKCCC and www.twitter.com/MKCCC10549 for the latest news and updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News and Photos Courtesy of the Mount Kisco Child Care Center

Getting a Good Night’s Sleep in Troubled Times

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Mount Kisco, NY–On Sunday, November 1st, at 2 a.m., clocks will be turned one hour back for Daylight Savings Time, so when the clock reads 10 am on Sunday morning, your brain and body will insist that it is really 11 a.m.

“Gaining’ an hour in the fall is much easier for our bodies than ‘losing’ an hour in the spring,” says Dr. Praveen Rudraraju, medical director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Northern Westchester Hospital. “For many, sleep has become more elusive in these uncertain times.

“Sleep specialists are seeing an unprecedented numbers of patients suffering from insomnia and other sleep disturbances due to the pandemic, which presents a unique set of multiple stressors,” he adds. “There’s no quick fix for the anxiety that’s keeping people awake as they worry about their jobs, income, the health and safety of loved ones, social isolation and an uncertain future. There is actually a hormonal basis for this kind of insomnia. Anxiety triggers the production of stimulating chemicals in the body that keep people awake.

To get the most out of sleep, Dr. Rudraraju says that both the quality and quantity are important. Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep in order to feel refreshed and alert.  Sleeping less than five hours a night can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease by 40 percent, while chronic insomnia quadruples the risk of stroke. Numerous studies have linked poor-quality sleep to weight gain. Ghrelin, a hormone linked to hunger, increases when people sleep poorly. 

Dr. Rudraraju advises people to practice good sleep hygiene:

  • Do not drink caffeinated beverages after noon, and eat dinner at least three to five hours before bedtime to give your gut time to relax before you turn off the lights.
  • Limit alcohol to one drink with dinner.
  • Eliminate all food and beverages with caffeine, including soda and chocolate, before bedtime.
  • Bedrooms are for sleeping and intimacy. If possible, do not work in your bedroom.
  • Turn off devices, including the computer, television and phone an hour before bedtime because the bright light from the screen and the brain activity these devices require prevent the body from winding down for the evening and may delay sleep. Instead, relax by reading or listening to quiet music.
  • Regular workouts have been linked to better sleep, but avoid any strenuous activity within four to five hours of hitting the sack.

If you often wake up groggy, have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, feel sleepy all day long or snore, you may need a sleep study to assess the possibility of a sleep disorder. An at-home sleep study can find out if you do have a sleep issue, but an in-hospital sleep study can diagnose whether it is caused by an underlying medical condition.

One of the most common disorders is sleep apnea, typically characterized by loud snoring and feelings of constant tiredness. The condition interrupts a person’s breathing hundreds of

times a night, depriving the brain and heart of oxygen. Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes and mental illness. It also puts people at increased risk of heart failure, arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats, and increases the risk of driving accidents.

For more information or to make an appointment for a sleep center study, visit nwh.northwell.edu/sleep-center or call 914-666-1114.

News Courtesy of Northern Westchester Hospital and Northwell,edu

County Offering Personalized Help with Health Insurance Enrollment

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Open Enrollment for NY State of Health

Official Health Plan Marketplace Starts November 1

(White Plains, NY) – Free enrollment assistance is available to help individuals and small businesses enroll or renew their health coverage with NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace. The Westchester County Department of Health Navigator Program offers telephone assistance in multiple languages at no charge.

The 2021 Open Enrollment period in a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) will begin Sunday, November 1 for all new applicants, and November 16 for all returning consumers.  The deadline to enroll in QHP coverage with a January 1, 2021 start date is December 15. The Open Enrollment Period will end on January 31, 2021.

During these challenging times, NY State of Health remains committed to ensuring access to affordable, quality health insurance for all New Yorkers, so they can get the care they need. New York has extended the COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period (SEP) so consumers can enroll in a Qualified Health Plan now through the end of 2020. Consumers who enroll through this SEP will have the option to continue their enrollment in the same plan in 2021 without a break in coverage. In addition, many New Yorkers will qualify for Medicaid, Child Health Plus or the Essential Plan, and can enroll in these programs year-round.

Weekday, evening and weekend hours are available. For more information on navigator services, locations or to schedule a telephone appointment, call (914) 995-6350 or email hnav@westchestergov.com.

To learn more about health coverage, go to www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 1-855-355-5777. The NY State of Health customer service hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. through 8 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. through 1 p.m. For more health information, go to www.westchestergov.com/health.

This news is courtesy of the Westchester County Executive Office.

 

Attendance Picking up at the Westchester Table Tennis Center

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Yearning to get back to the Westchester Table Tennis Center for a few rounds of fun and energizing ping pong?  Any pongers at home eager to take it out of the basement?

Attendance at the popular Pleasantville facility continues to tick up, according to Will Shortz, proprietor, who shared that 14 tables were in use earlier this week, and that “everyone is following Covid-19 protocols pretty well.”

Several bits of Westchester Table Tennis Center news to pass along:

Three tournaments are coming up in the near future:

  • October Little Open (Oct. 24-25) (this weekend)
  • November Little Open (Nov. 21-22)
  • 1st Westchester Two-Person Teams Championships (Nov. 27-29) (Thanksgiving weekend)

Details on these events + registration forms are on westchestertabletennis.com

A Two-Person Teams Championship is new. “We’re hosting it because this year’s Joola Teams Championships in D.C. were canceled. Our tournament has three categories: players’ combined ratings U3800 (Friday), U4500 (Saturday), and Open (Sunday). $8,000 in prizes. A full day of competition each day. This should be interesting and fun.”

In addition to the usual prizes, the November Little Open next month will be a qualifier for a new national T2 Challenge, with a purse of $27,000. An announcement about this will come shortly from the USATT.

Note: Because New York State currently limits attendance at our facility to 50 people at a time, spectators are not allowed at the above (except for one parent, guardian, or coach for a minor). There will be no open play on the above dates until after 7 pm.