The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Westchester

Assemblyman Buchwald Helps Secure Significant School Aid Increase for Local School Districts

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“Ending Era of Gap Elimination Adjustment”

For release, from Assemblyman David Buchwald’s office:

After years of suburban school districts in New York State falling victim to state budget cuts, Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-White Plains) announced that public schools in his State Assembly District will see a substantial increase in state aid for the 2016-17 school year. The increase in state aid was led by the end of the Gap Elimination Adjustment (also known as the GEA). Of the nearly $1.5 billion in overall additional state education aid in the budget, $434 million has been appropriated for the end of the GEA. In addition to ending the GEA, $627 million has been included in the state budget to boost Foundation Aid, a broad-based level of aid for school districts. In total, there is an additional $8.9 million in new state aid earmarked for public schools based in Buchwald’s Assembly District, which encompasses all or part of nine school districts in central and northern Westchester.

“Since I entered the State Assembly three years ago, I have made it my mission to make sure that our local schools are appropriately funded and that our children can get the education they deserve,” said Assemblyman Buchwald. “With the full restoration of the GEA, school districts can more confidently plan their yearly budgets, thereby ending an era of uncertainty for the education community and taxpayers. I have received thousands of letters solely on this issue, and I am happy to report back to my constituents that we have repealed the GEA. Although we have scored this major victory for students, parents, educators and taxpayers across the state, I will always be fighting on behalf of our local schools.”

A breakdown of school aid increases within Buchwald’s Assembly District are as follows:

· Bedford Central School District – $754,077, a 13.2 % increase in aid.
· Byram Hills School District – $ 272,189, a 8.3% increase in aid.
· Chappaqua School District -$954,262, a 15.0% increase in aid.
· Harrison School District – $498,032, a 13.3% increase in aid.
· Katonah-Lewisboro School District – $1,112,813, a 17.7% increase in aid.
· North Salem School District – $206,997, a 10.2% increase in aid.
· Ossining School District – $1,150,904, a 7.0% increase in aid.
· Valhalla School District – $140,486, a 3.1 % increase in aid (a $379,000 increase from ending of GEA, less changes in expense-based school aids).
· White Plains School District – $231,119, a 1.1% increase in aid (a $401,000 increase from ending of GEA, plus a $104,000 increase in Foundation Aid, less changes in expense-based school aids).

The above amounts and percentages do not include building aid, which is focused on capital expenditures and fluctuates from year to year. For some districts, additional building aid significantly increases the total aid amounts – for example in Ossining, where total aid including building aid went up $2.9 million, or 16.7%. Jumps in building aid also bring up the Valhalla and White Plains total aid figures.

Assemblyman Buchwald co-sponsored two pieces of legislation in the State Assembly that would have repealed the GEA: Assembly bills A.2271-C and A.5365. Buchwald has also attended various school board meetings and education forums across his Assembly District where he spoke on developments within the legislature on school funding issues.

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Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester Board Honored with Inaugural Philanthropic Leadership Award

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Photo/Tom O’Connell (from L to R) Westchester County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz, BGCNW board members Emily Stoddard and Todd Rockefeller, BGCNW CEO Alyzza Ozer, BGCNW board member Bonnie Trotta, Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett, BGCNW board members Skip Beitzel, Stuart Marwell and BGCNW Board President Erik Kaeyer.
Photo/Tom O’Connell (from L to R) Westchester County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz, BGCNW board members Emily Stoddard and Todd Rockefeller, BGCNW CEO Alyzza Ozer, BGCNW board member Bonnie Trotta, Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett, BGCNW board members Skip Beitzel, Stuart Marwell and BGCNW Board President Erik Kaeyer.

Tarrytown, N.Y. (March 9, 2016) – For the first time in Westchester County, the Association of Development Officers (ADO) awarded a select group of long-time board members from the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester with the Board Philanthropic Leadership Award at the 2016 Philanthropy Awards breakfast at Abigail Kirsch at The Tappan Hill Mansion on March 9.

The award was given to an extraordinary group of long-time board members who served together on the board of the Club, successfully pooling their philanthropic and volunteer efforts in support of the Club’s mission to improve the lives of youth in the community.

Honoree Stuart Marwell, President and CEO of Curtis Instruments, Inc. and himself a Club kid, stated that the board honorees “as a team have an average of 24 years of service with the Club because we believe fervently in its mission. It is indeed our privilege to serve.”

CEO Alyzza Ozer noted, “It is a rare occasion and a brilliant reflection on our community to have a collection of intelligent, powerful, effective generous board members making such a significant impact. The lives of kids have been improved in so many ways for generations to come because of the hard work of these community leaders.”

This incredible impact is evidenced by 2015 Youth of the Year Nethmi DeSilva’s description of her Club experience: “The Club is my second home where I learned that I have a voice.  Thanks to the Club I have found my passion for helping the youth of the future.”

The board will next celebrate the mission and accomplishments of the Club at the 22nd Annual Humanitarian Award Dinner on June 4, 2016 at the Hilton Westchester in Rye.  The Club will honor local restaurateur and philanthropist Leslie Lampert of Love Hospitality and long-time Club Aquatic Director Dennis Munson for their service and devotion to the Club.

The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester is located at 351 Main Street, Mt. Kisco, NY and may be reached at 914-666-8069 or by visiting www.bgcnw.com. For the latest news, photos and updates, please “like” the Club on www.facebook.com/BGCNW.

 About the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester

The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives youth in the community through quality programs designed to enhance their lives through education, athletics and social interaction.  Established in 1939, the Club is committed to serving all children, ages 3-18, including the economically disadvantaged, the learning disabled and the physically challenged, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of at-risk adolescents, ages 10-18 years old.  The mission of the Club is to inspire and enable young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.  Annually, the Club lovingly serves 60,000 free meals and provides programming to over 1,200 youth from all throughout Westchester.

Help for Parents of Struggling Students

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Via the Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Conference
February 29 at the Westchester Hilton in Rye Brook, New York.

Speaker Peter Wright is a renowned U.S. Supreme Court-winning Special Education attorney, author and professor whose website, Wrightslaw, is #1 in the nation for special education law and advocacy. This all-day Conference provides expert knowledge on education law, the special education process, parental rights, effective advocacy strategies–a veritable toolbox of knowledge to get results and meet the needs of children with special education needs. If you are a parent, educator or lawyer and know of a child struggling in school, please pass along and take advantage of this 2/29 conference. 7 CLEs and 6 CEUs.

For more info, or to register, sponsor or exhibit at accompanying Resource Exhibition, call Lynn Dalton at 914-582-4248 or go to www.onwithlearning.com

onwithlearning.com
onwithlearning.com

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This news is brought to our readers via a release from onwithlearning.com

Yankee’s JOE GIRARDI: “Sports Talk Speaker” To UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK

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(From left) Richard Leroy of Briarcliff Manor, Carl Finger of Scarsdale, Jeff Kapelus of New Rochelle, New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, Barbara Bel of Scarsdale, David Perlmutter of Chappaqua, Scott Zemachson of Scarsdale, and Ken Fuirst of Chappaqua.
(From left) Richard Leroy of Briarcliff Manor, Carl Finger of Scarsdale, Jeff Kapelus of New Rochelle, New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, Barbara Bel of Scarsdale, David Perlmutter of Chappaqua, Scott Zemachson of Scarsdale, and Ken Fuirst of Chappaqua.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi served as guest speaker at UJA-Federation of New York’s 10th Annual Sports Talk. The event took place on Thursday, January 28at Mulino’s at Lake Isle Country Club in Eastchester, New York. It drew nearly 250 guests who came to support UJA-Federation’s life-changing work and hear from Girardi, who has guided the Yankees to five playoffs and one World Series Championship since being named manager in 2007.

A Purchase, New York, resident, Girardi successfully translated the skills he learned during his 15 years as a Major League Baseball catcher into his winning career as manager. As a major league catcher, he played for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Yankees. He also dedicates much of his time to philanthropy, particularly his Catch 25 Foundation, which provides support to those afflicted with ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and fertility issues.

Guests had the opportunity to hear about the work of UJA-Federation, which over the course of its 99-year history has become the largest local philanthropy in the world, supporting a network of nearly 100 nonprofit organizations that serve every population from early childhood to old age, and that offer critical assistance in almost every life circumstance.

“It’s amazing how we’re immediately on the ground — whether that’s here in New York during Hurricane Sandy, in Israel during last summer’s rocket attacks, in Japan following the earthquake, or in Ukraine when the Jewish community came under threat. The impact we make is extraordinary,” said Event Chair Ken Fuirst of Chappaqua. “But the difference we make isn’t only in France or Israel or even downtown New York. We touch lives right here in Westchester.”

Event chairs were Barbara Bel of Scarsdale, Carl Finger of Scarsdale, Ken Fuirst of Chappaqua, Jeff Kapelus of New Rochelle, David Perlmutter of Chappaqua, and Scott Zemachson of Scarsdale. Richard Leroy of Briarcliff Manor served as auction chair. 

About UJA-Federation of New York


For nearly 100 years, UJA-Federation has inspired New Yorkers to act on their values and invest in our community for the biggest impact. Through UJA-Federation, more than 50,000 donors address issues that matter most to them, pooling their resources to care for New Yorkers of all backgrounds and Jews everywhere, to connect people to their Jewish communities, and to respond to crises close to home and around the globe. Working with nearly 100 beneficiary agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, UJA-Federation is the world’s largest local philanthropy; our reach spans from New York to Israel to more than 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.ujafedny.org.

Professional Tarzan Production Stars Local Talent

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News from the White Plains Performing Arts Center:

There’s still time to get tickets for the first professional production of Disney’s Tarzan in Westchester, which opened December 20.

The show not only features performers from all over the country but showcases the talents of many Westchester natives as well.

tarzanJeremy Quinn of Yonkers is directing the production with music direction by Stephen Ferri (Harrison) and choreography by Lexie Fennell Frare (Nyack)

The cast features Westchester residents Kyle Arzaga (Chappaqua) as Young Terk, Melanie Burg (Harstdale) in the Ensemble, Jenna Dallacco (Irvington/Greenburgh) as Jane and Jesse Goodman of Mahopac as Young Tarzan.

(L-R) Jenna Dalacco, Kyle Arzaga and Melanie Burg
(L-R) Jenna Dalacco, Kyle Arzaga and Melanie Burg

These local performers are joined by Nicolas Baumgartner (Clayton), Korie Lee Blossey (Kerchak), Jake Bridges (Snipes), Ben Carlson (Male Ensemble), Jessica Crilley (Female Ensemble), Deanna Giulietti (Female Ensemble), , Melissa Rose Hirsch (Female Ensemble), Darius Jordan Lee (Male Ensemble), Steven Liberto (Male Ensemble), Toby Miller (Professor Porter), Annie Nelson (Female Ensemble), Melanie Porras (Female Ensemble), Shawn W. Smith (Male Ensemble), Jeremy Swift (Male Ensemble), Jennifer Theriot (Kala), Cartreze Tucker (Terk), Max Albert Vivino (Young Tarzan), Kyle Wolf (Young Terk), Marek Zurowski (Male Ensemble), and Chris Stevens as Tarzan.

TARZAN ® features heart-pumping music by Grammy and Oscar winning music pop icon Phil Collins and a book by Tony Award-winning playwright, David Henry Hwang.

“In this day and age of constant human brutality and tragedy, the story of TARZAN ® reminds us of what’s really important, especially at the holidays – the unconditional love of true family, whether biological or chosen. And although we all ‘look’ different, under the skin we are just the same. Disney’s TARZAN ® is victorious in bringing to the stage a well-known story with unforgettable melodies and heart-pumping music perfect for the entire family!”- Jeremy Quinn

Based on the smash-hit Disney animated film, Tarzan ® tells the story of an infant boy orphaned in a shipwreck on the shores of West Africa. The child is taken in and raised by a tribe of gorillas. He becomes a man, thriving in this primitive environment, until the arrival of a hunting expedition and his realization of the world beyond his jungle home. Tarzan ® features high-flying excitement and hits like the Academy Award winning “You’ll Be in My Heart” as well as “Son of Man” and “Two Worlds” making Tarzan® an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Tarzan, The Stage Musical continues at the White Plains Performing Arts Center December 26 – 30 (Saturday at 2pm & 7pm; Sunday at 2pm, Monday & Tuesday at 7pm; Wednesday at 2pm) & January 2-10 (Saturday at 2pm & 7pm; Sunday at 2pm; Friday at 7pm; Saturday at 2pm & 7pm and Sunday at 2pm). Tickets are $25 – $47. A $135 Family Four Pack (2 Adults & 2 Kids tickets) is available for the 7pm performances on December 18, 19, 26, 28, & 29.

White Plains Performing Arts Center is located on the third level of City Center off Mamaroneck Avenue and Main Street in downtown White Plains. For tickets: visit the theatre box office Monday-Friday (11am-6pm), purchase tickets online at www.wppac.com or call 914-328-1600. For Group Sales, please contact barbara@wppac.com.

Tarzan® is recommended for audiences ages 6 and older. All persons entering the theatre, regardless of age, must have a ticket.