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County Marks 20th Anniversary of 9/11 with Tribute & Unveiling of Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial

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Watch full ceremony on Facebook or YouTube.

(Valhalla, NY) – Overlooking both The Rising memorial and the newly unveiled Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial, Westchester County Executive George Latimer joined the County in mourning those lost due to the terrorist attack that day twenty years ago.

Latimer said: “Each year, this day is day of reflection for those who lived through it and a day to provide comfort to those who lost so much. Now, twenty years later, this day must also serve as a lesson to those too young to remember. I hope this ceremony can both provide comfort and a reminder to all what occurred on that seemingly normal September morning on which the world was changed forever.”

The County’s ceremony, emceed by ABC7 Journalist Marcus Solis, marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11, once again hosted at the breathtaking Kensico Dam Plaza was a service filled with powerful remarks, moving prayers by Reverend Erwin Lee Trollinger, Imam Shaffieq Chace, & Rabbi Howard Goldsmith, comforting music provided by SUNY Purchase, sadness, but also, hope.

Solis said: “As a reporter who covered the attacks on 9/11, the 20th anniversary has special meaning. I am truly honored to be taking part in the ceremony in Westchester where I live, and where so many families were impacted.”

The ceremony opened with a procession Westchester County Department of Public Safety Ceremonial Unit Color Guard, the Pipes and Drums of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester County and representatives from the NYPD and FDNY. This moving tribute was followed by a rendition the Star Spangled Banner performed by New York Presbyterian Lawrence ICU nurse and Mount Vernon resident Carlo Jose “CJ” Zenarosa.

The solemn occasion was then marked by the laying of a wreath by Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, Department of Emergency Services Commissioner Richard Wishnie, Lisabeta Vukaj – sister Of Simon Marash Dedvukaj who was killed in the north tower – and a member of the Westchester County Department of Safety Police Honor Guard.

The day prior to the ceremony, September 10, Latimer was joined by family members of those fallen for a private unveiling of the newly furnished Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial. This new monument, placed next The Rising at Kensico Dam Plaza, was designed by a committee made up of loved ones of those lost.

Committee Co- Chair and New York City Police Officer Matthew J. McCauley said: “Twenty years after our first responders rushed to the disaster areas that were created in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, these selfless, courageous, brave and humble men and women continue to make the ultimate sacrifice from 9/11 related illnesses.  First responders from eleven different agencies, including six from the City of Yonkers Fire & Police Departments and four from the City of White Plains Fire Department are among the initial 41 names engraved on the memorial being unveiled today adjacent to “The Rising.”  We applaud Westchester County Executive George Latimer for recognizing that a memorial in the honor of those 9/11 first responders that resided and/or worked or volunteered for Westchester County Agencies and who lost their lives to 9/11 related illnesses was long overdue.  The collaboration between County Executive Latimer, his team and this Memorial Committee has had one goal from the beginning, to “Never Forget.”  Unfortunately, we expect the number of names here to at least double in size by next year once we capture all that have been lost who are associated with Westchester County.  Again, we thank County Executive Latimer for understanding the sobering truth and reality that this memorial will continue to grow in size for decades to come.  By supporting this Memorial Committee’s vision, he, along with the rest of the County, has ensured that 9/11 First Responders from Westchester County will never be forgotten.”  

The committee, and Westchester County, tragically lost co-chair Peter Woods to a 9/11 related illness earlier this year.

Following the public unveiling of the new memorial, an Eternal Light was lit. A light that will shine 24/7 over the memorial as a testament to the light shone over this County by the heroes this monument is dedicated to.

The ceremony continued on with the reading of the names of those Westchester residents killed on 9/11 and those Westchester residents who have died from 9/11 related illnesses by Westchester County Legislators, District Attorney Miriam Rocah, County Clerk Tim Idoni and family members of those lost.

Names of those lost on 9/11:

  • William Abrahamson
  • Peter Craig Alderman
  • Kazuhiro Anai
  • Sharon Balkcom
  • Yelena Belilovsky
  • Michael J. Berkeley
  • George Bishop
  • Michael A. Boccardi
  • Michelle Renee Bratton
  • Thomas M. Brennan
  • Jonathan Eric Briley
  • Mark Brisman
  • Lloyd Brown
  • Ronald Bucca
  • Tom Burke
  • Mary T. Caulfield
  • Alex Ciccone
  • Kevin Francis Cleary
  • Robert J. Coll
  • Helen Crossin-Kittle
  • Joan Cullinan
  • Patrick W. Danahy
  • Dwight Darcy
  • Marisa DiNardo
  • Simon A. Dhanani
  • John J. Doherty
  • Christopher Michael Duffy
  • Paul Fiori
  • Thomas Fitzpatrick
  • Simon Dedvukaj
  • Kevin Joseph Frawley
  • Alan W. Friedlander
  • John Patrick Gallagher
  • Charles Garbarini
  • Peter Gelinas
  • Kieran Joseph Gorman
  • Yugi Goya
  • Gary Haag
  • Richard B. Hall
  • Vincent Halloran
  • W. Ward Haynes
  • Nobuhiro Hayatsu
  • Katsuyuki Hirai
  • Thomas Warren Hohlweck, Jr.
  • Montgomery McCullogh Hord
  • Louis Steven Inghilterra
  • Ariel Louis Jacobs
  • Arthur Joseph Jones
  • Douglas G. Karpiloff
  • Satoshi Kikuchihara
  • Takashi Kinoshita
  • Glenn Kirwin
  • Richard J. Klares
  • Gary Koecheler
  • Vanessa Langer
  • Denis Lavelle
  • Joseph Leavey
  • Michael A. Lepore
  • Richard Lynch, Jr.
  • Michael J. Lyons
  • Katie Marie McCloskey
  • John T. McErlean, Jr.
  • Francis McGuinn
  • Michael McHugh, Jr.
  • Barry J. McKeon
  • Robert C. McLaughlin, Jr.
  • Christopher D. Mello
  • Yamel Merino
  • William Minardi
  • Krishna V. Moorthy
  • George Morell
  • Dennis Moroney
  • Takuya Nakamura
  • Soichi Numata
  • James A. Oakley
  • Diana J. O’Connor
  • Amy O’Doherty
  • Marni Pont O’Doherty
  • Samuel Oitice
  • Sean Gordon Corbett O’Neill
  • Chris Orgielewicz
  • Timothy F. O’Sullivan
  • Michael B. Packer
  • Thomas Palazzo
  • James Nicholas Pappageorge
  • William H. Pohlmann
  • Hemanth Kumar Puttur
  • Vincent A. Princiotta
  • Valsa Raju
  • Robert A. Rasmussen
  • John Reo
  • Joseph R. Riverso
  • Gregory E. Rodriguez
  • Edward Ryan
  • Tatiana Ryjova
  • Sam Salvo
  • Eric Sand
  • Robert Scandole
  • Marian Serva
  • Daniel Shea
  • Joseph Shea
  • Linda Sheehan
  • Thomas J. Shubert
  • Allan Shwartzstein
  • David Silver
  • Michael John Simon
  • Thomas E. Sinton III
  • Rochelle M. Snell
  • Robert Speisman
  • Joseph P. Spor, Jr.
  • Timothy C. Stout
  • John Swaine
  • Sean Patrick Tallon
  • Michael A. Tamuccio
  • Kenichiro Tanaka
  • Joanna Vidal
  • Jeffrey Walz
  • James Arthur Waring
  • Timothy Matthew Welty
  • William Wik
  • Marc Zeplin
  • Ivelin Ziminski
  • Joseph J. Zuccala

 

Names read of those lost to 9/11 Related Illnesses:

  • Firefighter – Gary S. Allo – White Plains Fire Department
  • Police Officer – Christopher M. Barry – NYPD
  • Sergeant – Patrick J. Boyle – NYPD
  • Sergeant – Patrick T. Coyne – NYPD
  • Battalion – Chief Kevin R. Byrnes – FDNY
  • John M. Cozza – Construction Industry
  • Emergency Medical Technician – Luis De Pena, Jr – FDNY
  • Police Officer Kenneth X. Domenech – NYPD
  • Police Officer Nicholas G. Finelli – NYPD
  • Lieutenant – Clark W. Douglass – White Plains Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Daniel R. Foley – FDNY
  • Detective – Mark S. Gado – New Rochelle Police Department
  • Richard A. Grace – Construction Industry
  • Commissioner Peter S. Guyett – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Herbert D. Harriott – Rye Fire Department
  • Police Officer – Joseph F. Heid – NYPD
  • Detective – Michael A. Houlahan – NYPD
  • John A. Lo Bianco – Construction Industry
  • Police Officer – Anthony Maggiore – Yonkers Police Department
  • Executive Director – Stephan Hittmann – FDNY
  • Fire Fighter – Gary S. Martin – White Plains Fire Department
  • Lieutenant – Roy D. McLaughlin – Yonkers Police Department
  • Firefighter – Robert A. Mentrasti – Fairview Fire Department
  • Detective – James W. Monahan – NYPD
  • Police Officer – Walter L. Mallinson – Harrison Police Department
  • Lieutenant – John W. Moran – FDNY
  • Firefighter – Kevin J. Nolan – FDNY
  • Police Officer – Kathleen O’Connor Funigello – New Rochelle Police Department
  • Firefighter – John V. Peteani Jr – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Michael R. O’Hanlon – FDNY
  • Firefighter – Eduardo A. Rivera – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Detective – Joseph E. Seabrook – NYPD
  • Captain – Robert J. Spatta – Croton on the Hudson Fire Department
  • Deputy Chief – Frank G. Strollo – New Rochelle Fire Department
  • Captain – Ronald G. Peifer SR – NYPD
  • Captain – Dennis P. Tortorella – Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Neill S. Tyndal JR – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Detective – Charles J. Wassil JR – Peekskill Police Department
  • Lieutenant – Marden C. Wolf – White Plains Fire Department
  • James P. Sullivan – New York City Transit Authority
  • Sergeant – Peter C. Woods – NYPD, Hartsdale Fire Commissioner & Co-Chair of this Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial

 

The tribute concluded with a moment of silence, flyover by County Police and a performance of Taps by Mount Pleasant Police Officer Peter Blume.

 

News courtesy of the office of the Westchester County Executive.

Two New 9/11 Memorials Unveiled to Remember Heroes Lost… ‘Humility & Sacrifice’ ‘Courage & Honor’

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Photos by Grace Bennett/Inside Press
Barbara Grace, widow of Richard Anthony Grace, who died of lung cancer: “Richard was the owner of Grace Industries; he was at Ground Zero every day.”

The Tortorella family honoring Captain Dennis P. Tortorella of the Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department. Tortorella passed of cancer-related illnesses in May.

Each stone is etched with the names of the Westchester first responders lost to 9/11 related illnesses.

September 10, Valhalla–

Under a blue sky and perfect temperatures in Kensico Dam Plaza, at the foot of The Rising, also a 9/11 memorial,  family members and friends shed tears, exchanged stories… and also touched the names of lost loved ones, all recognized as heroes, names etched in white into two new granite stone memorials, unveiled by County officials, 20 years after 9/11.

Family members pointed to or ran fingers lovingly along a name, lingering sometimes… to reflect and remember.

Each family member also received a bouquet of flowers, and soon red and white flowers lay gently below the memorials in respect. The private unveiling preceded tomorrow’s public ceremony at 3:30.  Additional information from the County about these new Memorials, a million dollar effort long in the making, follows. –– Grace Bennett

Said County Executive George Latimer: “This memorial is the culmination of a promise this County government made to the families and loved ones of these true Westchester heroes. We will not ever take for granted the actions of these individuals and hope that each person who visits this memorial understands their lasting impact.”

The new memorial  is made up of granite stones set on a stone veneer wall. Each stone is etched with the names of the Westchester first responders lost to 9/11 related illnesses.  The Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial is designed to complement the stonework of the Dam and surround The Rising as an eternal watch.

The total length of each wall is 20’ and will hold up to 4 4’ long memorial stones each, for a total of 8 memorial stones. A light – which will be known as the Eternal Light – is centered between the two walls and directly across the entrance to the original memorial, The Rising.  This light will be on 24/7 to signify the light shone on the County by those this memorial intends to honor.

Construction of this solemn memorial was done by R. Pugni and Sons, Inc.  The design of the memorial was completed by a combination of the County’s dedicated Department of Planning. Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation and a committee made up of loved ones of those lost to 9/11 related illnesses. The committee, was co-chaired by New York City Police Officer Matthew J. McCauley and NYPD Sargent Peter Woods who lost his battle to a 9/11 related illness earlier this year.

McCauley said: “On the eve of the 20th Anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks we are reminded of the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost that day, including those from Westchester County who are memorialized at “The Rising.”  Unfortunately, the toll of those lost continues to increase due to 9/11 related illnesses that have claimed so many of our 9/11 First Responders.  Again, Westchester County has seen far too many lost to 9/11 illnesses.  As the Co-Chair of a Committee made up widows, children, other family members, friends and first responders themselves, we applaud Westchester County Executive George Latimer and his team for supporting our vision and desire to have a memorial for those 9/11 First Responders that worked or resided in county, who have died of illnesses they developed as a result of their heroic actions in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks.  This permanent memorial alongside “The Rising” will ensure that the sacrifice of all lost that day and thereafter is never forgotten.” 

The committee, who the County owes a debt of gratitude to for their dedicated work, is made up of:

  • Peter Woods, Co-Chair
  • Matthew McCauley, Co-Chair
  • Georgia Asciutto
  • Valerie Sullivan
  • Anne Byrnes
  • Margaret O’Hanlon
  • Chelsea Wilson
  • Patricia Mallinson
  • Ellen Peifer
  • Sabrina Douglass
  • Chief Andrew Sandor, New Rochelle Fire Department
  • Firefighter Robert Barbella, White Plains Fire Department
  • Carol Ann Gleason
  • Andrew Mentrasti
  • Sara Trujillo
  • Kevin McGuire
  • Firefighter Sandra Bessels, Harrison Fire Department
  • Firefighter Robert Curtin, Mount Vernon Fire Department

 

This committee, through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, met regularly to plan this new memorial. The work done by them, to honor their loved ones, will be forever cherished by the people of Westchester County. Following this private unveiling for families, Latimer and first responders from the region, will fully unveil the memorial to the public during the County’s 9/11 ceremony the following day at 3:30p.m.

The full list of names included in this first round of engraving include:

  • Firefighter – Gary S. Allo – White Plains Fire Department
  • Police Officer – Christopher M. Barry – NYPD
  • Sergeant – Patrick J. Boyle – NYPD
  • Sergeant – Patrick T. Coyne – NYPD
  • Battalion – Chief Kevin R. Byrnes – FDNY
  • John M. Cozza – Construction Industry
  • Emergency Medical Technician – Luis De Pena, Jr – FDNY
  • Police Officer Kenneth X. Domenech – NYPD
  • Police Officer Nicholas G. Finelli – NYPD
  • Lieutenant – Clark W. Douglass – White Plains Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Daniel R. Foley – FDNY
  • Detective – Mark S. Gado – New Rochelle Police Department
  • Richard A. Grace – Construction Industry
  • Commissioner Peter S. Guyett – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Herbert D. Harriott – Rye Fire Department
  • Police Officer – Joseph F. Heid – NYPD
  • Detective – Michael A. Houlahan – NYPD
  • John A. Lo Bianco – Construction Industry
  • Police Officer – Anthony Maggiore – Yonkers Police Department
  • Executive Director – Stephan Hittmann – FDNY
  • Fire Fighter – Gary S. Martin – White Plains Fire Department
  • Lieutenant – Roy D. McLaughlin – Yonkers Police Department
  • Firefighter – Robert A. Mentrasti – Fairview Fire Department
  • Detective – James W. Monahan – NYPD
  • Police Officer – Walter L. Mallinson – Harrison Police Department
  • Lieutenant – John W. Moran – FDNY
  • Firefighter – Kevin J. Nolan – FDNY
  • Police Officer – Kathleen O’Connor Funigello – New Rochelle Police Department
  • Firefighter – John V. Peteani Jr – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Michael R. O’Hanlon – FDNY
  • Firefighter – Eduardo A. Rivera – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Detective – Joseph E. Seabrook – NYPD
  • Captain – Robert J. Spatta – Croton on the Hudson Fire Department
  • Deputy Chief – Frank G. Strollo – New Rochelle Fire Department
  • Captain – Ronald G. Peifer SR – FDNY
  • Captain – Dennis P. Tortorella – Town of Mamaroneck Fire Department
  • Firefighter – Neill S. Tyndal JR – Yonkers Fire Department
  • Detective – Charles J. Wassil JR – Peekskill Police Department
  • Lieutenant – Marden C. Wolf – White Plains Fire Department
  • James P. Sullivan – New York City Transit Authority
  • Sergeant – Peter C. Woods – NYPD, Hartsdale Fire Commissioner & Co-Chair Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial

How the Armonk Chamber Helped Businesses Weather the Covid Crisis

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Neal Schwartz, President, Armonk Chamber of Commerce Photo by Chad Kraus

When COVID emerged as a crisis in March 2020, many local businesses were forced to close their doors while others saw their revenues dry up. But for the Armonk Chamber of Commerce, this time was as crucial as any since Neal Schwartz became president more than a decade ago.

The chamber has historically hosted a range of community events, held regular meetings, and published a directory of members. But most chamber members, Schwartz says, are generally passive participants that changed when business owners found themselves in uncharted waters as COVID hit. Suddenly, their businesses’ survival depended on navigating a host of new federal programs and incentives like Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and on finding ways to keep their business running through restrictions and panic over the virus. Some businesses, like dental offices, had help from their industry groups, but others turned to the chamber.

“We became a conduit for using information from the state, the county and the federal government,” Schwartz explains. “It was invaluable to those members who weren’t connected to some of those other associations.”

The chamber helped connect its members to Zoom calls and other events that helped members navigate the new terrain and explore their options. It also created an app to give residents up-to-date information about which businesses were open. 

When necessary, the chamber organized its own events, bringing in chamber-affiliated accountants who were well-versed on the available recourses to answer member questions. 

“A couple of chambers [elsewhere] almost stopped functioning [during Covid], because they had their set activities and those activities didn’t happen, and they were kind of at a loss,” County Executive George Latimer explains. “The Armonk chamber made the transition that you had to make once you realized that Covid was going to shut down the normal activities.”

Latimer continues, “What they did was they morphed into providing the information and to some extent material [such as] PPE that the businesses needed.”

Spotlighting the Armonk Chamber of Commerce, Top Row, L-R: Neal Schwartz, president; Bharti Gupta, board member; Ed Woodyard, member; Shari Ascher, Director of Policy & Programs, Westchester County; George Latimer, Westchester County Executive Second Row, L-R: Ken Sassano, board member; Catherine Censullo, board member; Tammi Ecker, board member    Photo by Chad Kraus

The county government had access to both information and resources to help businesses but did not have the manpower to connect with every business from Yonkers to North Salem. 

“Sitting at the county level looking at 45 communities, how do we reach the business communities and small businesses? We can’t do it on our own. We don’t have the bandwidth,” Latimer says. “But when we know that we’ve got a chamber of commerce that is working–that is having Zoom meetings and exchanging information–then we can channel through the chamber and the chamber has the relationships with the local businesses.”

The county, for example, had access to free masks and sanitizer to give to businesses. But walking up and down every street in every city, town and village in Westchester distributing it was not possible, Latimer says. 

Instead, the chamber determined the local needs and the county dropped off supplies at a central location. The chamber then worked to distribute these supplies throughout Armonk. 

When certain workers such as restaurant servers became eligible for the Covid vaccine before the general population, the county again worked through the Armonk chamber and other local chambers to inform businesses whose employees would qualify.

County Executive George Latimer / Photo by Chad Kraus

But perhaps the biggest role the chamber played was in working with business owners through the federal assistance available.

“The saving grace for a majority of businesses was how they navigated through the loan portion of the federal offerings that were there,” Schwartz says. “Depending where the numbers were for a business, they may have done reasonably okay if they took a PPP loan, which didn’t need to get paid back.”

Despite (or, in a sense, because of) their falling revenues and the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, the chamber saw new businesses joining to take advantage of these offerings.

“We picked up more members than you would expect in the middle of a pandemic,” he says. “There weren’t a ton of them, but there were people who began to appreciate that this chamber stuff has value.”

Haves and Have Nots

The pandemic and resulting shutdown did not hit all industries with the same force, Schwartz says. Some industries thrived even through the lockdowns, while in other fields businesses struggled to stay in business or were forced to close their doors. 

Home improvement was a sector that thrived, he notes. Trapped in their houses all day, local residents decided it was a good time to put in a pool, or redo their lawns, or make long-needed home improvements.

“The businesses that did well were the businesses that supported home life,” Schwartz says. “Some of them saw years that they haven’t seen before.” But many other businesses, particularly those that depended on traffic flow, struggled. It is hard to quantify exactly how many businesses went under, Schwartz says; he estimates some 10% of their members. 

Armonk is now well on its way to recovery, he says. 

“We are seeing these empty spaces get filled pretty quickly, considering everything,” he says. “It is not all doom and gloom at all.”

Latimer sees a similar picture on the county level, with sales tax receipts above where they were in 2019 pre-pandemic. Still, businesses face ongoing challenges.

One is the difficulty hiring workers, which Schwartz attributes in part to generous unemployment benefits distributed under the latest Covid relief bill.

“It went too far, so it was hard for restaurants to keep the staffing everywhere across the country,” Schwartz says. “People said, ‘Listen, I am getting more money to stay home and not go to work.’”

Latimer attributes the labor shortage to several factors, including the unemployment benefits, ongoing concerns about Covid, and an increasing preference for jobs with regular, stable hours. 

A Decade Leading the Chamber

Schwartz, who owns Armonk-based College Planning of Westchester, joined the chamber after opening his business in 2004, looking for the networking benefits the chamber would bring to his then-fledgling franchise. 

“I had bought all this equipment, furniture, systems, and I had no customers,” he remembers.

The chamber was helpful to him as he got his business, which specializes in tutoring, college counseling and ACT/SAT preparation, off the ground. But its activities at the time were limited to a sidewalk sale or two each year. In 2010, he stepped in as president and worked to build the chamber into a bigger player in the community.

Before he took over as president in 2010, he recalls, chamber activity was mostly limited to one or two sidewalk sales each year. When Schwartz stepped into leadership, he and his colleagues on the board scaled up the organization’s activity. 

In 2012, he launched cider and donut events. It’s grown from there, with 11 music events this summer, a “citizen of the year” award, a much larger Cider and Donut Festival, and regular chamber meetings. The chamber’s website has also been greatly improved, and now publishes the “Everything Armonk” community guide and business directory.

To learn more about the Armonk Chamber, please visit www.armonkchamberofcommerce.com

Rotary Club of Chappaqua Honors Eileen Gallagher, Tuan Anh Dang at Annual Awards Luncheon

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Don Roane presenting Eileen Gallagher with the Rotary’s Paul Harris Service Award   Photos by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

June 30, 2021, Chappaqua, NY–Members of the Rotary Club of Chappaqua, gathered at Crabtree’s Kittle House for their annual awards presentations, honored outgoing president Eileen Gallagher with the Paul Harris Service Award and Horace Greeley High School Senior Tuan Anh Dang who received the Rotary’s Student Community Service Award. The in-person celebration brought Rotary members to the Kittle House, where the group has resumed meeting every Monday to honor community members and to plan their signature events, including Community Day, this year on September 18.

Long-time Rotarian Don Roane presented the prestigious Paul Harris service award to Gallagher, a two-term President of the Chappaqua Rotary, citing “her tremendous dedication and service to the community.” Gallagher is hardly leaving her Rotary efforts behind, however. She has been asked to work with a number of towns in northern Westchester, including Chappaqua, to create an ‘e-club’ which will meet via Zoom or in person, when desired.  “It’s an exciting chance to create a virtual club, which will fill a tremendous void in the area for those who wish to serve the community at large but whose schedule does not allow for in-person weekly meetings,” said Gallagher. “Covid has brought valuable insight into how we are able to connect over the internet, with the flexibility to meet in person when desired, and with the aim to “grow Rotary”, this will be a step in that direction.”

“There is a Wall Street e-club with members from other parts of the world, which had intrigued me,” explained Gallagher, “because of its innovative, inclusive and accessible meetings. This club will be able to fill that void in Northern Westchester.” For more information and to join, write to Gallagher, newestchesterrotary@gmail.com

Horace Greeley graduating senior (on the right) Tuan Anh Dang, here with his mom Huong Giang Nguyen, received the Rotary’s Student Community Service Award and Scholarship. Inside Press photo.

On behalf of Westchester County Executive George Latimer (a long time Rotarian), New Castle Town Council member Lori Gowen Morton presented Horace Greeley graduating senior Tuan Anh Dang with the Rotary Student Community Service Award; in addition, Gallagher presented Dang with a $1000 scholarship from the Rotary for his outstanding achievement and dedication to ‘service above self.’ 

In the opening to his “Service to the Community” essay to the Rotary, Dang relayed how vital the support of a young college student mentor/instructor had been to him when he was a child enrolled in an English as a Second Language course. It was taught, he recalled, by ‘a lanky 19-year-old’ named Eric volunteering from the University of California in Santa Barbara. Dang wrote of the friendships formed, and comradery that took shape between himself and his classmates during that time.

“Despite not having a single language in common (Spanish, Chinese, German, Vietnamese), Eric still managed to teach us all English,” Dang stated. “While trying to help us integrate into the broader community, he created one right within that class. Even after the course ended, we all became proficient; the people in that class became some of my closest friends after elementary school… I’m not sure Eric knew that he had just fostered a dozen children and made them all feel at home in this country for the first time.”

“I strive to pay the favor forward to other immigrant children by teaching ESL classes at Neighbors Link. In their confused eyes, I see my younger self who was equally perplexed by this odd world.”

In his sophomore year of high school, Dang was chosen as the Westchester county representative to the Youth to Youth International Conference, a youth leadership drug prevention program. That experience was instrumental to embarking on summer internship with the New Castle United for Youth, a local coalition for whom Dang helped organize events “with the goal of creating a support network that extends to all those who seek help in our town.”

With a new incoming president Marlene Canapi on board beginning July 1, Rotary members are planning the comeback date of Saturday, September 18, for Chappaqua’s annual Community Day, canceled last year due to Covid. To keep up with Community Day plans and all Rotary activities in Chappaqua, visit Chappaqua Rotary Club | Facebook

If You are Having Trouble Paying your Rent in Westchester, Help is Available

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Westchester County residents eligible to apply for New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program

$20 million earmarked for Westchester applicants

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY (June 2, 2021) – As of June 1, 2021, Westchester County residents are now eligible to apply for the New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). Under ERAP, $20 million has been earmarked for Westchester County households at risk of eviction due to their inability to pay rent and utilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to Apply for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

ERAP is providing financial assistance for up to 12 months of past-due rent, 3 months of prospective rental assistance and 12 months of utility arrears payments to eligible tenants, regardless of immigration status. Payments will be made directly to a tenant’s landlord or property owner, and utility company. Westchester will be assisting applicants throughout the County, except in Yonkers, where tenants and landlords will work directly with the municipality and its nonprofit partners.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a tremendous amount of financial hardship to many of our most vulnerable residents, and we want them to know that help is available. ERAP can provide a significant amount of economic relief to our low- and moderate-income households at risk of housing instability, and if you meet the appropriate criteria, I encourage you to apply.”

Commissioner of the Department of Planning Norma Drummond said: “Many Westchester County residents were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and some are still struggling to get back on their feet again. This critical funding from New York State will help to ensure that those who experienced financial hardship will not become homeless and bring them the peace of mind they need to feel secure in their homes.”

Commissioner of the Department of Social Services Leonard Townes said: “The Emergency Rental Assistance Program will deliver desperately-needed help to Westchester landlords and tenants who have incurred financial hardship due to the pandemic. We at the Westchester County Department of Social Services are eager to assist tenants struggling with back rent and utility bills to apply for this lifeline.”  

New York State residents are eligible for ERAP if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). These income limits differ by County and household size. A household may qualify based on current income or calendar year 2020 income that is at or below 80 percent AMI.
  • On or after March 13, 2020, a member of the household received unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs or experienced financial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The applicant is obligated to pay rent at their primary residence and has rental arrears (rent overdue) at their current residence for rent owed on or after March 13, 2020.
  • The household must be at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which can be demonstrated by having rental arrears owed on or after March 13, 2020.

For the first 30 days of the program, the unemployed, those with income at or below 50 percent of area median income and other vulnerable populations will be prioritized for assistance. After this period, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

To simplify the application process, and ensure landlords and tenants have the support they need to apply, the County is partnering with 11 local nonprofit agencies to provide free aid to individuals seeking to apply for ERAP. Applicants can also call United Way of Westchester and Putnam’s 2-1-1 hotline with any questions and to find a nonprofit partner in their community. Rental counseling is available, in English and Spanish, with guidance for gathering the documents needed and access to computers to complete the application online.

For help applying, contact the following non-profits:

Catholic Charities

Community Housing Innovations

Community Resource Center

El Centro Hispano

Human Development Services of Westchester

Hudson Valley Justice Center

Keeping Communities Safe

Mount Vernon United Tenants

Neighbors Link

Salvation Army

Westchester Residential Opportunities

Marlene Zarfes, Executive Director of Westchester Residential Opportunities in White Plains, one of the 11 nonprofits with whom the county is partnering, said: “We know that the pandemic has been challenging for both tenants and landlords, and we want them to take advantage of this great funding resource. Our goal is to simplify the application process so they can get the financial relief they need. We urge applicants to act quickly. Let us help you to ensure you have all of the necessary documents in place to file your application immediately.”

The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program is being funded by $100 million from the state and $2.6 billion in federal aid. Westchester County’s application assistance program is being administered by the Westchester County Department of Planning. For more information, visit the New York State Website.

The Westchester County Department of Planning conducts a comprehensive work program and shapes and influences growth and development in Westchester County in order to improve quality of life and protect the environment, resulting in more livable and sustainable communities. For information, visit https://planning.westchestergov.com/.

This news was courtesy of the Westchester County Executive’s Office.