Monday, February 20, 2012
Patch is conducting its own online debate leading up the March 20 elections for Trustees in both villages.
In Tarrytown you have three longtime residents and veteran Trustees running again for their seats. You may already know the history of Mary McGee, Thomas Basher, and Robert Hoyt and what they've done in their roles, but you wonder where they intend to go now. They've addressed Patch questions, but perhaps you have some of your own. Then, there's the challengers: second-time campaigner Alison Boldyrev is joined by mother/daughter duo Eleanor and Christine Miscioscia under the Republican party line. They say they want change, less spending, more transparency. But how do they intend to achieve this? What else would you like to know about these women, their backgrounds, and their goals in office? * While the race so far in Tarrytown has been…
Friday, February 17, 2012
The three Independents will hold a fundraiser this weekend; the three Dems/Better Government candidates had a "whirlwind" campaign launch last weekend; both groups plan to visit every neighborhood in the Village.
With a month to go until the Trustees elections in the villages, the campaigning has begun in earnest in Sleepy Hollow. At first it was the Sleepy Hollow Independent Party (composed of newcomers Dan Scott, David Bedell and Sean Reach) vs. incumbent Karin Wompa with newcomers Susan MacFarlane and Jennifer Lobato-Church hoping to run on both the Democratic and the would-be Village Independents line. However, the Westchester County Board of Elections ruled that 'Village Independents' sounded too confusingly close to the 'Sleepy Hollow Indepedent Party,' so the Dems are now instead running on the “Better Government” second line. “The presence of a second line on the ballot reflects the true bipartisan nature of the slate,” wrote current …
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Patch continues its pre-election 2012 coverage with a five question Q&A with the three Trustees re-running for their seats on the Board.
We've interviewed the other candidates running for office in the Villages but we hadn't yet cornered the three Tarrytown Trustees running for reelection. Though they may be familiar faces, you're bound to learn something new from each as they talk candidly below. Mary McGee (referred to here as MM), Thomas Basher (TB) and Robert Hoyt (RH) each submitted their responses in email to five (admittedly very huge) questions Patch posed. If you have further questions for these and other candidates, please submit them, with your full name, to kristamadsen@gmail.com. 1. What's your background on the Board, how long served; what you're proudest of? MM: I was elected to the Village in 2006. In my six years on the Board, there are many things to be …
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Sharp Words About Caucus; New Voting Districts May Cause Confusion at Upcoming Election; Tax Grievance Day is Feb. 21
A uniformed police officer was on the scene at last night's Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustees work session, presumably to head-off any backlash from Saturday's Democratic Caucus when a group of would-be participants were shut out of the minute-long proceedings. About 20 people sat side-by-side at the meeting, an apparent show of support for Frank Occhipinti, former head of the Democratic Party, and Donald Caetano, prospective trustee candidate, who waited their turn to speak while the Board moved swiftly through other business. A public hearing on the village water reservoir project was opened and closed without comment and bill payments and previous meeting minutes were approved. Occhipinti was first to the microphone during the time …
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thwarted nominee Donald Caetano is among those who say they will speak out at tonight's Board meeting.
Saturday's Sleepy Hollow minute-long caucus raised questions for some citizens on the democracy of the Democratic nominations process – especially the man who planned to run. Donald Caetano, 76, plans to be among an anticipated crowd to voice his objections at tonight's Work Session at Village Hall. “Definitely I will be at the Board meeting,” he said this afternoon. “I hope I can control myself and tell what I want to tell. It irks me to see this corruption. People don't like to hear the truth.” “What are they afraid of?” asked Frank Occiphinti, former Chair of the Democratic Party who was the most vocal one of the bunch this weekend. “I know I started screaming and hollering at 4:02,” he said. Two people have already gone to the County…
Second-time Republican nominee and new Party Chair Alison Boldyrev is joined by Christine and Eleanor Miscioscia to challenge incumbents for their seats on the Board.
Compared to the trouble that ensued when Sleepy Hollow's Democratic caucus opened and closed within minutes, the Tarrytown Republicans enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful nomination meeting. The only surprise was their third candidate. New Republican Party Chair Alison Boldyrev, taking over from longtime party leader Domenic Morabito, started the meeting by thanking him for his service. Morabito, for his part, was pleased to pass the torch. He's worn the hats of Trustee, Deputy Mayor, and Republican Chair, but was was happy to just be a close observer from the front row of the courtroom this time around. “This little club they have now has gotta go,” he said. “They are spending beyond the taxpayer revenues coming in.” Boldyrev, who ran and…
Monday, January 30, 2012
“This is the democratic process” said Mayor Wray, during the awkward ruckus that followed the nominating caucus - closed only one minute after it began.
Within a brisk minute of a prompt 4 p.m. start, the Democratic Caucus had nominated its candidates for Sleepy Hollow Trustee – incumbent Karin Wompa, and first-timers Jennifer Lobato-Church and Susan MacFarlane. Democratic Party Chair Janet Gandolfo declared the meeting closed. Seconds later, a group of about 30 Villagers arrived in the hall of the James Galgano Senior Center to sign in, with the intention to nominate their own candidate. At first, members of the group, mostly Latin, wouldn't disclose who their nominee actually was, but then they pointed to a man seated, familiar to many as a 50-plus-year-long resident often in attendance at Board meetings, Donald Caetano. Frank Occhipinti, owner of Viana Pizza & Pasta and former head of…
Sunday, January 29, 2012
It's looking like a race in Sleepy Hollow between Moving the Legend Forward and Bringing the Legend Back; here we get to know the three women vying for Trustee.
The mood had lifted at Finalmente where the newly minted Democratic nominees could breathe a sigh of relief after their caucus debacle, enjoy a glass of wine, and start looking to the future. “Moving the Legend Forward,” declared Trustee incumbent Karin Wompa, perhaps in response to the “Bring the Legend Back” tagline of the three Sleepy Hollow Independent Party challengers. The Democratic Party was throwing a party Saturday evening on behalf of their candidates – two-time Trustee Wompa, and newcomers Jennifer Lobato-Church and Susan MacFarlane – for $75 a head, in order to raise funds for such campaign necessities as lawn signs and flyers. The front bar area of the dimly lit restaurant was packed with friends and officials, and the …
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thomas Basher, Robert Hoyt and Mary McGee will compete for their seats in the Tarrytown Board of Trustees elections on March 20.
The no-nonsense meeting in the Tarrytown courtroom was over in a matter of minutes. A small group of registered village Democrats including the Mayor nominated the three trustees whose seats are up – Deputy Mayor Thomas Basher, Robert Hoyt, and Mary McGee – to run again in the March elections. There were no surprises, no objections, and no other candidates thrown into the mix on Thursday night. But who joins the competition at Monday's Republican caucus remains to be seen. Once the candidates got the official nod of approval, each gave a few quick rallying words. Basher: "I think that in the last six years, this village has moved forward in a manner unmatched in the previous 20." McGee: "I hope to continue to work for the people of …
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
David Bedell, Sean Roach, and Daniel Scott greeted the public on Sunday on the Beekman sidewalk, as they collected signatures to make it on the ballot for Trustees in March. Village Nominating Caucuses begin this week.
The free pizza chilled quickly at the table outside Hollywood North, as three young men collected the signatures required to get their Sleepy Hollow Independent party on the March election ballot. And so begins our local election 2012 coverage with this very grassroots/snowy sidewalk campaign. David Bedell, Sean Roach, and Daniel Scott introduced themselves to passersby, registered voters, and asked those registered to sign a petition so they could run for the three Trustees seats up for grabs this year. While the two main parties – Democrat and Republican – must hold caucuses to announce their competing candidates (if any), other party affiliations require 100 signatures to get on the ballot. Initially, Roach and Scott had allied …
OXYCOTTON
2:40 am on Sunday, February 19, 2012
The anointed S.H. police commissioner. What could you possibly do with a retirement badge. DAVE your a MORONIC DONKEY. Why did you drive by the caucus and FLEE when you saw the police there. SOME COMMISSIONER. more ›