Police arrest suspect for 'keying' cars in Goldens Bridge

Written by Matt Dalen
Saturday, 21 November 2009 00:00

State police have arrested a suspect in a string of criminal mischief incidents that have plagued the Goldens Bridge shopping center for the past two months. On Monday, police arrested 74-year-old Diana Chakalian of Goldens Bridge.

Judge dismisses most charges in Rutherford lawsuit

Written by Matt Dalen
Friday, 20 November 2009 00:00

Former Increase Miller Elementary School teacher Kathleen Rutherford’s lawsuit against the school district has been almost entirely dismissed, leaving only one charge remaining. Ms. Rutherford had sued the district after being suspended and then transferred to John Jay Middle School following an alleged incident in 2008.

Ms. Rutherford, a longtime teacher at Increase Miller, had sued the district after she was accused of shouting at a student and destroying student work near the end of the 2007-08 school year. According to the lawsuit, she had alleged that she was punished “to appease a member of the board of education whose children baselessly complained about [Ms. Rutherford] in early June 2008.”

Download a copy of the dismissal.

Next on the chopping block: Slashing services

Written by Ken Mastro
Thursday, 19 November 2009 00:00

Over the next two weeks, the Town Board will have to find some balance of cuts and taxes to erase the budget deficit in 2010. To reach that, the board is seriously considering cutting a number of services the town currently provides.

Last week, board members pushed back the budget hearing scheduled for Dec. 3 to Dec. 10 to meet with some department heads to look at new ways to cut costs. Earlier this year, the board had asked them to find ways to cut expenses while continuing to provide the same services. Now they want to look at cutting services. By law, the board has until Dec. 15 to close the public hearing on the budget. In particular, the board is looking at some of the major departments — highway, parks and recreation, and maintenance — to reduce services.

Teaching students costs more each year

Written by Matt Dalen
Thursday, 19 November 2009 00:00

The Katonah-Lewisboro School District has released its latest five-year expenditure forecast, and even slightly decreasing enrollment appears to be not enough to drive down the forecast. Despite a 5% decrease in enrollment over the past five years, and projected decreases into the future, actual budget expenditures increased by more than 35% between 2003 and 2008 — about 7% per year, although individual year’s increases ranged from 1.5% to 9.6% — and the amount spent per student increased 43% in that same time period. The district’s preliminary forecast — which makes many assumptions and does not take into account any cuts the school board is almost certain to make — has budget expenditures going up 5.4% for the next two years, and increases of 4.7% and 4.8% for the two years after that.

Planners, builders feud over zoning code

Written by Matt Dalen
Thursday, 19 November 2009 00:00

A dispute between the town’s Building Department and the Planning Board has prompted a hearing by the Zoning Board of Appeals and a possible code change by the Town Board — and their decision could add more requirements to homeowners while enforcing a higher level of protection on Lewisboro’s environment.

Download memos from both sides.

Thanksgiving traditions should be honored and broken

Written by Patricia Gay
Thursday, 19 November 2009 00:00

It’s not for naught that Thanksgiving is often referred to as Turkey Day. The holiday is celebrated by most Americans with a huge family feast featuring the ubiquitous bird.

Considering that more than 100,000 people call the Butterball turkey hotline each year pleading for help, cooking a turkey is not exactly as easy as pie for many home cooks.

Aydelott, Rader named to A-HOME board

Tuesday, 17 November 2009 00:00

A-HOME, the non-profit affordable housing organization, elected new board members at its recent annual meeting, including two Katonah residents, Judy Aydelott and Neil Rader.

Residents continue to oppose guardrail

Written by Matt Dalen
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 00:00

Two residents of Lower Salem Road came out at Thursday’s board meeting to continue their opposition to a guardrail on the side of that road. The residents argued that the rail makes it more dangerous for residents to walk on the side of the road, and has prompted the school district to change its bus route, which had previously had a stop at the entrance of the road. Residents have opposed the rail since it was erected in 2008 to prevent cars from driving over the steep slope behind it. Although board members a year ago agreed to remove the rail, that decision was changed because of liability reasons.

Wolf center exempt from property taxes on Leon Levy houses

Written by Matt Dalen
Monday, 16 November 2009 00:00

For years, town Republicans have argued against open space acquisition by pointing out that it removes buildable land from the tax rolls, raising property taxes for everyone else. Yet there has been nary a sound out of them as the Town Board considers a proposal to transfer eight acres containing three houses to a group of anonymous donors for the Wolf Conservation Center, a non-profit organization exempt from property taxes.

Katonah-Lewisboro Athletic Fields: A Guide

Written by Matt Dalen
Sunday, 25 October 2009 23:00

On Tuesday, Dec. 8, Katonah-Lewisboro voters will adopt a plan for the use of the $3.15 million capital reserve fund created in March. If the referendum passes, work is expected to begin the following fall.