Facts of Life
September 4, 2024 at 11:39 p.m.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Westchester & Putnam has announced the appointment of Lisa Bertrand as the Director of the Big Futures program, a pioneering initiative launched in 2018 that has achieved remarkable success in empowering high school-age mentees. The Big Futures program is dedicated to assisting high school-age mentees in navigating the college process.
Happy birthday to former Port Chester Fire Chief Bill Barnes of Rye Brook who celebrates Sept. 11.
Happy birthday to Casey Sorbara of Port Chester who celebrates Sept. 12.
Happy birthday to Emma Stracuzzi of Port Chester who celebrates Sept. 13.
The Westchester County Health Department has announced an expanded recall of deli meats due to a Listeria outbreak found in Boar’s Head deli meats. Residents are reminded that Listeria infection poses a risk to anyone who consumes contaminated food, often leading to mild gastrointestinal issues; however, the infection can be particularly dangerous for pregnant individuals, those 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems. For a full list of the contaminated products, visit health.westchestchestergov.com.
The next Port Chester High School Marching Band bottle and can recycling collections will be Sun., Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in the Middle School parking lot on Bowman Avenue, Rye Brook. Collections generally take place on the first and third Sunday of each month. Call 914/200-1464 for updated information.
Port Chester Council for the Arts, Inc. is seeking professional visual artists who would like to be considered for participation in their upcoming art show, ART10573, to be held Sun., Oct. 20 at the Crawford Mansion Community Center in Rye Brook. There are a limited number of spots available. Interested artists should email [email protected] for more information and an application which is due by Fri., Sept. 27.
The Town of Rye/Port Chester Republican Committee is looking for party/campaign support. Tasks can be done both in person and virtually and on a part-time/as needed basis.
In addition to the November 2024 elections which include races for Congress, State Senate and Assembly and judicial offices, in March 2025 there will be LOCAL elections and the Committee is currently interviewing for the following:
Mayoral seat (1)
Trustee seat (6)
The process for those elections starts later in 2024 and early in 2025.
Also, there are several openings on various Port Chester boards and commissions. These are excellent ways to get civically involved. Consult [email protected] or ads seeking candidates in the Westmore News.
For further information about running for an elected position, please call: Aldo Vitagliano, GOP Village Chairman, at 914/921-0333.
Congregation K.T.I. is participating again this school year in Food 2 Grown On to provide bags of groceries each weekend and during school vacations to alleviate hunger and food insecurity among elementary-aged children at Edison, Park Avenue and King Street school in Port Chester. Checks made payable to Food 2 Grow On are also welcome and should be mailed c/o the Rotary Club, P.O. Box 26, Port Chester, NY 10573. Food donations requested include healthy cereal, peanut butter (14-16 oz. jars), tuna fish, canned fruit (14-18 oz. size)—store brands are OK. Food donations can be dropped in the box at 48 Meadowlark Rd., Rye Brook. For questions or to arrange a pickup of donations call Leslie at 914/939-8659 or email her at [email protected]
Quassy Amusement Park and Waterpark in Middlebury, CT has announced the launch of a new tradition—Hispanic Heritage Month—every weekend Sept. 7-29. This celebration highlights the rich Hispanic culture that has long been a vibrant park of the community. Guests can purchase All Day Ride Wristbands for $21.99 + tax when bought online at www.quassy.com
Rye Brook Recreation has announced that registration for the 2024-25 After-School Program is now open. Monthly fees: $275 for 2 days per week; $370 for 3 days per week; $435 for 4 days per week and $525 for 5 days per week. For information, call Rocky Furano at 914/438-2087 or [email protected]
Iona University has announced an expanded scholarship program for first responders seeking to advance their education through graduate studies, offering a 20% tuition discount to eligible students. The First Responder, Medical and Safety Personnel Scholarship offers a significant tuition discount for active and retired first responders. In addition, admitted students with an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher will receive an extra 5% discount from the Edmund Rice Scholarship, totaling a 25% tuition reduction.
Purchase College, State University of New York has been selected for inclusion in several publications that rank the best colleges and programs in the nation as follows: one of the “Top 390 Colleges” in the nation by the Princeton Review in the 2025 edition of their college guide. Purchase is also listed as a Best Northeastern College and a top Green College for its commitment to sustainability; home to the acclaimed Performing Arts Center and was also ranked on the list of Best College Theaters; The Hollywood Reporter named it as one of the top 25 Acting Programs in the World for 2024 and among the best NYC-area film schools; The Fiske Guide to Colleges selected it as one of the 300 “best and most interesting colleges in the U.S., Canada, and U.K.;” Backstage named it among the 27 Acting Colleges You Should Know and Money included it in their list of 745 Best Colleges, which evaluates colleges based on “graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries, and more.”
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has launched its redesigned and more user-friendly website. The redesign has a more intuitive interface with streamlined content to help New Yorkers seamlessly navigate dozens of online transactions and obtain important information from the DMV. This change is part of the agency’s ongoing modernization initiative to significantly enhance customer service, to make services more efficient for customers, and to replace DMV’s aging technology.
Registration for the Fall Session A at Clay Art Center in Port Chester is open. It includes weekly classes for adults in wheel throwing, handbuilding and sculpture. Session B registration for members begins Sept. 25. For information on classes and to register, go to www.clayartcenter.org
The Sherman Fairchild Foundation has awarded Purchase College a $500,000 Arts & Technology grant. This grant will help establish TAPROOT—“Technology in the Arts Project: Reinvent, Originate, Open, Transform”—with the overarching goal of fostering an expansive creative culture in which emerging technologies are strategically and intentionally integrated across the arts. Supported activities include 3 cohorts of 4 faculty fellows who will collaborate to build emerging technologies into their courses and teach students how to use those technologies as tools in the creative process. The grant will also support an Interactive Media Arts Computer Lab and an Interactive Media Arts Creation Lab located in the library; introductory faculty peer workshops, course development, grants to support senior projects growing out of TAPROOT work, and an annual symposium also showcasing the work coming out of the TAPROOT project.
The Village of Rye Brook has partnered with Westchester County to offer residents a free cell phone app called RecycleCoach where you can look up your Rye Brook sanitation schedule, view holiday week changes, and receive answers to commonly asked questions such as if a particular item is recyclable. It is a very useful tool, is relatively user-friendly and can be downloaded from the App Store.
Hillside Food Outreach, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering high-quality, nutritious food to low-income and limited mobility families, seniors and the chronically ill in Westchester, Putnam, and Fairfield counties, is calling on the community to join its mission. The organization, which provides food deliveries free of charge to more than 2,000 individuals twice per month, is in urgent need of volunteers to help meet the rising demand. They are seeking additional delivery volunteers to ensure that no household on its waitlist of over 100 families goes hungry. Volunteers typically deliver to up to six households, fostering trust and long-term relationships with the clients they serve. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, call 914/747-0095 or visit hillsidefoodoutreach.org.
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