White Plains and Valhalla region

Several members of the White Plains Police Department participated in the annual “Unity Tour” bicycle trip from New York City to Washington, D.C. earlier this month to raise awareness of officers killed in the line of duty and money for the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum.

Pictured from left to right are: Detectives Ydania Rodriguez, Patrick Kirby, Brian Robbins, Antonio Nolletti and Bryan Hembury.

Also making the 300 mile ride from Ground Zero to the law enforcement memorial in Washington were were Detectives Nathan Swift and George Serrano.

More than 1,400 cyclists from law enforcement agencies across the country particpated, raising about $1.65 million. The White Plains contingent received donations from other officers and from local businesses including Heineken USA, Wal-Mart, Neiman Marcus, the the Ritz-Carlton, Cenema De-Lux, Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebees, Fenway Golf Club, New England Sportswear and Starbucks.

Graduates toss their caps in the air after graduation at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

See more photos of graduation at West Point

For an upcoming story on food trucks, we want to know your favorite spots. We’d like to know about those hot dog trucks, sure, but what we’re really looking for are the trucks that are doing something out-of-the-ordinary.

Let me know and we might feature your favorites in the paper!

Read on for how to link in to the town hall with Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, which starts at 7 p.m. May 30.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE ASTORINO TO HOST “ASK ASTORINO” TELE-TOWN HALL

Residents invited to call in with questions or just listen

Want to ask County Executive Rob Astorino how he is working to lower your taxes or any other question? You will get your chance on a live telephone town hall meeting hosted by Astorino next Wednesday night, May 30 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

To ask a question, or just listen in, residents are invited to call toll-free 877-228-2184 and enter event ID 19135. More →

More than 80 World War II veterans have been interviewed for a town history project and this weekend local residents will get to hear those stories and experiences.

The Town of Greenburgh will broadcast interviews with the veterans, all Greenburgh residents, on its cable channels this weekend in honor of Memorial Day. The interviews, part of the Living History of the Veterans of the Town of Greenburgh project, will begin airing at 5 p.m. today and run through the holiday.

“Some of their stories are just incredible,” said Alan Hochberg, a town resident who has been conducting the interviews for three years. “These are ordinary men and some women who are just phenomenal.”

The interviews – interspersed with war footage and put together with help from Vietnam War vet Steve Wittenberg and town employee George Malone – chronicle the veterans’ experiences during and after the war. Some died shortly after their interviews but their stories will be shown, including a talk with Don Blum, who served on the U.S.S. Indianapolis and passed away about a year ago, Hochberg said.

Blum’s ship transported the trigger for atomic bombs to Tinian, an island of the Northern Mariana Islands, Hochberg said. It was from there in 1945 that soldiers would deploy atomic bombs for Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

On its return, Hochberg said, Blum told how his ship was hit by a torpedo, sinking and killing some of the crew. He said half the men who survived were eaten by sharks.

“It’s living history,” said Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. “For students who will watch it, whole families will watch it. It makes it local. There’s more of a connection.”

The town identified veterans by looking for those who claimed special property tax exemptions. Hochberg said the next series of interviews will feature Korean War vets. Any who are interested in being interviewed can call Town Hall at 914-993-1525.

The interviews will air on channels 75 and 76 on Cablevision and on channels 34 and 35 on Verizon FIOS. Copies of the interviews are also available for viewing at the Greenburgh Library.

Here are the graduates of the 2012 Archbishop Stepinac High School:

Archbishop Stepinac High School Class of 2012

 Charles A. Adler, Samer Akroush, Junior Almanzar, Christos Stavros Aloizos, Michael Amieiro, Michael Antunes, Salvatore Thomas Ardizone, Luigi Angelo Roland M. Arguelles,* David Arizmendi, Glen Arns,

Jordan Gabriel Barile, Jeanpierre Barriga, Trevor Albert Baynard, Frank Bellantoni, Christopher Gary Bernard,** Tyler John Bernstein, Matthew John Bona, Anthony Bonanno, Nicholas Thomas Boyer, Eduard Briskovic, Christian Joseph Brownell, Daniel Peter Buonocore,**

Jonathan Christian, Nicholas V. Cinquemani, John Clarke, Maxwell Payton Clarke, Matthew Joseph Costa, Joseph Costanz, Michael A. Cruz, Andy S. Culpepper Jr., Steven Cwikla,

Peter Dedivani, Brenden R. Del Bene, Aniello Devita Jr.,** Steven Michael DiNapoli,

Pierce Shane Finnegan, Franco Michael Fino, Tyler Joseph Forsberg,

Michael Anthony Gallagher, Conor Geraghty, Peter Ryan Giannini,

Caleb Gilligan-Evans,**

Daniel Araujo Gomes,* Robert R. Gray III, Christopher Richard Greenan, Quarry Culbert Greenaway, Matthew Christian Greenman, Jesse Gwin,

Stefan G. Hasan, Garfield Heslop, Shane Michael Hogan,** Christian A. Huertas,

Tyler A. Iacuone,

Aron Noel G. Joson,*** Christopher Juca,***

Samir R. Kalil, Daniel B. Kearin II, Ian Kennelty, Peter Knecht,

Lance P. Ladson II, Michael Lanaro, Daniel R. Lizardi, Luis Lleshi, Tyler Loughery, Michael S. Luongo, Jonathan Lupinski,

Vincent Paul Mannarino, Peter McCauley,* Darragh Tomas McGeever, Ryan James McKenna, Deveino Orainio McRae, Michael McSweeney, Michael Mooney, Barry Mullen,

Adam Nance, Angelo D. Narcise Jr., Vincent Joseph Narog, John Nascimento, Mark Michael Neddermeyer,*

Ryan Patrick O’Connor, Daniel O’Donnell Jr.,

Jisu Park,*** Martin Perpepaj, Christopher John Pizzella, Michael J. Plati, Ryan Richard Plunkett,* Julian Ponce, Przemyslaw Popek,

Brian Joseph Ray,* Rory Redican, Patrick Anthony Reilly, Nicholas James Reith, Arthur Joseph Revellese III,** Michael Rooney, Connor Raymond Rush,

Edward Schwartz, Dakota Vincent Thomas Scotto, Reno Agustin Anthony Scotto, Alberto James Sepulveda,** Patrick George Sette, Nickolas Shaw, Robert Stack, Albert Stanaj, Alan Suriel, Michael John Surovich,*** Daniel Suspiro,

Austin R. Taps, Devin James Thomas, Dillon Tracy, Omer Turhan,

Emele Solomon Uka,***

Jason W. Vargas Jr.,

Konrad Walczak , Ryan Wasylenko, Stephen Wol,f Demetrius Bond Wood,s* Adrian Wynne,

Daniel Yoo,

Tanaka Russel Zenenga and Joseph Zito.

• Summa Cum Laude

  96-100 GPA

  • Magna Cum Laude

    93 – 95.9 GPA

    • Cum Laude – 90 – 92.9 GPA

Here’s the announcement:

PLANNING PROJECTS TO BE SHOWCASED AT JUNE 7 AWARDS DINNER

Westchester Municipal Planning Federation celebrates best of local efforts; two county government projects among the award winners

The winners of successful planning projects that enhance Westchester’s quality of life will be honored at the Westchester Municipal Planning Federation’s (WMPF) 39th Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 7, at 6 p.m. at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough.

Winning projects were in New Castle, Ossining Village, Pelham Manor, White Plains, Yonkers, Mamaroneck Village and Rye Brook, plus two county government projects. Three individuals will also be given special recognition. More →

The city’s annual Memorial Day Parade takes place Monday (May 28) beginning at 10 a.m. Veterans organizations, scouts, church groups and other community groups will gather at the White Plains Public Library on Martine Avenue and proceed down Main Street and North Broadway to the White Plains Rural Cemetery.

A ceremony at the cemetery’s Soldiers and Sailors monument will feature wreathe layings, remarks by local officials and a keynote address by the parade Grand Marshall,  Lt. Col Richard J. Bordano, of the United States Marine Corps.

The parade is organized by the Recreation and Parks Department and the city’s Veterans Board.

Class valedictorian Emele Uka is one of many students at the Archbishop Stepinac High School graduation to be awarded special honors, presented by school President the Rev. Thomas Collins, in White Plains on May 24, 2012. ( Xavier Mascareñas / The Journal News )

See more photos in a gallery online, and go to LoHud.com for more area school graduation photo galleries.

Exciting news from the White Plains Library! John T. Edge, an award-winning food writer one of the foremost authorities on Southern cuisine, will be at the library 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 10 for “Food for Thought: The Food Truck Comes to the Library” to benefit the White Plains Library Foundation.

Edge will discuss his latest book, The Truck Food Cookbook: 150 Recipes and Ramblings from America’s Best Restaurants on Wheels (Workman Publishing, New York, 2012), in which he celebrates the ever-exploding truck food scene. There will also be food truck-themed hors d’oevures and a silent auction.

Edge’s bio, and more information on the event, after the jump.