White Plains and Valhalla region

Steven Belasco, the head of Greenburgh’s zoning board, passed away this morning from organ failure due to an acute respiratory infection, his family said. He was 65.

Belasco was the chairman of the Greenburgh Zoning Board of Appeals for 12 years and also served on the town’s Comprehensive Planning Committee for 17 years.

Belasco had just returned from a three-week trip to China with his wife, Fran, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, which was May 3.

Judith Belasco, his 34-year-old daughter, said her father was dedicated to improving his community.

“It was the right thing to do, to help his community be a strong place for the family he was raising,” she said this afternoon from the family’s home in Greenburgh.

Before retiring, Belasco was the vice president of taxation and global real estate at Colgate Palmolive. A lifelong stamp collector, he served as executive director of the Philatelic Foundation, a not-for-profit that promoted the study of stamps and postal history.

“Steve was a very dedicated public servant,” Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner said this afternoon. “He’s going to be greatly missed.”

Belasco is survived by his wife, Fran, his children, Judith, Daniel and Sara, and three grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow at Temple Israel, 280 Old Mamaroneck Rd. in White Plains.

Who’s running in your school district in the Tuesday, May 15, election? Find out on LoHud.com’s School Board Elections, 2012 voter guide. It’s got candidate info, news coverage and more.

Go to the school elections guide at http://LoHud.com/schoolelections.

The Preservation League of New York State has selected Christ Church Bronxville to receive an award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. They are the only organization in the Lower Hudson Valley to receive the honor this year.

Completed in 1926, the church was renovated to meet 21st century standards while preserving its history and core architectural features. Walter Sedovic, whose self-titled architectural firm in Irvington led the restoration project, said the award affirms a “slow down and understand” approach to heritage buildings.

“The success of this project reinforces how remarkably responsive historic buildings are to modern energy concerns, and that traditional buildings should serve as models of sustainability and energy conservation,” he said.

Jay DiLorenzo, President of the Preservation League, said the church restoration used a global environmental view on matters such as stormwater management and reducing energy use.

“The awards jury agreed that by reinstating the natural climate control features of traditional building methodologies – in other words, windows that open – the project team has set a fine example for other practitioners,” he said. “We are delighted to celebrate the restoration of Christ Church Bronxville, and to congratulate the congregation for its stewardship of this magnificent building.”

The awards will be presented at the Preservation League’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony in New York City at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16th at the historic New York Yacht Club on West 44th Street.

“The first priority in making the repairs and improvements was to ensure that we respected the historical significance of the church building and its original design features,” said Arthur G. Taylor, chairman of the church facilities committee that oversaw the project . “We are confident that we have achieved that goal, and this award validates our decisions.”

The League’s awards program honors notable achievements in retaining,  promoting and reusing New York State’s irreplaceable architectural heritage.

Alan Menken, the celebrated composer of film scores and Broadway shows, will share his experiences as a young student who developed an interest in music at an early age with Stepinac High School students.

His appearance is part of a fundraising concert program by the school’s student band and vocal arts ensemble who will perform selections from Menken’s 2012 Tony nominated “Newsies” Broadway musical. Proceeds from the concert will go to support the  school’s music program.

The program is set for 7 p.m. May 15 at the school, 950 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, and feature Menken, members of the Archbishop Stepinac High School student band and vocal arts ensemble, members of the school administration, faculty and the general public.

Ticket costs for concert and appearance by Mr. Mencken are $20 for adult and $10 for student. Cost of the private reception is additional. To order tickets, call (914) 946-4800, Ext. 385.

 

 

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli discusses various issues with the Editorial Board at 1 p.m. Thursday on Editorial Spotlight.

The state comptroller audits municipalities, school district and other entities. The comptroller also administers the New York State and Local Retirement System for public employees and maintains the state’s accounting system, along with other duties.

DiNapoli has been critical of quasi-governmental agencies, including local development corporations and industrial development agencies. In a 2011 audit of the Town of Ramapo, the comptroller’s office was highly critical of the financial relationship between the town and the Ramapo Local Development Corp., which built the Provident Bank Park, home field of the Rockland Boulders baseball team.

To submit a question or comment for DiNapoli before the live session, email adelgado@lohud.com or tweet @lohudopinion.

To watch, go to www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight.

To submit a question or comment during the LIVE session, engage the “CoverItLive” blogging feature.

Just got this in from White Plains schools:

This Thursday through Saturday, the 45^th Annual Glenn D. Loucks Games will be held at White Plains High School.

According to Meet Director, Fred Singleton, it is the largest meet in our history, with over 2,900 athletes competing from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Two hundred and twelve schools will be competing, fielding some 325 teams (WPHS is a single school, with two teams  – one boys, one girls). All of these numbers are records for our meet.

Of course several of those athletes will be representing White Plains High School, including   New York State Champion Thomas Johnson (Triple Jump).

Many of the nation’s top athletes will be present, including a young man from Newark who has run the mile in 4:02 – only 4 people in the history of high school track and field have broken 4 minutes.

So, if you have the opportunity, bring the family to one of our county’s major events. The meet begins on Thursday at 5 p.m. On Friday, the event starts at 3 p.m., right after school, while  on Saturday the events begin at 9 in the morning (opening ceremonies are at noon).

If you want to know the times for specific events, please go to the official Loucks Games website, www.theloucksgames.org.

Food sales support the track team (Thursday), WPHS senior class (Friday) and the PTA (Saturday).

 

It looks like the June 26 Congressional primary, the second of three primaries this year, will feature contests for the Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; the Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey in the newly-drawn and newly-numbered District 17, which takes in all of Rockland and large parts of Westchester; and the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth in District 18, which takes in all of Putnam and part of Westchester (and Orange and part of Dutchess).

In the Republican primary in the 17th, Francis Morganthaler was thrown off the ballot and is challenging the decision in court. Joe Carvin, one of the Republican candidates, didn’t succeed in securing the Conservative line. Lowey failed to get the Independence line.

So far there are no primaries in the new District 16, held by Eliot Engel. Aniello Grimaldi, who wanted to challenge Engel on the Democratic line, was thrown off the ballot. Engel’s Republican challenger is Joseph McLaughlin. The final names could change as court challenges play out but should be final by the middle of next week. Here is the list of candidates. A * indicates a primary contest:

United States Senator:

Republican*

Wendy Long of Manhattan

Bob Turner of Breezy Point

George Maragos of Great Neck

Democratic

Kirsten Gillibrand More →

An almost half-million-dollar grant will fund brain research:

Lowey Announces $452,500 Grant for Burke Medical Research Institute

Funding Awarded to Continue Research on Treatment of Spinal Cord, Traumatic Brain Injuries

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today announced Burke Medical Research Institute will receive a $452,500 federal grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue brain repair research conducted by Dr. Jian Zhong.

“Burke Medical Research Institute has earned a reputation for groundbreaking research that is helping to improve health and better understand diseases and injuries,” said Congresswoman Lowey. “I am proud this federal funding will support research being conducted right here in the lower Hudson Valley. This is exactly the type of investment that is critical to advancing science and improving health in New York and nationwide.” More →

Here’s the announcement from the county with prevention suggestions for residents:

2012 WEST NILE VIRUS PREVENTION EFFORTS TO BEGIN MONDAY

To eliminate breeding sites for mosquitoes that can carry West Nile Virus, the Westchester County Department of Health will begin its annual West Nile Virus prevention efforts by checking catch basins throughout the county for standing water and applying larvicide as needed starting Monday, May 7.

Health department larviciding teams will begin in New Rochelle, Yonkers and Mount Vernon, evaluating and treating as needed all catch basins on county and municipal roads throughout the county over the next few months. More →

On Saturday, local residents and celebrities will tango, cha-cha and dance the night away to pulsating music.

But many of them won’t be able to hear it.

The New York School for the Deaf in Greenburgh is hosting its Dancing With The Deaf Stars fundraiser at 7 p.m. at the school on Saturday. The show, modeled after the hit ABC television show “Dancing with the Stars,” will feature six deaf and hearing celebrities dancing with school staff and local residents, some of whom are also deaf.

On the dance card will be actor Michael Spady, who had a leading role in “The Hammer.” The school did not reveal the other celebrities today.

Linda Bove, the well-known deaf librarian from Sesame Street, and her husband, Ed Waterstreet, the artistic director for Deaf West Theater in Los Angeles, will emcee the event.

Dancers will perform the tango and cha-cha in front of a live audience. They will conclude with a final dance of their choosing and one couple will be awarded with the top prize.

Tickets are $20 and money raised will be used to benefit the school, located at 555 Knollwood Rd. For information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.nysd.net.