Politics on the Hudson

SOMERS—Rep. Nan Hayworth, R-Mount Kisco,  sent out an email today that she will  hold a town hall-style meeting Wednesday evening  to discuss issues facing residents of New York’s 19th Congressional District which she represents.  Somers Town Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy is expected  to join Hayworth.

The meeting is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Somers Town Hall, 335 Route 202, Somers and everyone is welcome to attend.

The Westchester chaper of NoLabels had roughly 100 members when we did a story on the group in June 2011 and local meetings, particularly one in Mount Kisco.  Organizers currently boast of having 1,000 members and they say the movement is growing as the 2012 election comes into closer view.

Ron Tobias of Armonk, a Leadership Council member for NoLabels, sent an email recently saying the group is focusing on urging the Congress to finalize a budget.  NoLabels is working to get elected officials to put aside their differences and work together on important issues—the economy, education, healthcare reform and energy resources.

“Make Congress work is the No Budget, No Pay initiative, which is scheduled for a Senate committee hearing on March 7. There are 3000 bills submitted each year but only 800 get sent to committees for a hearing and the No Budget, No Pay bill has been sent to the Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Sen. Lieberman (Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut), for a hearing on 3/7/2012,” Tobias said in his email to The Journal News.

NoLabels commissioned a poll in December which it said showed that “88 percent support for withholding pay from members of Congress if they don’t pass a budget on time – a number so high that it shocked pollsters who rarely see such consensus on any issue.”

At the NoLabels website there are guides to sending these messages to officials.

 

The Conservative Party in Somers is inviting prospective candidates for public office to interview with its committee later this month.

Interviews will begin May 23.

The open positions are for Town Supervisor, Town Clerk, Highway Superintendent, Councilman and Town Justice.

Anyone interested should contact party Chairman Joseph J. Iaropoli at Iaropoli Associates, 74 Moseman Ave., Katonah N.Y. 10536; phone 914-962-5439 or email to

iaropoli19@optonline.net

Father Michael Lapsley, a South African Anglican priest and social justice activist will be featured at a forum on Thursday at St. Ann’s Parish in Ossining. He is an internationally known speaker on the anti-aparteid struggle for freedom and justice for the people of South Aftica,

“Please join us at St. Ann’s for a truly inspiring evening that will open your mind to forgiveness, peace and reconciliation,” writes Jean Marie Polak, St. Ann’s Parish Council Representative.

Her program description continues:

Father Lapsley was born in New Zealand and trained as an Anglican priest before going to South Africa. In 1976, Fr. Lapsley’s visa was not renewed due to his affliation with the banned African National Congress, and he left South Africa. He later moved to Zimbabwe, where, in 1990, he was the target and victim of a letter bomb which resulted in the loss of both hands and an eye. In his own words, “Quite early on after the bomb, I realized that if I was filled with hatred and desire for revenge, I’d be a victim forever.”

Returning to South Africa in 1998, Fr. Lapsley worked for the Trauma Center for Victims of Tourture and Violence in Cape Town, which assisted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He started the Institure for Healing of Memories that same year, moving from victim to survivor to victor.

The event is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Ann’s Parish, 16 Eastern Ave.

As the political season ramps up towards Election Day this Tuesday, the Conservative Party of Somers is hosting a Tea Party rally in Somers this Saturday.

Elected officials and those running for office have been invited along with members of the community, said Conservative Party Chairman Joseph Iaropoli.

“We want to give a forum for people to speak out,” he said. “This is the second one we’ve done and it seem that some people are not listening.” The group hosted a similar event during the summer.

The rally will be at 10:30 a.m. outside in the gazebo across from Somers Town Hall on Route 202 at the intersection of Route 100.

Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, is hosting a Town Hall-style meeting tonight at a senior citizen community in Briarcliff Manor. She is expected to address many of the issues facing older residents.

Lowey  is running for re-election in the 18th Congressional District, which includes parts of Rockland and much of Westchester. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1988 and this year she faces a challenge by Jim Russell.

“Our residents are still very active voters and they are looking forward to an opportunity to speak with Congresswoman Nita Lowey regarding the issues that directly affect them,”  Janis Knorr, executive director of Atria, said in a press release.

The event is at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Atria Briarcliff Manor, 1025 Pleasantville Road.

This year a candidate for the 14th Congressional  “Silk Stocking” District hails originally from Mahopac.

Dino LaVerghetta is reaching back to his roots this week  and holding a fundraiser and meet-and-greet Thursday at Villa Barone Hilltop Manor, 466 Route 6  in Mahopac — though he probably remembers the place as the  less lavish Lombardi’s.

LaVerghetta, 28,  is challenging Democratic  incumbent  Carolyn Maloney for the coveted Congressional seat.  A Republican, he  has been endorsed by the Independence Party and the Libertarian Party.

Raised in Mahopac, LaVerghetta graduated from Mahopac High School. He studied international relations and political science at Boston University and then went onto  NYU School of  Law. He is currently an associate at the law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, focusing on securities and commercial litigation. He also serves on the Young Professionals Committee of the Innocence Project.

He currently  lives on the East Side of Manhattan.

The event  is 6 to 8 p.m. and  there is a $75 suggested donation, but  past teachers, neighbors and friends are invited to stop by and shake  hands.

Former Gov. George Pataki will be at a parkland ceremony near his home next week in Garrison.

The town of Philipstown, which includes the lush hamlet of Garrison, is dedicating a sign, Let’s Take a Hike,  to the past state leader “for his love of the great outdoors,” said Amber Stickle. Director of Recreation and Parks at Philipstown Recreation Department.

The ceremony and reception is at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24 at the Claudio Marzollo Community Center on Route 9D, just south of Route 403.

Currently, Pataki is involved in private legal practice, so he said at a forum Nov. 16 at the New-York Historical Society on Central Park West. He was a panelist talking about the future of New York.  He was optimistic about New York City saying that it remains a cultural and economic epicenter for many.  Apparently, his neighbors want to honor him  for his appreciation of the scenic landscape in Putnam County.

The League of Women Voters of Eastern Putnam County is getting an early start in this campaign season and admits it has a busy summer planned.  There are four candidate forums scheduled for this month beginning tonight:

•Town of Southeast tonight from  7 to 9 p.m. Town of Southeast at Hudson Valley Community Center on Mt. Ebo Road in Southeast.

•Town of Carmel and Putnam County Sheriff on Aug. 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. at VFW Hall on Gleneida Avenue in Carmel.

•Town of Kent on Aug. 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lake Carmel Community Center in Kent.

•Town of Patterson on Aug. 24 from 7 to 9 p.m at VFW Hall in Patterson.

For more information, call 845-520-6261 or e-mail the group at LWVEPC@gmail.com. Forums are expected to be broadcast on community cable television stations.

Longtime Putnam Valley resident Patty Villanova tells us that she is also running for a Town Board seat in this Putnam town and has received “enthusiastic support.”

“I am a life-long Republican who served on the town committee for many years,” she wrote in an e-mail this week saying that the GOP committee wouldn’t endorse her because she doesn’t support Town Supervisor Robert Tendy for a second term.  “Keep in mind that I am a 50+ year resident and have been politically active for over 20 years.”

She said she will be collecting signatures for her petitions and hopes to primary candidates Esther McHenry and Jacqueline Annabi for the line. She describes these women as having “virtually no experience in town politics or anything else for that matter.”  There are two open seats on the Town Board.

On the Democratic front, Dawn Powell, former aide to previous supervisor Sam Davis, is running for town supervisor against Tendy.  For Town Board, the Democratic committee endorsed Chris Lieberman for one of two seats.

Incumbent Councilwoman Wendy Whetsel did not get the Democratic committee’s nod. She said she will be out and about getting signatures for her second term as well. She might meet up with former supervisor Sam Davis on the trail, since he is reportedly running for a Town Board seat but decided after the Democratic committee met and had no chance for its support.

Indeed, politics is interesting in Putnam Valley. And, if all the petitioner gatherers are successful there might well be primaries for the Democratic and Republican lines for two open board seats.

Committees in both parties have Web sites set up  to get their messages out — Democrat Party and the Republican Party

And let the season begin….