[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s been quite some time since a total solar eclipse occurred in mainland America. Now, this event is happening again this Monday, Aug. 21! The partial eclipse will begin at 1:23 p.m. in Westchester, reaching maximum eclipse at 2:44 p.m., and ending at 4 p.m. In preparation for this event, the Harrison Public Library obtained 40 “eclipse glasses.” It has been widely stressed that you must not look directly at the eclipse without proper protection or you could damage or even lose your eyesight.
Happily, there are alternate ways of experiencing the eclipse. The library will provide printouts about less direct ways to “see” the eclipse and have samples and materials on hand. On the day of the eclipse, the library’s program will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., both on the lawn and in the library’s community room via a NASA livestream. Those who would like glasses will be asked to line up for a number in order to ensure fair distribution. All are welcome to partake in the day’s activities.
Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a ground breaking ceremony for the new Toll Brothers development located at 103-105 Corporate Park Drive in Harrison. Carraway, a 421-unit luxury rental building, will be erected on the site of two former corporate office buildings. Leasing and first move-ins are projected for fall 2019 with the project expected to be completed by summer 2020.
Carraway is another example of an ongoing trend of repurposing vacant office buildings, along Westchester’s Platinum Mile, into residential and retail uses. The features of this luxury rental building are impressive, and I’m sure that this facility will be regarded as a premier property in our community. I look forward to working with Toll Brothers as the project becomes a reality.
Congratulations are in order for the Harrison Recreation Swim Team. The team recently competed in the Westchester County Swim Conference Championship Meet and came in 18th place, beating out some very impressive teams in the conference. During the season, the Harrison team achieved Division 5 Champion status (record 5-0) and, as a result, is moving up to Division 4 next season. Congrats to all the swimmers for a great season and to Coach Dottie Klein for being named this year’s Coach of the Year.
The Harrison Recreation Day Camp finished this year’s summer session with a wonderful production of favorite songs and clever dance numbers. The camp meets for six weeks during the summer months, and offers daily field trips, swimming, sports, musical enrichment, and arts and crafts. The stage production is held at the end of the season and is always entertaining. I really enjoyed seeing the talented performers. Congratulations to the campers, counselors and mentors for providing the audience with a truly fantastic show.
Con Edison has begun performing emergency work on an electrical distribution system. Work is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24 on Pebble Beach Drive. There will be an electric outage associated with this work that will impact service. The electric outage will occur on Aug. 24 at 9 a.m. Con Ed anticipates repairs to be completed and power restored by 3:00 p.m. They apologize for any inconvenience this work may cause, and thank you for your patience. For more information or to request e-mail updates on this project, contact Public Affairs at 925-6361 or WestchesterRCA@conEd.com.
In late summer, many residents continue to experience increased water usage due to seasonal lawn irrigation systems. As a result, it is advisable that residents locate and repair leaks in homes, offices, buildings and irrigation systems. Leaks account for a vast amount of wasted water each year. Leaking toilet flappers, dripping faucets and leaky valves are very common but are easy to correct. In addition to conserving water, these repairs can substantially reduce homeowner’s water bills.
On a related note, automatic lawn sprinklers are a significant part of the town’s peak water usage. By setting your automatic lawn sprinkler system to operate between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., you can reduce the town’s demand for water during early to mid-morning peak times. I am asking all residents to please do their best to maintain efficiency and to use water wisely.
