Congratulations to the cast and crew of Harrison High School’s recent production of “The Addams Family.” The school was recently awarded four Metropolitan High School Theater Awards which honors outstanding work performed at participating high schools in Putnam, Westchester and Bergen counties. Fifty-three schools competed in 31 categories, and Harrison took home the following prizes: stage manager – Jess Prado; director – Deborah Toteda; chorus, and outstanding duet – Timothy Morris and Gianna Prignano.
My office was recently alerted that a New York State Energy and Gas scam has been reported in Westchester County. Although Harrison residents receive Con Ed service, I want all to be aware of the following scam. An individual placed a phone call and said that he’s from NYSEG. The caller ID came up as NYSEG 800-572-1111 (which is in fact a correct phone number). The caller told the resident that their electricity was being turned off in 45 minutes and that they should have received a letter stating such, 10 days earlier. The resident asked questions, such as what is my account numbers, etc., which the caller could not answer, and the resident was told to call a number (their corporate office) where the request was filed. The resident called the number, got a message saying “You have reached NYSEG” and was given a reference number. They were then asked make a payment within 45 minutes or the electricity would be disconnected. If you receive a call like this, hang up and report the incident to the Harrison Police Department.
Recently, I attended a Westchester Safer Communities forum which focused on the county’s response to the national opioid epidemic. The panel discussed ways to educate the public, coordinate resources, and develop prevention strategies. A national group, SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) aims to reduce the impact of substance abuse and has federal partners that will coordinate with Westchester County. The event was very informative and, as we collaborate with elected officials and industry professionals, my hope is that we will see a decrease in drug overdoses in our community.
On a related note, Westchester County has expanded the number of drop boxes used to dispose of unused prescription drugs, and used needles, and you can find a drop box located at the Harrison police station.
State Assemblyman David Buchwald and Sen. George Latimer recently announced that more than $400,000 in construction grants is being awarded to improve the infrastructure at six Westchester County libraries. The Harrison Public Library (Richard E. Halperin Memorial Library Building) has received $123,804 for a roof replacement. I look forward to the improvement and am glad that our patrons will continue to enjoy a state of the art community resource.
With summer right around the corner, you may want to make plans for visiting our town pools. The 2017 pool schedule is as follows: both the Ron Belmont Pool Complex (9 Casarella Way, Tel.: 358-4333) and the Bernie Guanini Brentwood Pool and Park (Adelphi Avenue, Tel.: 751-8222) are currently open on the weekends from noon to 6 p.m. During the week of June 19 to June 25, the pools will be opened, daily, from noon to 6 p.m. From June 26 to Aug. 13, the weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekend hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Tuesday, July 4, the hours are noon to 6 p.m. Guests may accompany ID card holders. For fee schedules and additional information, please visit harrison-ny.gov or call your neighborhood pool.
