MOUNT KISSCO, N.Y. - With 2024 drawing to a close, we take a look back at some of the most noteworthy stories in our community from the last 12 months. Everyone at The Mt. Kisco-Bedford Times hopes that all of our readers have a happy and healthy new year!
Mayor Cindrich
In January, newly elected Mount Kisco Mayor J Michael Cindrich was officially sworn in alongside Village Trustees Theresa Flora and Angie Garcia-Guerra. Cindrich overcame Deputy Mayor Lisa Abzun in the November election, returning to the mayor position he had previously held for 14 years.
Co-Op Crisis
In March, residents of Barker Terrace, a 92-unit co-op in Mount Kisco, were reeling after being hit with an increase of more than 54 percent in their monthly maintenance fees. Several who feared losing their homes appeared before the Village Board to plead for help, and dozens of others signed a petition seeking a broader solution to what they claimed was an untenable situation.
Fox Lane Tragedy
A Fox Lane High School senior killed in a tragic car accident just days before his graduation.
Joshua Martinez Arana, 18, was remembered by grief-stricken friends and classmates for his infectious enthusiasm for life, love of soccer, leadership abilities, and being “one of the nicest kids you’ll ever meet.” His 17-year-old passenger, Matthew Gutierrez, was hospitalized with critical injuries. According to reports, Martinez Arana was driving his friend home from work when the crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 18, at the intersection of Route 117 (North Bedford Road) and Edna Street.
Farewell to Fumagalli
In February, veteran Bedford Town Clerk Lisbeth “Boo” Fumagalli stepped down after 22 years in the post, the second high-profile departure in less than a month. Comptroller Abraham Zambrano earlier wrapped up eight years on the job. They were succeeded by Alexandra “Allie” Whalen, who was both appointed and later elected to the clerk’s post, and Brian Kenneally, who took the finance reins.
Matlin and Mitchell Elected to Board of Ed
Voters in the Bedford Central School District turned out on May 21, opting to approve the district’s proposed 2024-25 budget of $155,825,000 by a measure of 794-299.
The Board of Education election was uncontested, seeing incumbent Steven Matlin and Lisa Mitchell elected to three-year terms with 696 and 874 votes, respectively.
Purple Plains
Purple Plains in Pound Ridge opened its doors this year. Located in the charming hamlet of Scotts Corners, it’s the only state-licensed recreational use dispensary in northeastern Westchester.
Foundation Aid
Ahead of the budget vote and Board of Education election on May 21, the Bedford Central School District received some good news with the full restoration of nearly $1.6 million in Foundation Aid and an additional 5% boost in total school aid. New York State Senators Pete Harckham and Shelley Mayer and Assemblymember Chris Burdick made the announcement during a press conference at Fox Lane High School alongside BCSD officials.
Email Dispute Settled
In January, the Bedford Town Board agreed to release thousands of residents’ email addresses to former councilman Don Scott, who had sought them since October under the state’s Freedom of Information Law. While opposed on privacy and safety grounds to providing the personal email data, board members said in a 3-1 vote, that they nevertheless felt compelled to do so under threat of a Scott lawsuit. Scott, a board member from 2015 through 2019, said he was “glad that, in the future, community members will be on equal footing with the Town Board to disseminate important information.”
Bedford Officers Honored
Three Bedford police officers were honored for their lifesaving response to a blaze that trapped a mother and her two children in a Bedford Hills home in May.
Officers Jordan Baschnagel, Ronald Sauber and Joseph Sagliano were saluted in a June 17 ceremony by Supervisor Ellen Calves and Police Chief Melvin Padilla. First on the scene, they first rescued a mother, 35, from the back of her Park Avenue home then helped save her children.
Bedford Hills Bombing
Two New Jersey men were facing charges in connection with the bombing of a private residence in Bedford Hills in January. Bedford police were called to the McLain Street home near the Mount Kisco border on Jan. 11, to investigate a report of a suspicious fire. The fire was contained and there were no injuries or property damage reported. Two days later, police arrested Damjan Stanivukovic, 52, of Closter, and Vladamir Radunovic, 47, of Pompton Lakes, and charged them with one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device and one count of conspiracy to commit stalking apiece.
Harckham and Burdick Reelected
In November, Democratic incumbent Pete Harckham once again turned away the challenge from Republican Gina Arena in the 40th Senate District. On Election Day, Harckham received 85,554 votes to Arena’s tally of 74,592, according to unofficial results from the New York State Board of Elections. Harckham was reelected alongside fellow Democrat Assemblymember Chris Burdick, who ran unopposed in the 93rd Assembly District.
“Battery Farm” Moratorium
In August, the Bedford Town Board voted for a six-month moratorium on applications and permits for so-called “battery farms,” the storage facilities for lithium-ion batteries that collect and hold green-generated electricity.
ShopRite Arrives
A chorus line of high-stepping dancers in feathers, flouncy skirts, petticoats, high heels, and black fishnet stockings -- inspired by the supermarket giant’s iconic TV jingle for its annual can sale -- was one of the highlights of a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 10, for the state-of-the-art ShopRite store located at 333 North Bedford Road
Schleimer and Luzio Elected
Democratic candidates Karen Schleimer and Tom Luzio both decisively won seats on the Mount Kisco Village Board on Tuesday, Nov. 5. Schleimer, an attorney, first joined the board in 2012. She was reelected after garnering 2,440 votes, or 38 percent of the total. Luzio, a lawyer and former prosecutor, was elected trustee with 2,241 votes, or 35 percent, according to updated unofficial tallies from the Westchester County Board of Elections.
Village Inclusive Party candidates Braille Diaz, a local firefighter and member of the village’s Board of Ethics, and John Mullen, co-owner of a downtown tea and coffee shop, received 963 and 775 votes, or 15 percent and 12 percent respectively.
Town Justice Mark F. Farrell ran unopposed and was reelected after receiving 2,900 votes.
Carol Reif, Tom Bartley, and Tom Walogorsky contributed to this report.
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