The Somers Record 2024 Year in Review

 

A mother and her two sons, both Somers students, were shot at the Crossroads housing complex on Route 6 in Baldwin Place. Christina Raimondi, 38, and her 13-year-old son Matthew were both critically wounded in the Oct. 28 attack but survived. Michael Raimondi, 15, was killed. The 41-year-old suspect, Fernando Jimenez Meza, fled but was captured the next day while hiding out in a real estate office in Putnam Valley. He was charged with Murder in the 2nd degree, two counts of Attempted Murder in the 2nd degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd degree. He was initially arraigned in Somers Town Court and sent to Westchester County Jail without bail. In early December, Jimenez pleaded not guilty at his arraignment at Westchester County Court. A GoFundMe campaign was set up to help the family with the costs of medical care and funeral expenses, and hundreds of Somers residents gathered in Reis Park for a vigil to remember Michael Raimondi and to pray for the recovery of his mother and brother.

 

 

Somers football captured their third straight state championship on Dec. 6. The Tuskers squared off with the Whitesboro Warriors, coming away with a 51-27 victory at the JMA Wireless Dome at Syracuse University. “I’m extremely proud to be part of this,” said Coach Anthony DeMatteo.

 

 

It was the battle of the bumps. Speed bumps, that is. Folks in the lake community of Shenorock fought over whether the traffic calming devices belonged there.

 

One side vehemently opposed them, arguing that they were disturbingly noisy, damaging to vehicles, and a hindrance to first responders. The other felt they curbed speeding and helped prevent potentially fatal vehicle-pedestrian accidents – Shenorock has no sidewalks -- and also discouraged drivers from using the enclave as a cut-through.

 

The three small plastic bumps on Lakeview Drive had been removed that winter to facilitate snowplowing.

After hearing all the pros and cons, the town decided not to reinstall them. Instead, it put up radar signs at designated trouble spots that showed the speed of approaching vehicles in real time and reminded drivers of the posted limit. The signs were supposedly also being used to collect traffic data.

 

Meanwhile, residents of Heritage Hills tangled over requests to install stop signs at the condo complex.

 

 

Parishioners of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church joyfully welcomed their new priest-in-charge, the Rev. Mary Katherine McCarthy, with an institution ceremony in September.

 

In attendance was the Rev. Michael Watson, who had retired in December. The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool asked congregants if they would “support Mary in this new ministry?” The answer was a resounding “We will!” 

 

Officiant Dorothea Mangieri read the lessons from the Book of Numbers. The Rev. Tami Burks Condon gave a sermon which emphasized the teachings of Jesus that the first and greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Representatives of the congregation and the clergy of the diocese presented the new minister with symbolic gifts. 

Later, there was lots of hugging and handshaking before all repaired to the parish hall to toast a beaming McCarthy with sparkling wine and shower her with flowers.

 

 

In July, Taekwondo standout Aidan No won the national championship in Fort Worth. Down 1-0 to his opponent in the final round, No saved the best for last.

 

“I hit my favorite move - the axe kick,” he said. 

 

No would ultimately capture the national title with a 4-1 win. 

 

 

The Somers Land Trust dueled in state Supreme Court with the Carmel Planning Board over the latter’s ruling that plans to build a clay sporting course at Willow Wood, a private gun club in the hamlet of Mahopac, wouldn’t have a negative impact on the environment. 

 

The SLT had filed an Article 78 lawsuit claiming that the activity at the club had resulted in lead shot and broken bits of clay pigeons being scattered on its property, contaminating the soil and a stream. 

 

Heritage Hills residents have also claimed to have found lead on their properties. In 2016, the club cleared 20 acres of trees for a sporting clays course. That was shut down in 2019 pending approval of an amended site plan application.

Somers residents complained about excessive noise due to the natural sound barrier’s removal. After years of proceedings on Willow Wood’s application, the Carmel Planning Board ruled last year that the new course wouldn’t have a “significant effect on the environment.” SLT sued. 

 

The court dismissed the Article 78, saying that the club had been operating since 1955 and that the Planning Board was only acting on its proposal to build the clay course.

 

“Lamentable as the environmental consequences of Willow Wood’s prior activity may be, those consequences [evidenced by spent shot and elevated lead levels on SLT property] were beyond the scope of the proceedings before the Planning Board and are irrelevant,” the judge concluded.

 

 

The quick actions of an alert postal worker at the Amawalk Post Office were credited with saving the life of a man who was suffering a possible drug overdose. 

 

Anthony Primavera was taking a break outside when he spotted someone parked in a restricted area of the lot. 

After going over to give the driver a heads-up, he discovered an unresponsive man slumped over in his seat and drooling. Complicating things was the fact that there was a large pit bull in the car. He sprinted back indoors, yelled for a co-worker to call 911, and waited with the unconscious man until EMS crews arrived and revived him with naloxone. 

 

The dog was safely returned home.

 

Primavera, an unassuming 47-year-old dad of three who’d been at the Amawalk PO for four years, brushed off any praise by claiming he was just grateful to have been in the right place at the right time.

 

 

The Somers Central School District saw significant administrative personnel changes, such as the departure of Superintendent Dr. Ray Blanch, who decided to move on after the Board of Education failed to act on his request for an extension of his five-year contract. He had been with the district for 14 years. He subsequently became superintendent of the Katonah-Lewisboro School District.

 

During an emotionally charged special meeting, representatives of the district’s faculty, staff, and community heaped words of praise on Blanch, calling him the epitome of honesty, integrity, respect, and trust.

 

Harry LeFevre, who was interim director of human resources and student services, took over as superintendent until a permanent replacement could be found.

 

In October, the board met with school leadership to discuss the latter’s recommendations for superintendent specifications. It is now in the active recruitment phase and expects to conduct candidate interviews at the end of January.

 

Somers High School bid farewell to longtime principal Mark Bayer, who retired in June. Bayer had been with the district since 2012, and was beloved for the songs he composed and performed at graduation. 

 

The district’s director of secondary learning, Claire Comerford, left to take a job as the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning at the Pelham Union Free School District.

 

Jennifer Mangone, who had been SMS assistant principal for four years and then its interim principal, was permanently appointed as its principal and Peter Rodrigues, who was SHS’s assistant principal, as its principal. The district also welcomed two new assistant principals: Brian Carroll at SHS and Kristen Mucciacciaro at SMS.

 

 

Residents banded together to battle plans to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), aka “battery farm,” on a 95-acre site off Miller Road in the hamlet of Mahopac. Things came to light in the fall of 2023 when Charlottesville, Va.-based East Point Energy sought site plan approval from the Carmel Planning Board.

 

After folks got wind of the project -- which would actually be located within 200 feet of a residential neighborhood in Baldwin Place – yellow signs demanding the quashing of the 116-megawatt facility began popping up on lawns and along roads. Town officials in Somers and Carmel heard pleas for help, meetings were called, flyers distributed, petitions circulated, protests made, and a Facebook page started. 

 

Chief among opponents’ concerns were the possibility of lithium-ion battery fires and each town’s ability to provide adequate emergency responses.

 

Supervisor Robert Scorrano sent a sharply worded letter to the chair of the Carmel Planning Board pointing to the “significant opposition and apprehension” among Somers and Carmel residents regarding the BESS. Their safety and well-being must be addressed, he said.

 

In October, Somers amended its zoning law not only to define what a public utility is, but to declare that public utilities are not BESS “or similar facilities.” Even though BESS already weren’t permitted uses in Somers, town officials felt the change strengthened its position.

 

The Carmel Town Board set a six-month moratorium. In October, before that expired, the board voted unanimously to adopt a zoning law that would prohibit large-scale (Tier 2) BESS from being built within its borders. Tier 1 BESS (under 600kwH) will be permitted. 

 

East Point Energy was aware of the moratorium and code changes but were reportedly still weighing their options.

 

 

Fratelli’s said goodbye after 28 years of serving up pizza and pasta to the community. Taking over its spot in Heritage 202 Center, was Slice Pizzeria, which also has a location in Yorktown. The Tortilla Project opened in the former Unwined Winebar & Kitchen’s space in Somers Common in Baldwin Place. Soto Sushi & Hibachi Lounge opened in the shopping center as well, replacing another Asian-themed eatery Hudson Billiards Bistro & Bar announced plans to open at Somers Commons in a building once occupied by Once Upon a Child, a kids resale and consignment shop. Coral Seafood Restaurant on Route 6 was heavily damaged in a fire. It plans to rebuild and expand. Trio Pizza and Bona Bona Ice Cream replaced Grand Central Market, a popular purveyor of deli goods such as sandwiches for more than 40 years.