Running for office isn’t easy. It is stressful and emotional and takes dedication, thick skin, and passion. So, I want to congratulate each candidate for your willingness to put yourself out there.
To me, politics on the local level is about embracing our community and striving to make our already wonderful Town better and stronger. It’s about supporting and standing up for our fellow residents with substance, integrity, and respect. The last thing we need in New Castle is divisive politicking. Rather, sound judgment, intelligence, a strong work ethic, and the ability to collaborate and produce results are what should matter most.
Congratulations to Holly McCall on her successful bid for Town Council. I look forward to working with her on the issues that matter most to our community.
As for Christian Hildenbrand, I’ve been honored to serve with him on the Town Board this past year. I value him as both a friend and a colleague. Chris’s vision, insight, energy, motivation, and commitment to community has truly enhanced our Town. He has been, and continues to be, a true asset who really raised the bar for all of us. Thank you, Chris, from all of us here in New Castle.
Happy birthday to our Deputy Receiver of Taxes PATTY ANTONUCCI!
Happy birthday to our Deputy Town Clerk LAUREN CASCONE!
Congratulations to our 3rd and 4th Grade NEW CASTLE TITANS Tackle Football Team for winning the League Championship!
Break a leg 2018 Greeley grads KATIE WEINSTEIN and ELANA CANTOR who will be performing in Choices: A Rock Opera at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center this weekend!
Look for the community’s best wishes to you all on the electronic sign across from the train station! We love the sense of community (and the smiles) that this brings!
If you have a community shout-out (birthdays or otherwise), please send an email to CommunityCorner@mynewcastle.org. We make our Community Corner announcements at each of our public meetings. And you can see your name in lights!
Honoring our Veterans
Veteran’s Day is tomorrow, November 11th. Thank you to all the brave men and women who fought, and continue to fight, to protect our country and our freedoms. Your bravery will be honored today and for generations to come.
Thank you to all of our Town Volunteers!
Last week the Town held its 4th Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner to say thank you to all of the volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to better our community. Technically, was actually our 4th, 5th and 6th annual dinners all rolled up into one, since Covid put a halt to our gatherings these past few years. Thank you to Town staff, particularly Jill Shapiro, Tiffany White, Lauren Cascone, and Christina Papes, for organizing this special event.
I had the honor of presenting our 2020, 2021, and 2022 Gabby Rosenfeld Award for Outstanding Volunteerism. The 2020 award was presented to our Council on Race and Equity, consisting of co-chairs Nichelle Maynard-Elliott and Zabeen Mirza, and Team Leaders Kristina Herman, Candace Chestnut-Zoller, Johanna Nayyar, Hermian Charles, Kristina Herman, Angela Bronner Helm, Mindy Park, Tanya Tochner, and Melissa Cintron. Kristina Herman accepted the award on behalf of the CRE. I had the pleasure of working directly with Kristina on the CRE, and she was truly a committed, passionate, and outstanding team leader. The award was presented in appreciation of her dedicated service to the New Castle community, serving as Team Leader for the Council on Race and Equity, whose volunteers promoted public awareness and encouraged ongoing initiatives on diversity, race equality and inclusivity in New Castle, and advanced New Castle as a welcoming Town to all.
The 2021 award was presented to Leslie Kuhn and Lea Barth, co-chairs of New Castle United for Youth. Each of these women has passionately dedicated countless hours to protecting our youth, and we honored them for their dedicated service to the New Castle community by serving as Co-Chairs of New Castle United for Youth, a collaboration of community stakeholders dedicated to promoting and supporting positive choices for New Castle youth, by identifying and securing a Drug Free Communities Grant to obtain funding to empower our youth to make healthy life choices, and by strengthening our community safety net for teens within New Castle. We thank Leslie and Lea for their service to the youth of our community and for showing us that a strong community is something we build together.
The 2022 award was presented to Steve Wolk for his leadership as Chairman of the New Castle Sustainability Advisory Board. Steve served as the dedicated leader of the SAB for over a decade and was a driving force in raising the environmental consciousness of the Town and helping to establish New Castle as a “Green Leader” in the State – in fact, under his leadership, we were the first municipality in NYS to pass a comprehensive reusable bag initiative, we initiated a partial ban on gas leaf blowers, and began a town-wide composting program. We thank Steve for his service to our community, for making us better citizens of the world, and for encouraging us to think globally when we consider the impacts of our actions and how they contribute to the health of our planet, not just for our own sake but for the future generations who will inherit this Earth.
We also recognized two of our youngest volunteers - our very own Superhero Brady McCarthy, and his brother Bailey McCarthy. Brady and Bailey have been incredibly involved with our Every Person Is Connected Committee. This year the boys helped organize EPIC’s Celebrate Inclusion Event at the town’s basketball court and playground; they created EPIC’s Summer Basketball Buddies Program; and they are currently putting together EPIC’s first All-Inclusive Student Short-Film Festival which will culminate in a showing at the ChapPAC on January 14th. They are also organizing an assembly on behalf of EPIC and SuperBrady at all three of our town’s elementary schools during National Inclusive Schools Week this December. Brady’s been an EPIC Ambassador since the beginning of the program and both boys helped run the EPIC table at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. Thank you for helping to raise awareness about the needs and rights of our differently-abled residents, increasing recreational, social and skill-building activities for all.
With gratitude to all of our phenomenal volunteers from your friends, neighbors and colleagues. You make our Town a true community.
Native American Heritage Month
Every November, we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, when we recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Indigenous peoples to our country. We certainly have seen the influence of Native Americans here in New Castle. In fact, the name “Chappaqua” seems to stem from the Lenape word “shapequa,” meaning jingling waters. This November, it is important to remember the heritage of our lands.
IMPORTANT - CCSD Bond Vote!
Everyone living in the Chappaqua Central School District should read up on the proposed CCSD Facilities Improvement and School Safety Bond. You then should VOTE on the two propositions on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 from 7am-9pm at Horace Greeley High School.
REFERENDUM #1: Infrastructure Repairs and Upgrades – TOTAL COST $33,985,000
Safety & Security
Roof Replacement (all buildings)
Greeley J Bridge (full replacement) ;
Greeley Fire Alarm System Replacement
Electronic Classroom Door Locking System (K-8 buildings)
Preventative Maintenance and Repair
Paving Projects at Greeley and Westorchard
Electrical Panel/Underground Feeder Cable Replacement (Greeley Gym)
HVAC Repair and Replacement (all buildings)
Playground Resurfacing at Elementary buildings
Light Pole Replacement at Greeley Tennis Court
Auditorium Upgrades at Greeley
Network & Fiber Optics Upgrades (all buildings)
Priority Upgrades to Support Academic and Extracurricular Programming
Air Conditioning in Cafeterias and Gyms (all buildings)
Air Conditioning in L Building at Greeley
Outdoor Bathrooms at Greeley
Storage at Greeley's Athletic Complex
Modified Baseball Field at Seven Bridges
REFERENDUM #2: Single Point of Entrance – TOTAL COST $11,340,000
The second proposal creates a single point of entrance at Horace Greeley High School by redesigning the front entrance and office spaces. This proposal is based on the 2019 recommendations from the CCSD Safety and Security Task Force, as well as recommendations from professional safety audits conducted prior to the pandemic.
The weather was beautiful last Saturday, but our community was feeling chili at our Chili Cook-Off!! Amid stiff competition, we crowned our winners! Our First Place winner was Josh Salon and our Second Place winner was Nischal Arjune!
Thanks to all the entrants (you are all winners in my book!). And thanks to our judges from the Millwood Fire Company, Chappaqua Fire Dept and Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps, our New Castle Recreation & Parks Department for organizing the event, and our sponsor Sari Shaw-Living Chappy Happy at Compass and the Westchester Living Team at Compass.
Here are the winning recipes:
First Place Chili Recipe by Josh Salon:
Ingredients:
Grass-fed short rib
Grass-fed ground sirloin
Captain Lawrence Freshchester Pale Ale
Slab bacon
Fire roasted poblanos & bell peppers
Fire roasted tomatoes
Ancho chili (keep dried, don’t need to reconstitute)
Red kidney beans
Liquid smoke
Brown sugar
White onion
Garlic Tomato paste
Cayenne
Cumin
Coriander
Smoked paprika
Chili powder
Toppings:
Fritos
Sour Cream
Scallions
Pickled Jalapenos (optional)
Preparation: Brown the short rib (boneless or with bones if you want to fish them out at the end), ground beef and bacon in different pans. Set meat aside, keeping oil/fat. Dump grease from bacon and ground beef in with left over grease from short rib and use to cook veggies. Add red and yellow bell peppers and white onion to pan and brown for 5 minutes. Add garlic (a lot of garlic, not too finely chopped) and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add dry spices and tomato paste, cook 2 more minutes while stirring. Put ground beef and short rib back in the pot, along with fire roasted poblanos and fire roasted tomatoes, liquid smoke (2 tablespoons), and 3 beers or as much to fill pot. Simmer in covered cast iron pot for +- 4 hours. Remove lid for last 30 minutes to thicken. Add in 1 can of red beans. Add in bacon and more chili powder and smoked paprika before serving.
Second Place Chili Recipe by Nischal Arjune
Ingredients:
1.5 lb ground beef
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 chopped tomato
1/4 cup jar jalapeno peppers chopped with liquid
1 packet of McCormick Chili Seasoning Original (Mild or Spicy options are also to taste)
1 can of red kidney beans 15.5 oz
1 can of tomato sauce 15 oz
1 can of tomato diced 15 oz
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sour Cream, tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese optional
Preparation:
Sauté beef in a dutch pot until brown, add seasoning, and mix. Add all the vegetables and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Add beans. Return to boil, then let simmer on medium for 30 minutes and stir occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with sour cream, tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese to serve. Serves approximately 8.
The 11/9/22 Town Board Meeting Recap
Last night the Town Board began our work session with a discussion about whether to offer CURBSIDE FOOD WASTE COLLECTION AND TRANSPORT for New Castle residents. The co-chairs of our Sustainability Advisory Board were present to discuss this proposal. Residents who don’t compost at home could contract for food waste to be picked up weekly at their homes rather than transport it to the recycling center. The Board was in favor of this project and agreed to issue an RFP for contractors.
We then heard a presentation about the proposed development of 50 NORTH GREELEY AVENUE in Chappaqua (you might know it as the former Rite Aid site). The proposal for a multi-use building appears to meet many of the criteria that residents were interested in, including:
Bringing a diner to Town, with both indoor and outdoor seating;
Adding to and diversifying our housing stock;
Providing 12% affordable housing units (which is greater than the 10% required by the new law we put in place this year);
Putting New Castle on the forefront of green building with a development utilizing mass timber that is a net zero carbon building;
Increasing green space and decreasing impervious surfaces;
Providing an electric car-sharing service; and
Increasing housing on the edge (not in the middle) of the downtown hamlet;
We want to hear your thoughts on the proposal! We will be scheduling meetings to discuss the proposed project, as well as ample additional opportunities for comment – stay tuned. In the meantime, the proposal for the project is HERE, and you also can watch the presentation in the full meeting link below.
We then turned to a discussion of amendments to our UNIFORM BUILDING CODE, most of which are required changes in lights of recent legislation at the State level.
The Board approved obtaining bids for the resurfacing of our Millwood Park tennis courts, and we also adopted a resolution formally requesting the NYS Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit from 40 mph to 30 mph on NY- 100 (Saw Mill River Road). Thank you to our Millwood West End Advisory Board for bringing this request to our attention.
We also authorized the purchase of an emergency generator for the Millwood Water Treatment Plant and a new bus for recreation activities.
I also mentioned at the meeting that following the passage on Tuesday of the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 that would authorize $4.2 billion dollars of bonds to finance critical environmental restoration, clean water, and infrastructure projects across New York State, I asked our re-elected State Assemblyman Chris Burdick to present potential grant opportunities to the Town Board once available. He agreed to do so.
Want to See for Yourself?
For more information on any of these items, I urge you to watch the recording of the Town Board meeting HERE.
We are taking a formal meeting break next week. Our next Town Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 22nd.
NYS Route 120 Update
Last week, staff met on a roadway improvement project that will affect Route 120 in the coming years. NYSDOT is replacing the culvert by Kipp Street- the area of the roadway where there is currently a significant dip in the road. This is the last of four culvert replacements that NYSDOT has performed around the County. In the other three instances, the contractor was able to close the road for the duration of the project. In our project, NYSDOT has proposed to have traffic flow maintained throughout the project. We are currently continuing our conversations with NYSDOT to ensure that work is done most efficiently, minimizing the impact and inconvenience to our residents. Work is scheduled to start in earnest next year and our residents can expect to receive much more information about the project in the coming months.
House Keeping
Town offices will be closed on Friday November 11. This includes the Recycling Center. Sani-Pro will continue with their regular refuse and recycling pick-up schedule.
There is no meeting on Tuesday, November 15. Our next Town Board meeting is Tuesday, November 22.
Sanitation and Recycling Holiday Schedule
Town of New Castle November Recycle Center and SaniPro Disposal Holiday Changes
Recycling Center
Recycling Center Closed Friday, November 11th
Recycling Center Open Saturday, November 12th
Recycling Center Closed Thursday, November 24th
Recycling Center Closed Friday, November 25th
Recycling Center Open Saturday, November 26th
SaniPro Disposal
SaniPro Disposal making normal collections Friday, November 11th
SaniPro Disposal not making collections for Zone 4 on Thursday, November 24th
Zone 4 will be collected on Friday, November 25th
Zone 5 will be collected on Saturday, November 26th
No Changes for Zones 1-3
Holiday Lights And Winter Greens Are Coming!
We have expanded our installation of beautiful holiday lights this year. Residents can expect to see the holiday lights after Thanksgiving. In addition, fall mums will be removed by the end of the week for spring bulbs to be planted. Winter greens will be planted after the bulbs go in! Many thanks to the Garden Club and our Beautification Advisory Board.
Choices: A Rock Opera
November 11, 12 & 13
Choices: A Rock Opera, an electrifying all new musical with an original rock score by John Krupa about a lead singer of a 1980’s spandex wearing, hairspray band, will be performed at Chappaqua Performing Arts Center on Nov. 11, 12 and 13. Tickets are available at choicesarockpera.com. In honor of our first performance on Veteran’s Day, Choices: A Rock Opera will donate a portion of our tickets sales which will directly support Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) and services for warriors, which include access to mental and physical health care, employment assistance, and education services. Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers – helping them achieve their highest ambition.
Shout out to 2018 HGHS grads Katie Weinstein and Elana Cantor who will be performing!
Matchmaker Book Panel & Signing
Thursday Nov. 17th
7:00PM
This is going to be a fun evening with three fabulous authors who all have written novels featuring matchmaking. And one of the author's is actually a matchmaker. The moderator for this incredible event is AmyPoeppel. Have a glass of wine and share your worst blind date story among friends.
Join us for a great evening of laughs, some beer or wine and a whole lot of fun! We are planning to make Comedy Night a bi-monthlyh event at ChappPAC (that means every other month). Start December off with a giggle with friends and neighbors.
Winter Wonderland
A Very Merry
Holiday Show
Saturday, Dec. 10
11:00AM
Come celebrate the holiday season with this festive show filled with song and dance, led by none other than the Clauses and their North Pole friends! Plenty of surprises and fun photo opportunities await you in this festive celebration!
Saturdays, 8:30am to 1pm
South Lot of the Chappaqua Train Station
The Farmers Market is still going strong this week! Come out & enjoy the sights & flavors of fall with our fantastic group of vendors, and with your neighbors. Enjoy a delicious veggie meal from XOLO Food Truck’s plant-based Mexican options too!
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @chappaquafarmersmarket and Facebook to stay up to date every week!
Expected vendors include:
123 Dough
4E Green Farm
Arlotta Food Studio
Aya Hummus
Bien Cuit Bakery
Black Creek Farm
Bohemian Baked
Broken Bow Brewery
Caradonna Farms
Doc Pickle
Don Carvajal Café
Fairy Juice Bar
FarMEATS
Fresh Meadow Farm
Joe Tomato Mozzarella
La Trafila Pasta
Mrs. D's Mediterranean Delights
Newell Farmlands
Nutmeg Bakery
Orchard Hill Organics
Pura Vida Fish
River Valley Community Grain
R&M Farm
Raw Chocolate Love
SOVA Farm
Springbrook Hollow Farm
Urban Bohemia
Wild Radish
Wave Hill Breads
XOLO Food Truck
*vendors subject to change
New Castle Community Media Center is seeking volunteers to join the Board of Directors.
The mission of NCCMC is to foster community dialogue and individual expression through television, the internet and other electronic media.
New Castle Community Media Center is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit community media facility serving the the Town of New Castle, New York and it’s hamlets of Chappaqua and Millwood.
NCCMC broadcasts public, government and educational material on six channels on cable as well as provides a robust live internet and video on demand service on nccmc.com and Youtube. NCCMC also operates the Town of New Castle's websites, newsletters, and other media.
The volunteer Board of Directors governs NCCMC and oversees the work of the Executive Director who supervises NCCMC staff and volunteers.
The Board Meets the third Thursday of the month at 4pm. Board Term is two years.
Thursday, November 18th at 4PM Town Hall & Via Zoom
There will be a presentation and discussion of our activities of the past year, renewal of board member terms and election of officers. REGISTER HERE
The Great Holiday Train Show
New Castle Historical Society
EPIC All-Inclusive Student Short-Film Festival
Are you a middle or high school student who likes making short films? Get a chance to see your film up on the BIG screen!
The New Castle EPIC Committee with The New Castle Recreation Department is hosting an EPIC All-Inclusive Student Short-Film Festival. We will be accepting short films for consideration now through December 31. The festival, which will be free and open to the public, will take place at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center on Saturday, January 14. All rules and regulations can be found on the website: https://epicfilmfestival.wordpress.com/
Chappaqua Garden Club Bulb Sale
Choose from bulbs to plant this Fall – daffodils, giant allium, grape hyacinths, and Glory of the Snow or add indoor blooming amaryllis and paperwhites to brighten winter days.
We look forward to seeing you at future events and programs. Please call the Center at 238-8888 for more information, and continue to check this enewsletter for weekly updates.
The Town of New Castle strives to identify sustainable policies, practices and procedures that promote equal access to civic involvement opportunities to all its citizens regardless of race, gender, or other protected class, thereby creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive systems of community governance. All qualified and interested residents are strongly encouraged to apply.
LBGTQIA+ Committee
The Town of New Castle is looking for volunteers to serve on its LBGTQIA+ Committee. The Committee shall establish channels for outreach and inclusion for members of our community who identify as LBGTQIA+ and their allies, including providing information and resources.
If interested please complete the Committee Application at the link HERE.
Environmental Review Board
The Environmental Review Board (ERB) is governed by Chapter 137 “Wetlands” of the Town Code of New Castle. The ERB is the primary approving authority for applications submitted in connection with the Town’s wetlands regulations.
Members are expected to be familiar with the regulatory thresholds and requirements of the Town ordinances relating to environmental protection, including steep slopes, trees, and especially wetlands and wetland buffers. They are also encouraged to develop skill in reading blueprints, maps, and draft plans, as well as the basic science underlying environmental evaluation.
Meetings are held the third Monday of every month.
If you are interested in serving on this board please complete the Board Application at the link HERE.
COVID Update
11/9/2022: 3,413 Countywide, 52 New Castle
11/1/2022: 3,120 Countywide, 48 New Castle
10/25/2022: 3,044 Countywide, 48 New Castle
10/18/2022: 3,042 Countywide, 38 New Castle
10/11/2022: 3,090 Countywide, 38 New Castle
10/06/2022: 3,089 Countywide, 48 New Castle
09/29/2022: 3,482 Countywide, 63 New Castle
09/22/2022: 3,531 Countywide, 60 New Castle
09/20/2022: 3,334 Countywide, 54 New Castle
09/14/2022: 2,840 Countywide, 46 New Castle
09/08/2022: 2,755 Countywide, 41 New Castle
08/30/2022: 3,205 Countywide, 35 New Castle
08/21/2022: 3,674 Countywide, 61 New Castle
08/16/2022: 4,104 Countywide, 67 New Castle
08/11/2022: 4,694 Countywide, 67 New Castle
08/09/2022: 4,957 Countywide, 82 New Castle
08/02/2022: 5,285 Countywide, 107 New Castle
07/26/2022: 5,555 Countywide, 99 New Castle
07/19/2022: 6,007 Countywide, 103 New Castle
07/12/2022: 5,618 Countywide, 98 New Castle
07/5/2022: 5,054 Countywide, 83 New Castle
06/28/2022: 4,667 Countywide, 90 New Castle
06/22/2022: 4,519 Countywide, 94 New Castle
06/15/2022: 5,015 Countywide, 89 New Castle
06/07/2022: 5,629 Countywide, 101 New Castle
05/31/2022: 6,698 Countywide, 172 New Castle
05/24/2022: 8,093 Countywide, 247 New Castle
05/18/2022: 8,304 Countywide, 282 New Castle
05/10/2022: 6,944 Countywide, 248 New Castle
05/03/2022: 5,411 Countywide, 160 New Castle
04/26/2022: 4,683 Countywide, 127 New Castle
04/20/2022: 4,834 Countywide, 126 New Castle
04/13/2022: 4,074 Countywide, 106 New Castle
04/05/2022: 2,751 Countywide, 87 New Castle
03/30/2022: 2,279 Countywide, 66 New Castle
03/24/2022: 1,875 Countywide, 39 New Castle
03/22/2022: 1,696 Countywide, 38 New Castle
03/17/2022: 1,550 Countywide, 38 New Castle
03/15/2022: 1,516 Countywide, 43 New Castle
03/11/2022: 1,463 Countywide, 47 New Castle
03/08/2022: 1,469 Countywide, 48 New Castle
03/03/2022: 1,337 Countywide, 46 New Castle
03/01/2022: 1,559 Countywide, 46 New Castle
02/24/2022: 1,784 Countywide; 45 New Castle
02/17/2022: 2,600 Countywide; 50 New Castle
02/15/2022: 2,837 Countywide, 58 New Castle
02/10/2022: 3,797 Countywide, 69 New Castle
02/08/2022 4,614 Countywide, 86 New Castle
02/03/2022: 6,982 Countywide, 135 New Castle
02/01/2022: 8,779 Countywide, 174 New Castle
01/26/2022:16,093 Countywide; 276 New Castle
01/24/2022: 20,176 Countywide, 324 New Castle
01/19/2022: 34,213, Countywide, 491 New Castle
01/18/2022: 37,378, Countywide, 513 New Castle
01/12/2022: 48,574, Countywide, 659 New Castle
01/05/2022: 43,469, Countywide, 563 New Castle
01/03/2022: 38,802, Countywide, 538 New Castle
The Westchester County Covid-19 Dashboard can be viewed HERE
Get Vaccinated!
COVID vaccines are now widely available at pharmacies, clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers and other locations across the state. Visit Vaccine Finder or the NY State vaccine appointment website or call 833-NYS-4-VAX.
Town Hall: Learn More and Contact Us
Town Hall Meetings and Board Packets
Agendas, supporting documents, and minutes for Board meetings:
To watch videos from recent meetings recorded by New Castle Community Media Center, click here.
Stay Connected
To stay informed about your local government and community, click here to sign up for Town Hall e-News and Community e-News, and sign up with Nixle and Code Red to receive text messages and/or emails for emergency alerts and community events.
Community e-News Submissions
The Town uses the eNewsletter to keep residents informed about community news, meetings, events, initiatives, announcements and other important information. In addition, civic groups, not-for-profit and charitable organizations are welcome to submit time, place and date announcements for their upcoming events for inclusion in the eNewsletter free of charge.
Click here for Con Edison's Storm Central including outage location maps, storm preparation, and recovery tips!
