Publisher / Editor Brian Harrod provides hyper local news for Port Chester, NY, that is also continually updated from thousands of sources on the Roundup Newswires Network
NEW BLUE WAVE: Port Chester Village Manager Richard “Fritz” Flanka Is Pulling A “Nita Lowey” As Protesters Take Over The Streets And Children March On The Board Of Education Demanding That The Racist Posting Board Of Education President Step Down
POLITICS: The Race To Replace Fritz’s Mayoral Seat Could Take A Nasty Turn If Bart “The Bigot” Didden Once Again Starts Distributing Flyers In A New Effort To Be Mayor
IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT: This follows Port Chester village manager surprise decision to resign after eight years, causing many village homeowners to worry that there might be serious problem exposed at village hall in the near future.
Mayor Falanka, who served two easy terms. suddenly feels that its time to let someone else do the job.
Mayor Falanka began his career with the Village of Port Chester in May of 1977 when he was appointed Village Clerk. On four separate occasions,
Mr. Flanka was called on to serve as Interim Village Manager and was appointed Assistant Village Manager in June of 1999.
On April 6, 2004, he was appointed Village Manager and he served in this position until his retirement in May of 2006.
In March of 2017, Mr. Flanka was elected Mayor of the Village of Port Chester.
He was re-elected to a second term in March of 2019. His term runs through April 2021.
Recently there have been multiple rallies and marches for Black Lives Matter in the minority majority village, as well as, many public calls for Port Chester school board president Thomas Corbia to resign over racist Facebook post.
In its December 15, 2006 complaint the Justice Department stated that, “the current at-large system for electing members of the Port Chester Board of Trustees results in Hispanic citizens having less opportunity than white citizens to participate in the political process and to elect candidates of their choice to the Port Chester Board of Trustees.”
Although Latinos make up a significant portion of Port Chester’s population, at that time, no Latinos had ever been elected to their Board of Trustees or local school board.
On March 2, 2007, federal court judge Stephen C. Robinson ruled in favor of the Department of Justice and placed an injunction, to avoid the six neighborhood voting districts that would have improved Hispanic representation in the minority majority village local officials came up with an alternative plan to address the problem by using cumulative voting.
At the trial the court received extensive testimony about a racist flyer used as part of Bart Didden’s 2007 trustee campaign as a Republican candidate.
According to Bart Didden’s testimony in court, the racist flyer was created in collaboration with attorney Crane,, who was a trustee at the time, and then Port Chester School Board President Dominic Bencivenga. (United States v. Village of Port Chester 6 Civil 15173).
Clay Art Center Hand in Hand Virtual Benefit and Auction, where you can bid in the online auction until October 23rd.
This year’s event will shine a spotlight on all the elements which make Clay Art Center an asset to the community and to the world of ceramics.
This live online event will include videos from many CAC community members and their remarks on why Clay Art Center matters.
Tickets start at $5.
For donations over $100 you will receive access to the VIP reception and the event.
The online auction features over 70 ceramic works donated by Clay Art Center artists and nationally recognized ceramic artists.
All proceeds from Hand in Hand fund ongoing operations at Clay Art Center and their programming including scholarships for local youth and the Artist-in-Residence program.
The Eagle Iron and Stove Works foundry was one of the largest manufacturers in Port Chester in the late 1800s as it transformed from a farming community to an industrial town
Early inhabitants of the village on the Byram river were known for their boat building skills.
They dig pits in the ground, stand the logs upright in the pits to cut and saw them for boat building thus causing people say they were going down to the “saw pits”
The first English settlers arrived in what is now Port Chester from Greenwich, CT in 1660.
Along with boatbuilding, other early Saw Pit occupations included farming and trading, especially moving produce by boat between Saw Pit and New York City
There was also a lot of digging for clams and oysters in the bank of the Byram River.
The local legend says the Byram River got its name from the Indians who came to “buy rum” from white settlers.
As the small village grew and thrived, some residents pushed for a name change from Saw Pit to the more impressive-sounding “Port Chester,” after Chester, in England, the birthplace of many early settlers.
The new village was formed when the New York State legislature granted a charter on May 14, 1868.
At the time Port Chester had a population of about 3,500, six churches, one public and one parochial school, a foundry, two banks, several coal and lumberyards, a railroad station, and a few dozen stores.
Venturing to New York City was a day’s journey, at best — the roads were rutted and carried the risk of armed bandits, but the trip became easier and safer with the 1879 launch of the Port Chester Transportation Company and the village’s first regular steamboat service, between New York City and Port Chester three times a week.
As Port Chester transformed from a farming community to an industrial town, the 1897 trolley line extension from Larchmont to Stamford, CT, brought more transportation options.
And in 1918, the Port Chester-White Plains Bus Line, organized by a group of taxicab operators, cut a trip into White Plains from more than an hour to just 15 minutes.
In 1926 a vaudeville playhouse theater, now the iconic Capitol Theatre, arrived.
Built by Thomas Lamb, who was also responsible for the original Madison Square Garden.
The Capitol Theatre remains one of Port Chester’s landmarks and a destination for popular and headliner entertainment.
The village also made its mark nationally through another source of pride, the Port Chester High School Marching Band, with appearances in the Rose Bowl in Miami and the movies Spider-Man 3 and 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street.
MEETING AGENDA: 6 PM: Closed session to interview government executive search firms for new village manager.
7 p.m.: Open meeting. Draft agenda:
1) Public hearing to consider adopting a local law with regard to memorials in the parks.
2) Discussion on regulating vape shops and liquid nicotine in the village followed by actions to study a proposed local law.
3) Public comments. 4) Planning and Economic Development updates.
5) Village-wide property conditions study and Neighborhood Revitalization Strategies Report.
6) Acceptance and adoption of the Land Use Law Center of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Commercial Displacement Mitigation Strategies for Port Chester.
7) Retainer of government executive search firm to assist in the search for a new village manager.
8) Correspondence from Anthony B. Gioffre III re a petition to reclassify a portion of Highland Street as two-way street and eliminate five on-street parking spaces on the northern side of Highland Street premises: 163, 175 & 179 North Main St., 18 Mill St. and 20 Abendroth Ave.
9) Public comments and board comments. Regular bimonthly meeting. The community can join the meeting which will be posted at…..
Port Chester’s low census participation rate will be affecting federal funds for programs that the village’s children need.
Some Port Chester Community Activists say a lack of access to technology and the fear of reporting is to to blame for the failure that will cost the village tens of millions over time.
Mount Vernon at 57% came in next to last. while Scarsdale came in with the highest Westchester county response rate of. 84%.
The census data submitted will determine congressional seats and federal aid, among other things.
Port Chester’s large and growing minority and immigrant populations will suffer over the next decade, because of this failure.
Port Chester Board of Education President Tom Corbia
SCHOOL BOARD NOTES: From The Tonight’s Virtual Meeting
CHILDISH BEHAVIOR: Board of Education President Tom Corbia got into nasty arguments with his fellow school board members and then hastily left a public meeting before students, parents and others could comment about the racist social media posts that he refuses to apologize for.
TAX PAYER FUNDS SPENT: Tom Corbia maintains that his account was hacked, but refuses to cooperate with the board of education’s investigation and hired forensic experts.
HEY HO TOM HAS GOT TO GO: Most parents, students, residents and recent alumni say the horrible acting and nasty posting BOE President has no credibility and have repeatedly called for his resignation.
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: A majority of Port Chester residents are calling Tom Corbia’s actions “cowardly”, while others joked that he left the meeting early so he could be at the taxpayer funded job County Executive George Latimer gave him.
VERY PRIVILEGED: The school board’s ethics committee hired T&M Protection Resources to conduct the investigation and the school board also hired an outside law firm to manage the case, but Tom Corbia has suddenly remembered that he is too busy cooperate – because he apparently must focus on helping Mayor Fritz Flanka with the Municipal Housing Board.
NOT A PART OF THE SOLUTION: Many voters in the minority majority village are starting to criticize certain members of the board for “defending their friend.” and they will not forget their words in the future.
The Capitol Theatre is a historic theatre located in the village of Port Chester, Westchester County, New York.
EXCERPT: Peter Shapiro, who owns The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, recently put in an offer to the band Chicago for a performance in November 2021.
And concerts scheduled for next year at the Westchester County venue include The Beach Boys on April 3 and Hot Tuna on July 10.
“We’re in the water and we’re swimming to the other side,” said Shapiro, who also operates the Brooklyn Bowl music venues in Brooklyn, Nashville and Las Vegas.
“We’re going to make it to the other side. However, it ended up being a big ocean.”
And, Shapiro conceded, “I’m going to have bruises and scrapes when I get out of the water.”
Slumlord / Trustee Bart Didden Placed People’s Lives In Danger By Operating Buildings With Missing Fire Extinguishers And Blocking Fire Exits With Flammable Clutter In Downtown Port Chester
HEADLINE: The Village Of Port Chester Appoints A Special Prosecutor To Charge Trustee Bart Didden With Over 70 Building Violations – By Brian Harrod (October 14, 2018)
PORT CHESTER – The Village of Port Chester has had to go to the expense of hired a special prosecutor to go after negligent landlord, who is a village trustee
Trustee Bart Didden is charged with dozens of building, fire and property maintenance violations at his downtown properties located at 25 Willet Ave. and 113, 115 and 119 N. Main St. — done between 2012 and 2017 found 70 violations.
The violations for expired permits, issues with certificates of occupancy and fire inspections, failing construction inspections, fire code violations such as flammable clutter blocking exits and not having fire extinguishers and other dangerous issues.
The trustee, Bart Didden claims that his political positions resulted in him being charged for putting people’s lives in danger, but he has a history of deflecting with conspiracy theories in the past, when his poorly maintained properties have been flagged for violations and dangerous conditions.
Trustee Bart Didden is often very outspoken about how other downtown property owners and businesses need to follow the laws of the village.
Previously, former School Board President Dominic Bencivenga worked with Bart Didden to mail flyers, that a federal judge found to be racist, that attacked Latino families in the village over housing and building issues.
Attorney Joseph Stargiotti, whose Pleasantville law firm practices in real estate-related litigation, was hired by Port Chester as a special prosecutor to go after the dangerous property manager.
Port Chester judges have recused themselves from this case because of Trustee Bart Didden’s position and Special Prosecutor Joseph Stargiotti expects the case to be moved to a different venue.
This is it Port Chester! Your last chance to be counted. Please take two minutes now so that we maintain a voice in Washington and get the federal funding that the village is entitled to
You can simply call 844-330-2020. Lines are open 7 AM to 2 AM daily and a callback option is available.
Port Chester IDA COVID-19 Relief Applications In English And Spanish Can Be Downloaded Here: EnglishSpanish
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Village of Port Chester Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is launching a grant program to assist small businesses in Port Chester manage the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PORT CHESTER: Village IDA program allows the IDA to provide financial assistance through the State Disaster and Emergency Loan and Grant Program.
Under the program, the IDA is making available as much as $50,000 to provide $500 grants to small businesses. The proceeds must be used for the purpose of acquiring personal protective equipment or installing equipment necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Grants as large as $10,000 are available at the discretion of the IDA should applicants pursue a more robust application process and prove need.
To qualify for a grant, an eligible business must establish that it was a financially viable entity prior to March 7, 2020, the date Governor Cuomo signed Executive Order 202 declaring a disaster emergency. Eligible entities must also conduct business in the area served by the IDA, been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and have less than 51 employees.
Completed applications will be accepted through November 5th provided funds remain available.
The Port Chester IDA Board believes small businesses are a vital part of the Village’s economy and that many of them require assistance to navigate the hardships associated with the pandemic. It is hoped that these small grants, when combined with other relief that is available at the County, State, and Federal level, can sustain our businesses through these unprecedented times. Information on other grant and loan opportunities is available on the IDA’s Covid-19 page on its website.
El Nuevo Jomas Tarvern at 112 Westchester Avenue in Port Chester was raided by the police department after many complaints from residents and a history of emergency 911 calls.
A troubled bar in Port Chester was shut down due to multiple COVID- 19 and other violations, where PCPD officers found hookahs in use.
Police Department officers observed numerous violations of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive orders, as well as village ordinance violations, health department violations and code violations at El Nuevo Jomas, as the recovered 25 hookahs from the packed drinking hole.
Police officers filmed video of the potentially deadly scene where the fire alarms were disarmed and a live DJ was playing music to to mostly unmasked patrons.
These violations led to an emergency hearing of the State Liquor Authority, whereas their liquor license was suspended due to infractions like Jomas was not serving food with the drinks that is another violation of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive orders.
A full Port Chester code enforcement inspection of the building, led to further charges, prompting the bar owner Jamie Reyes to be given notice that his business space was closed until further notice.
Jamie Reyes, of Harrison, New York has previously been charged by the Village of Port Chester for for operating a bar past the maximum capacity and other violations.
In Port Chester, adults are less likely to have a high school education than the typical American adult, and are less likely to have a four-year college education.
Among Port Chester residents 25 and older, 71.50% have a high school diploma or equivalent, and 26.90% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 87.7% and 31.5% of adults nationwide, respectively.
Across New York, 86.5% of adults have graduated high school, and 35.9 have a bachelor’s degree.
Westchestetr County Executive George Latimer said that “COVID numbers have been moving in a different direction,” after seeing the curve flattened for several weeks.
County Executive George Latimer says there uptick in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and virus-related deaths in both Port Chester and Westchester.
While there’s been a rise in active cases and hospitalizations, things still aren’t as bad as when the virus peaked in April, but things are heading in the wrong direction.
The overall percentage of positive results for those tested in Westchester was 5.3 percent.
An artists rendering of a revised building plan has been put forward for North Main Street and Mill Street in Port Chester, N.Y.
PORT CHESTER: The village “Zoning Board of Appeals” denied the controversial Tarry Lighthouse project and all six requested variances from the village’s zoning code, by a 3-2 vote.
The latest version of the North Main Street Development plan was to build a seven-story structure on North Main Street had 242 apartment units and retail space.
The plan was heavily criticized by village residents and some elected officials.
They are highly concerned about additional traffic and change of community character, and have even launched a lawsuit against the project.
The attorney representing the developers, Tony Gioffre, argued that the project would add vitality to the community.
The project called for a variance to construct the seven-story building in an area that allows buildings of only up to six stories tall, and this seemed to be the main deal killer.
ZBA member, Art D’Estrada, said “The streets around the site are “already choked with traffic.”
Evelyn Petrone, the ZBA chairwoman said, “I feel the variances are substantial and will change the character of the neighborhood.”
Another ZBA member, Art D’Estrada, said he believed the project would be a “detriment to nearby properties.” The streets around the site are “already choked with traffic,” D’Estrada said,
Other public officials had criticized the application by developer David Mann, whose application has been under review since February 2019.
The planned construction, would take down a block of North Main Street Properties.
The Hyper Local Port Chester Newswire Facebook News Discussion Group Can Be Found Here; https://www.facebook.com/groups/573568742741002/
JOURNAL NEWS: Girls soccer: Scoreboard, results for Saturday, Oct. 10 games
#PortChester 7, #Ossining 2: Andrea Flores led the way with three goals for the Rams. Katherine Espinoza had a pair of goals in the first half to help give Port Chester….
After conducting a series of checks on establishments, #PortChester Police Department officers observed numerous violations of the state executive orders, as well as village ordinance violations, health department violations and code violations at El Nuevo Jomas, located at 112 Westchester Ave. in Port Chester.
These violations led to an emergency hearing of the State Liquor Authority, whereas their liquor license was suspended…..
This is a property located at Mortimer St in Port Chester, New York. View all the latest property details for homes in #PortChester, New York to get a feel for real estate in the neighborhood and/or….
A Port Chester bar was shut down due to violations, some of which were related to coronavirus.Officials say during during checks on open establishments, village officers noticed several violations at El Nuevo Jomas on Westchester Avenue.
They say the violations included coronavirus violations, as well as village ordinance violations, health department violations and code violations.
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, with a population of 29,418.
According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, 29.90% of residents identify as white, 2.90% as Black or African American, 0.00% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.30% as Asian, 0.00% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 65.20% as Hispanic or Latino, and 0.60% as some other race or combination of races.
Nationally, some 61.1% of Americans identify as white, 12.3% as Black or African American, 0.7% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 5.4% as Asian, 0.2% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 17.8% as Hispanic or Latino, and 2.6% as some other race or combination of races….
HELPING VOTERS:#PortChester’s State Senator Shelley Mayer Sponsored Legislation That Was Signed Into Law To Reduce Confusion At Polling Sites
Legislation aimed at reducing confusion at polling sites has been signed into law sponsored by senator #ShelleyMayer, the new law prohibits, while polling locations are open, any change to the entrance or exit to the site, except to increase access or to maintain public safety provided any change is clearly marked with signage next to the former entrance or exit.
The measure was sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson of Newburgh.
The new requirements apply to Election Day, Primary Day and days of early voting.
During the past two years, #NewYork State has passed major voting reforms including instituting early voting, making it easier to register to vote, change your party registration and to vote by absentee ballot.
This law helps reduce the likelihood that voters will be confused about how to access polling sites.
Senator Shelley Mayer has consistently held the position that voting should be simple and easy for every citizen, whether voting in person or may mail,
This new law to reduce confusion at polling sites is another step in that goal….
NEGATIVE TEST RESULT: After being contact traced from a positive Covid-19 test by Westchester County Legislator David Tubiolo, #PortChester’s State Senator Shelley Mayer received a negative result following his own Covid-19 test.
STAYING HOME: Senator #ShelleyMayer will continue to quarantine as required, by Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s executive orders and CDC guidelines…..
Latinos May Soon Rule Westchester’s Largest City…..
LATINO EMPOWERMENT: After The Census The City Of Hills Will Be Officially Listed As A Hispanic Majority Community – Bilingual Speakers To Have A Bigger Advantage In Yonkers
HYPER LOCAL #FACTS: Yonkers, New York Population and Demographics Show White Residents Soon To Be Shown As One Of The Minority Groups In “The City Of Gracious Living”#Yonkers is a city in #WestchesterCounty, New York, with a current estimated population of 199,745.According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, 38.60% of residents identify as white, 37.00% as Hispanic or Latino, 15.40% as Black or African American, 0.20% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 6.90% as Asian, and 1.90% as some other race or combination of races.
Nationally, some 61.1% of Americans identify as white, 17.8% as Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% as Black or African American, 0.7% as American Indian or Alaska Native, 5.4% as Asian, 0.2% as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 2.6% as some other race or combination of races.
The #PortChester school board laid out its plan to handle the allegations against board president #TomCorbia.
Racist Facebook posts under his name went viral on Sept. 17, which caused several members of the community to call for Corbia’s resignation.
Corbia said he was hacked.
To get to the bottom of the issue, the school board met with its ethics committee on Sept. 18, which suggested an external electronic forensic investigation be completed, Port Chester Superintendent #EdwardKliszus said in an email on Wednesday.
The board of education met on Sept. 22 to hire T&M Protection Resources to conduct the investigation, Kliszus said.
A week later, on Sept. 29, the school board hired an outside law firm to manage the case, according to the superintendent.
The outside law firm will “manage the case, handle communications with Mr. Corbia’s attorney, coordinate with T&M and the ethics committee to collect evidence, examine its contents and ultimately advise the board as to its next options,” Kliszus said.
The controversy was sparked by a Facebook post that appeared to show Corbia, or someone using his name, agreeing with someone else’s Facebook post that said….
“I’m selling my white privilege card. It’s just over 77 years old and it hasn’t done a damn thing for me. No inheritance, no free college, no free food, no free housing, etc. I may even be willing to do an even trade for a race card. Those seem way more useful and more widely accepted. Interested? Contact me on my non-obama (sic) cell phone that I have to pay for every month. Serious inquiries only.”….
PORT CHESTER PIC: The Port Chester station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven Line, located in #PortChester.
VITAL TRANSIT LINK: The station is the northernmost station on the line in New York before crossing into #Connecticut.
PORT CHESTER HISTORY: The current station house was built in 1890 by the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad
From 1929 and 1937 the Port Chester train station was located across Westchester Avenue from the terminal station of the Port Chester Branch of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway.
Today that former station is the home of the Girtman Memorial Church of the Living God.
As with all New Haven Line stations in Westchester County, the station became a Penn Central station upon acquisition by Penn Central in 1969, and eventually became part of the MTA’s Metro-North Railroad in 1983.
Under the 2015–2019 Metropolitan Transportation Authority Capital Plan, the station, along with four other Metro-North Railroad stations, received a complete overhaul.
In late 2017 an elevator was opened on the Westchester Avenue side of the station for access to the Northbound platform.
#MurraySchisgal, a playwright and screenwriter who took his offbeat brand of humor to Broadway in the Tony Award-winning comedy “Luv” and to Hollywood in the hit farce “Tootsie,” died on Thursday in #PortChester, N.Y. He was 93.
His death was announced by his son, Zach.
Over a six-decade career in theater, Mr. Schisgal employed elements from the theater of the absurd — like flooding dialogue with clichés and presenting fantastic situations as probable — to write about such domestic themes as marriage, sex, family, loneliness and failure.
His first Broadway success, “Luv,” opened in 1964, with Eli Wallach, Ann Jackson and Alan Arkin in the original cast. It ran for 902 performances, won three Tony Awards (including one for Mike Nichols’s direction) and earned Mr. Schisgal nominations for best play and best author of a play.
While the play was a hit, Mr. Schisgal, with characteristically self-deprecating humor, implied that during the previews the Broadway crowd questioned coming to a play that thematically seemed like more of a downtown experience. But the critics were encouraging.
“Whatever the truth of the old saw that misery loves company,” Howard Taubman wrote in his New York Times review, “the chances are excellent that you’ll love the company of the three recurrently miserable characters that make up the cast of ‘Luv.’”
Writing in New York magazine, Walter Kerr described Mr. Schisgal as “one step ahead of the avant-garde,”….
A 120-unit apartment building could go up just a stone’s throw from #PortChester’s Metro-North station.
The project was presented to the Port Chester Planning Commission by attorney Mark Blanchard, who represents the developer.
Dubbed The Complex at Port Chester, it would rise on a vacant lot at 18-20 South Main Street and 21-25 East Broadway, about 500 feet from the Metro-North station.
It would be across the street from the Waterfront at Port Chester shopping center. The 12-story development would include an automated 94-car parking garage and two retail spaces at street level….
PORT CHESTER LAWSUIT: TheSustainable Port Chester Alliance and the Port Chester/Rye Branch of the #NAACP are filing an Article 78 lawsuit against new Village of #PortChester zoning code that disregard the socioeconomic impact that development would have on the downtown area
THE WORST OF PORT CHESTER: After racially offensive Facebook content associated with Tom Corbia’s account emerged, he said he was hacked – but now that its time to put up or shut up the BOE President is not cooperating.
LAWYERING UP: Now, the $12,000 investigation into the legitimacy of Tom Corbia lame claim just got stalled because the Board of Education president is running scared and hiding behind lawyers.
DISGRACEFUL: Tom Corbia Is Not Ethical Enough To Stand And Deliver To Port Chester’s School Community, Causing Many Think That He Just A No Good Liar That Can’t Back Up His Hateful Words….
FLASHBACK: Many Village of Port Chester Residents are saying School board president Tom Corbia deactivated Facebook account with racist posts is very similar Bart Didden’s now-infamous 2007 anonymous flier that was used as proof of local racism in the federal voting rights case.
REAL ESTATE: Housing Costs in Port Chester, New York
Housing is one of the largest components of cost of living. In Port Chester, the median home value is $441,700, greater than the national median home value of $204,900.
Renting is a sometimes lower cost alternative to homeownership. In Port Chester, some 56.80% of occupied homes are rented, greater than the 36.2% national renter rate.
The typical renter in Port Chester spends $1,504 a month on housing, greater than the $1,023 national median monthly rent.In addition to home value, one of the largest determinants of housing affordability is area income.
While nationwide the price of a typical U.S. home is 3.4 times the $60,293 U.S. median household income, housing affordability ratios range from approximately 1.0 in the least expensive cities to more than 10.0 in the country’s most expensive markets. In Port Chester, the median household income is $65,317, 6.8 times the median home value….
REAL ESTATE: Cost of Living in #PortChester, New YorkPort Chester is a village in #WestchesterCounty, New York, with a population of 29,418.
The total cost of housing, food, child care, transportation, health care, taxes, and other necessities for a single adult in Port Chester is $48,036 a year — greater than the annual cost of living for New York of $46,110 and greater than the national figure of $38,433.
Data is from the nonprofift think tank Economic Policy Institute….
GET PC SCHOOL NEWS: Friends of Port Chester SchoolsDear Friends of the Port Chester Schools – this group has been created to support and keep the Port Chester’s School community fully informed.This is going to truly “take a village” so please help us to spread the word. Thank you for your interest….
The long-awaited Grace Church Street Bridge project is finally complete.Portchester resident Bernadette Beltran says she’s looking forward to a smoother commute.
“Sometimes the stoplights take so long. Now I don’t have to go all the way around,” says Beltran.Commuter Raul Varas believes it’s about time that the bridge is complete, saying in part, “The only thing is, it takes so long to do something around here.
This was six months, maybe a year already, but you can see the project every time.
“The $11 million bridge is associated with a multimillion-dollar project known as the Last Mile. It links Port Chester to Rye and promises to improve drivers’ safety….
Work replacing the Grace Church Street Bridge, which travels over Interstate 95 connecting the Village of #PortChester and #CityOfRye, has been completed, the State Thruway Authority announced.
As part of the $135 million project to improve the I-95 corridor, what is known as the Last Mile project moves toward its completion with the newly finished Grace Church Street Bridge.
The project focuses on the one-mile stretch including parts of Port Chester and Rye, leading up to the #Connecticut state line.
The project also includes safety upgrades such as new guardrails, pedestrian fencing and increased vertical clearance over I-95, the Thruway Authority said…..
STAMFORD ADVOCATE: A man found in possession of marijuana was discovered inside a car being tracked by OnStar and reported stolen by his family member, police said.
STAMFORD: At noon Monday, police were called to an apartment building on #Glenbrook Road on the report of a car — reported stolen earlier that day — being located there, said Sgt. Ken Jarrett.
The car was being tracked by #OnStar, which can find missing cars and provide other security type duties.
When police got there they were led to the rear parking lot where they found the missing 2019 Cadillac parked. Police pulled up to it and found #VincentChambless, 31, of #PortChester, New York, sitting in the driver’s seat with the car running.
Police spotted some marijuana in the front seat and Chambless was removed from the car and handcuffed.
Jarrett said Chambless began struggling and making thrashing motions and he was put into the back of another police vehicle. When police checked the interior of the car, they found the four ounces of marijuana….
INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY: The #PortChester School Board Hired T& M Protection Resources To Conduct A Probe Conservative School Board President Tom Corbia
PORT CHESTER: The New York City security firm is tasked with the job of determining if former teacher #TomCorbia or some mysterious hackers posted racially insensitive on the school board president’s personal Facebook account.
PC SCHOOL BOARD: The school board members allocated $12,000 to hire the firm to investigate Tom Corbia’s story, even though many village residents doubt is the “rogue and racis hacker’s temporarily took over my social media account” story.
Most parents consider the Facebook posts to be repugnant to students and the families in the minority majority district.
Previously, School Board President #DominicBencivenga worked with bigoted TEA Party Port Chester Trustee #BartDidden to mail racist flyers from #Greenwich, CTthat attacked Latino families in the village.
The racist flyers that Bart Didden intially lied about creating and mailing, eventually lead to the The United States Department of Justice federal court victory that brought cumulative voting to Port Chester.
Some are speculating that Tom Corbia will disrespect the will of his board and of the many students who have publically complained by refusing to cooperate with the $12,000 probe by T& M Protection Resources.
They claim that Tom Corbia will probably take the dishonorable path and refuse to allow T& M Protection Resources to recover and access to his Facebook account, to determine if a hack occurred at the times the racist posts were publicly posted.
Many residents say Tom Corbia appears to have tried to destroy the evidence by deactivating his account, but it is still on Facebook’s servers.
They say this happened before in 2018 when Tom Corbin refused to cooperate with a probe of the entire board was investigated for leaking contract negotiation information.
Tom Corbia is appointed by the Village of Port Chester mayor #FritzFlank as the Chair Person of the Port Chester Housing Authority
And he is making even more decisions about those his account posts attacked.
County Executive #GeorgeLatimer has him working in a position in county department of mental health.
The bank recently installed walk-up windows for customers at its three branches in #Stamford, #CosCob, and #PortChester, N.Y.
The inside of each branch entrance was redesigned with a window, which separates the teller and customer, a call button/microphone system, and an electronic pull-out drawer for transactions.
“We don’t know where the COVID -19 is going. For the safety and convenience of our customers and staff, we came up with the idea of installing walk-up windows,” said FBOG President and CEO, Frank J. Gaudio.
If the drive-thru in Cos Cob or Port Chester gets overcrowded, customers can now park their car, and come inside where they ring the bell at the walk-up window. A teller will come over and handle any transaction….
This year’s City Status for Port Chester report states that if the village’s lack of revenue continues to cause property taxes to climb — gentrification could force service-job residents out….
PORT CHESTER, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Firefighters worked into Sunday evening checking hot spots following an earlier fire in a three-story apartment building. The blaze broke out….
A Port Chester man is home after nearly losing his fight with coronavirus. His battle represents a disturbing trend that shows the Latinx community is disproportionately impacted by the virus. Cesar…..
Port Chester’s working-class residents, many of whom are Hispanic, could be displaced by gentrification unless the village can become a city and bring in more money, a report commissioned by the …
The Port Chester Zoning Board of Appeals denied the controversial Tarry Lighthouse project proposed for downtown Port Chester, N.Y., just blocks away from the Greenwich border. The development team …
Some parents and community members are calling for the resignation of the school board president in Port Chester over alleged controversial comments made on social media.
Thomas Corbia, the president of the Port Chester School Board, says his Facebook was hacked Thursday after community members were outraged by controversial comments posted with his account.
A friend of Corbia’s apparently shared a post that said, “I’m selling my white privilege card. It’s just over 77 years old and it hasn’t done a damn thing for me. No inheritance, no free college, no free food, no free housing, etc. I may even be willing to do an even trade for a race card. Those seem way more useful and more widely accepted.”.
Under that post, there was a comment from Corbia’s account that said, “Tommy, you are the f****** best and whoever doesn’t like that post, well they know what they can do.”
During Thursday night’s virtual Board of Education meeting, Corbia responded to upset parents and community members, saying he’s been hacked three times since the onset of summer.
“One of it was corrected immediately. Thought we had it done. Then I was hacked into the internet and then hacked again I guess sometime in late August or early September…which I was alerted to last night. So, I apologize if it offended anybody,” he says.Community members say at the very least there needs to be an investigation into the alleged comments.
“I’m calling for an investigation to be launched into the posts found in connection with Tom Corbia,” says Grace Herbert, of Port Chester….
A school board president in Westchester is in hot water after a racially charged social media post was made through his Facebook account.Port Chester Board of Education President Thomas Corbia said that the account was hacked during a lengthy virtual meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Of the near two dozen speakers at the meeting, just one person supported Corbia, while many casted doubt about Corbia’s claim, and are calling for an investigation into the issue and his resignation.
Cobra said that his Facebook account has been hacked at least three times since the summer and also said that he supports an internal investigation.According to multiple reports, the post in question said: “I’m selling my white privilege card. It’s just over 77 years old and it hasn’t done a damn thing for me.“No inheritance, no free college, no free food, no free housing, etc. I may even be willing to do an even trade for a race card. Those seem way more useful and more widely accepted. Interested? Contact me on my non-obama (sic) cell phone that I have to pay for every month. Serious inquiries only.”
A comment with Corbia’s name appeared under it that read “You are the (expletive) best and whoever doesn’t like that post, well they know what they can do.”
Cobra was also implicated for sharing a different post from his Facebook account earlier this year that read “Illegal immigrants sent $56 billion in pure cash to their home countries last year alone.
“That’s after their kids enjoyed free education, free lunches, and free medical care paid for by you.”
In a statement before the meeting, Port Chester Schools Superintendent Edward Kliszus condemned the post, calling it “disturbing.”…
The president of the Port Chester Board of Education is under fire after racist Facebook posts under his name went viral on Thursday.Tom Corbia addressed the issue at the start of a school board meeting Thursday evening, saying he was hacked.
But 20 of the 21 community members who addressed the board during a 40-plus minute public comment period of the meeting didn’t believe him.
They all called for an investigation and Corbia’s immediate resignation.Many speakers, who included longtime village residents, parents with children in different grades, a current student and several recent Port Chester High School alumni, used the word “disgusting” to describe Corbia’s alleged actions.
One speaker, who said he knew Corbia for years, came to his defense and said he’s “a good man.”
Fellow school board member Chris Wolff did the same, saying he believes Corbia was hacked but still pushing for a transparent investigation.
Other board members agreed that there should be an investigation, as did Corbia.All other board members and Superintendent Edward Kliszus condemned the words and sentiment of the post.
The board suggested an ethics committee investigation. Kliszus said he will talk to district lawyers on Friday to plan the next steps.In a statement released before the meeting, Kliszus said “disturbing social media posts” were forwarded to the board’s counsel.
“The Port Chester UFSD is committed to equality for all students and staff and has policies that prohibit discrimination and harassment,” he said in the statement.
“The District condemns all commentary or posts that are biased, racially prejudiced, or offensive in any way.The controversy stems from a post that appeared to show Corbia, or someone using his name, agreeing with someone else’s Facebook post that said, “I’m selling my white privilege card. It’s just over 77 years old and it hasn’t done a damn thing for me. No inheritance, no free college, no free food, no free housing, etc. I may even be willing to do an even trade for a race card. Those seem way more useful and more widely accepted. Interested? Contact me on my non-obama (sic) cell phone that I have to pay for every month. Serious inquiries only.”
A comment with Corbia’s name underneath said: “You are the f******* best and whoever doesn’t like that post, well they know what they can do.”
Corbia taught in the Port Chester schools for 40 years before retiring in 2011, coached several sports, and is a well-known figure in the village.
