Yorktown and Cortlandt region

Snow is in the forecast, and the next two days could get hairy. But when the skies clear later this week, Lakeland students should expect the buses to roll on Friday.

The superintendent’s conference day that had been planned would have meant a day of skiing, sleigh riding and snowball fights. Not anymore. Here’s what’s posted as of this afternoon at the district website.

Due to the possibility of additional weather related school closings this week, all Lakeland schools will now be in session on Friday, February 4. There will be no Superintendent’s Conference Day held on that day and students are to report for a regular day of classes. Further details regarding additional snow make up days will be posted on the district website shortly. The district is now out of scheduled snow make up days.

That last line puts the district in the same company as most every district in northern Westchester and Putnam counties. January washed away most of the allotted snow days on the calendar, and anything but a mild February promises to do the same for portions of spring break, Memorial Day weekend or other planned recesses.

The schools can’t stay open when the weather is too severe, but the state mandates they find their 180 days where they must. And the first day affected, in Lakeland anyway, is this Friday.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation Monday that would cap annual increases in local property taxes at no more than 2 percent annually, unless local residents vote to override the cap. Budget experts say that a tax cap will surely force big cuts by schools, because so much spending is mandated by — but not necessarily funded by — the state and federal governments. What is your take on the issue?

Here’s a look at opinion content published in The Journal News on Saturday, Jan. 29, Sunday, Jan. 30 and today, Monday, Jan. 31:

Saturday, Jan. 29
Egypt: Commentary
Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin assesses the unrest in the Middle East and what it may mean for the development of a Palestinian state.

Gun safety: Commentary
In a Community View, Karen Leitner of White Plains argues in favor of legislation introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-Long Island, that would target high-capacity ammunition clips, like the one used by Jared Lee Loughner in Tucson, Ariz.

Sunday, Jan. 30
Pensions: Editorial
We comment on a report from our Albany Bureau about that details the number of double-dippers — state employees who collect salaries and pensions simultaneously — and argue that New York’s policy makers are overdue in creating a defined-contribution pension system. We write:

Today’s Albany Bureau report on double-dippers — that is, state employees collecting salaries at the same time they are collecting pensions — is the kind of expose that makes public-employee union leaders cringe and taxpayers call their real estate agent and movers.


It also helps clarify, once again, why New York’s public-employee pension system, a grab bag endlessly stocked by taxpayers and generously dispensed by favor-currying politicians, needs to be scrapped, not merely tweaked.


The report by Bureau Chief Joseph Spector, with assistance from Journal News/LoHud.com database editor Cathey O’Donnell, details how some 2,100 state employees collected salaries and pensions last year, with 35 of them taking home more than $200,000. …

(more…)

The Editorial Board will host two LIVE Editorial Spotlight interviews this week on LoHud.com:

• At 1 p.m. Tuesday, candidates for the Westchester County Board of Legislators’ vacant 12th District seat discuss their candidacies and the issues. Democrat MaryJane Shimsky and Republican Nicholas DeCicco are seeking the office, vacant since Thomas Abinanti was elected to the state Assembly.

• At 1 p.m. Thursday, Westchester Residential Opportunities officials Geoffrey Anderson, executive director; Marlene Zarfes, fair housing director; and Laura Neil, communications director, discuss fair housing in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. WRO released a study last week that revealed discriminatory conduct in all three counties.

Watch the sessions at http://www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight. To submit a question or comment, engage the CoverItLive blogging feature on the right side of your screen.

At the ceremony honoring this quarter’s Students of Distinction at The Tech Center last week, there was a common thread in teachers’ descriptions of their students.

Words like “reliability,” “perfect attendance,” “you can always count on her” coupled with “he does all his work with a smile,” and “she loves what she does” resounded over and over as teachers praised the 10 students who were honored on the Yorktown campus of Putnam/Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

“Brandon always goes above and beyond,” said New Visions Health Academy teacher Veronica Farlow of Brandon Mogrovejo from Yorktown. “He wants to be a neurologist, and with the compliments I get about him when he’s doing his rotations, I know that he’ll be a great physician!”

“When given an assignment to write a handout for a class, Stephanie will write a whole book for preschoolers,” said Kathy Nissinoff of the Teaching Academy when describing her student Stephanie Perez.

The Tech Center recognizes students quarterly who have proven by hard work and that “something extra” that they are worthy of the distinction. Hospitality Academy students provided breakfast for family and friends following the ceremony.

Pictured: front row, from left: Megan Roush, Culinary, Hendrick Hudson; Stephanie Dobles-Perez, Teaching, Ossining; Brandon Mogrovejo, Health, Yorktown; German Orellana, ELL, Mahopac; Danielle Cammilleri, Cosmetology, Carmel. Back row: Henry Myers, Communications, Lakeland; Rob Hunt, Environmental Science, John Jay; Francisco Gutierrez, Transportation, Brewster; Billy Di Rago, Business, Fox Lane; Mario Basora, Construction, Carmel.

Peekskill Celebration organizers have released information on a Student Paddle Art Contest. The contest is for students, grades 7-12. The paddles will be displayed at August’s Peekskill Celebration which holds dragon boat racing each year. Read below for more information on the event:

In advance of Peekskill Celebration, scheduled for August 5 – 7, 2011 at Peekskill Riverfront Green Park, Peekskill, NY, organizers are sponsoring a Student Paddle Art Contest on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 from 11am to 2pm at the Paramount East, 1016 Brown Street, Peekskill, NY. The contest is free and open to students in grades 7-12 from area schools.  Pizza and refreshments will be served.  Participation is limited to 50 students.

“We are tapping into the creativity of young artists and making available the most important accompaniment in Dragon Boating-the paddle-to create Paddle Art.  This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating the Hudson Valley.’  We hope this unique student art project will help convey the beauty and majesty of the dragon boat races on the Hudson River,” said Cathy Montaldo, Executive Director of Celebration.

Basic paints, brushes, markers and blank paddles will be provided at no charge, but artists are encouraged to bring their own materials.  Paddles may be embellished in any manner or medium—paint, collage, photography, mosaic, or other artistic methods.

One student will be awarded a US Savings Bond and a gift certificate to a local art supply store after judging is completed.

Registration deadline is February 17, 2011.  Advanced registration is required in order to make sure there are enough paddles and slices of pizza.  Registration forms are available online at www.peekskillcelebration.com and may be returned by email after they have been completed and scanned to info@peekskillcelebration.com, by mail to: Peekskill Celebration, 1008 Park Street, Peekskill, NY 10566, or in person to the Peekskill Parks & Recreation at Depew Park during normal business hours.  For questions, please call 914-736-2000.

The paddles become the property of Peekskill Celebration and will be auctioned off or placed up for sale to raise funds for Celebration.  Paddles will be on display at Peekskill Riverfront Green Park during the event.  Judging will be coordinated by the board of directors of Peekskill Celebration.

Photo of paddle used in 2008 Dragon Boat races/TJN.

A Homeless Summit was held at the Montrose campus with community leaders, not for profit agencies, builders, Veterans Service Agency leaders and law enforcement. The purpose of the summit was to collaborate and share ideas on how to secure housing and other services for Veterans who are homeless or in the process of becoming homeless.

Carissa Leonardi of Lakeland/Panas competes in the pole vault during the Westchester County Track and Field Championships at the Armory in Manhattan today. Photo by Seth Harrison

Hundreds of area track and field athletes competed in the 2011 Westchester Track and Field Championships at the Armory in Manhattan today. Look for coverage at Lohud.com and in tomorrow’s edition of The Journal News. View a gallery of photos from the 2011 Westchester Track and Field Championships.

The Super 16 wrestling tournament was held at White Plains High School on Saturday afternoon.From top, Fox Lane’s Danny Ventura on his way to defeating Dobbs Ferry’s Jimmy Kyreakedes in the 119 pound weight class in the finals of the Super 16 Wrestling Tournament at White Plains High School Jan. 29, 2011. ( Frank Becerra Jr / The Journal News )

To0 see more photos from the Super 16 wrestling tournament click here.

Cheerleading squads from all over the lower Hudson region traveled to Croton Harmon High School for the Hudson Valley Classic High School Cheerleading Competition on Saturday afternoon.Croton cheerleaders compete at the Croton-Harmon Hudson Valley Cheerleading Classic at Croton Harmon High School Jan. 29, 2011. ( Frank Becerra Jr / The Journal News)

To see more photos from the Croton cheerleading competition click here.