Monday, April 20, 2026

MAILBOX, THREE REQUESTS WE FINALLY GOT TO....

 -

------A reader recalls a post about the village's art collection but can't find it. Can you help?


-----A reader wondered if there was anything about the 2021 Boys Soccer team--that wasn't on FB.  

RESPONSE: Sorry all we have is this VIA THE CROTON HARMON BOOSTER CLUB FB PAGE--Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Soccer Team and their amazing seniors! The team had a tough loss yesterday against Dobbs Ferry, (4-3) ending their Sectionals run.  

SEE PHOTOS HERE AND HERE AND HERE 
AND HERE AND HERE.

-----A reader recalls giant flower balloons for MOTHER'S DAY somewhere in the village, perhaps a four or five years ago? 

RESPONSE: Blossoms and balloons on Benedict; go to EverythingCroton: BLOSSOMS AND BALLOONS ON BENEDICT...JUST BEAUTIFUL

IN THE NEWS==SPRING VALLEY MAYOR BETS ON $20M LOAN, 12% TAX HIKE TO REINVIGORATE DIVERSE VILLAGE

Nancy Cutler--Rockland/Westchester Journal News--April 15, 2026, 3:01 a.m. ET--SPRING VALLEY - Mayor Schenley Vital hit 100 days in office on April 14, and marked the occasion by outlining a dramatic — and costly — plan to reinvigorate this diverse Rockland County village. BEHIND PAYWALL Why Spring Valley NY mayor wants to see a 12% village tax hike



WHAT's NEW AT SOME OF OUR FAVORITE CROTON (AND NON-CROTON) BLOGS

Happy Monday everyone....and now our regular weekly feature......

WHAT's NEW AT SOME OF OUR FAVORITE CROTON (AND NON-CROTON) BLOGS

You may not always agree but it's always interesting... click on the links below.

FIVE FROM TOM FARANDA'S FOLLY now back on a new blogging platform

***Friday cocktail – The Benedictine Cloister
***Pro-life Catholic father wins $1.1M in settlement with DOJ over wrongful arrest – Tom Faranda's Folly
***Cody Bellinger, crazy catch in left field yesterday. – Tom Faranda's Folly
***Vatican: Report Pentagon lectured it’s Ambassador “Completely untrue” – Tom Faranda's Folly
***April 15th – Tax Day! A Ronald Reagan quip – Tom Faranda's Folly

**************************************


**************************************

FROM CROTON'S DW DESIGN & DECOR: SPEAKER EVENT GABRIELLA MIRABELLI; GO TO Speaker Event ~ Gabriella Mirabelli - DW Design & Decor

**************************************

FROM BROTHER JACK'S PREACHING MINISTRY, HOLY NAME OF MARY, GO TO Br Jack's Preaching Ministry: Facing Fear with the Help of the Spirit

**************************************

THE HAPPY CHICKEN COOP, FOR THOSE RAISING CHICKENS, OR THINKING ABOUT IT; GO TO Blog - The Happy Chicken Coop

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: EverythingCroton: (CROTON) CHICKENS!!!!!! AND THEN SOME.....

AND ICYMI--NEW CHICKEN LAW IN CROTON EverythingCroton: INTERESTING NEW CHICKEN LAW AND MUCH MORE ON THE AGENDA

**************************************

TWO FROM EPHEMERAL NEW YORK: 

---A birds-eye view of Riverside Park in 1934 shows how much this slender green space has changed | Ephemeral New York; CLICK HERE

**************************************

NINE FROM GRANDMA'S VINTAGE RECIPES:

--HOME MADE ZUCCHINI RELISH; GO TO Grandma's Vintage Recipes: HOMEMADE ZUCCHINI RELISH
--CHICKEN CASSOULET; CLICK HERE
--TOMATO SOUP MEATLOAF! CLICK HERE
--OMA'S GERMAN POTATOS SALAD; GO TO Grandma's Vintage Recipes: OMA'S GERMAN POTATO SALAD
--EASY BEEF SHORT RIBS; click here
--UPSIDE DOWN CHILI PIE; CLICK HERE
--MUSHROOM SOUP SLOPPY JOES; CLICK HERE
--MYSTERIOUS ORANGE CAKE; CLICK HERE

**************************************

SEVEN FROM EUROPEAN FILM STAR POSTCARDS:

---ENRICO CARUSO; CLICK HERE
---Nathalie Baye (1948-2026) has died; click here
---NOAH BEERY; CLICK HERE
---HAPPY EASTER FROM THE STARS; GO TO European Film Star Postcards: Happy Easter with the stars!

***********************************

TWO FROM WESTERNS ALL'ITALIANA: HE IS RISEN! THIS WILL BECOME A CLASSIC .Westerns...All'Italiana!: Easter 2026.

AND 

RIP HUSEIN COKIE; GO TO .Westerns...All'Italiana!: RIP Husein Cokic

***********************************

FOUR FROM ETHICS ALARMS: 


AND

ANOTHER CLASSIC FROM THE NY TIMES; Ethics Villains: Yes, The New York Times Again…And Its Biased, Ignorant, Pro-Terrorism Readers

AND 
Comment of the Day: “The Cowardice and Obstinacy of the Trump Deranged: A Depressing Case Study From Facebook (I Despair)” | Ethics Alarms

Note: All content on this blog is Copyright (c) by Maria Cudequest and by the posters who have contributed specific content. All material is for your personal use only. No content or photos may be republished or sold, without prior written from your editor and the individual who contributed the content in question. For permissions or questions about this policy, please contact the editor.

WONDERFUL VINTAGE CHRISTMAS CARD ALBUM FROM DACHWEIER

Lots of inspiration in here for putzing and flatties and just general holiday goodness!

Christmas by dachweiler

"Mainly vintage Christmas cards; some magazine and booklet art; and a few modern cards I collected"

TAPPAN ZEE BEATS CROTON HARMON, BASEBALL RECAP

For more, go to  Baseball Recap: Tappan Zee Beats Croton-Harmon for Their Tenth Straight Victory


YOU DON'T NEED THESE...

...to find the latest Croton Crafts and Commerce news (with a smattering of other local events too)----just visit the CROTON CRAFTS AND COMMERCE FB PAGE instead. It's a public page and you needn't be on FB to view the content. Often updated in real time too! Go to Croton Crafts and Commerce | Facebook

And the Croton Crafts and Commerce page has news about The Blue Pig (RE-OPENED) Melita's, MEXTOGO, Devotion Studio, Croton River Artisans Gallery, YUKA'S LATIN FUSION, Feed the Birds, 105-Twenty, Franki's, THE CROTON GRILLE, LA CATRINA, Robbin's, Apple Farm, BAKED BY SUSAN, Croton Mini Deli, Deprez, The Tavern at Croton Landing, MONDAYS GIFTS, Raga, and more.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

ICYMI--CON EDISON GAS MAIN PROJECT OLD POST ROAD NORTH

Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship--in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.



Con Edison has advised the Village that their contractor will be beginning a gas main project on Old Post Road North between Prospect Place and Van Wyck Street beginning next week (April 20). The work will take place Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and is expected to take eight weeks for completion. MORE AT Con Edison Gas Main Project on Old Post Road North | Croton-on-Hudson NY

REMINDER 4/25 CROTON GIRLS RELAYS

Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship--in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

Save the date! 4/25--Croton Girls Relays -50th Edition Celebrations! CLICK ON THE IMAGE.

Croton-Harmon Schools Croton- Harmon H.S. Athletics Croton Harmon High School PTSA
Croton Harmon Alumni

CURRENTLY TRENDING ON LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA, ASSORTED ISSUES

Many of us are not on social media, but we often get to hear about it and are sometimes sent screenshots--here's some issues currently burning up local social media in no particular order:

***NY energy prices; so much chatter and links to recent articles on NY costs, etc.

***Library issues: recent letters/articles by Bloomberg, Steinberg and Gingold dominate the conversation.

***The Harmon pot shop/cannabis dispensary dominates the online conversation with alleged posters from other communities weighing in on everything from hours to traffic to parking to crime to public intoxication/driving, etc. Here's some of what's trending, but there's so much, (the village approved the shop) there's no point.

***Eisinger/VOC letter in the Gazette regarding the merits of candidate Mary Lynn Dlabola

***Facebook bots, anonymous postings; not going to post any of this AGAIN; no point

OBITUARY AND SERVICE INFO FOR ANNE MARIE ZACCARIO

Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21st from 2-4 & 6-8pm at Edward F Carter Funeral Home, 41 Grand Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22nd at 10am at Holy Name of Mary Church, 110 Grand Street, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. FULL OBITUARY AT Anne Marie Zaccario Obituary - Croton-On-Hudson, NY

JOEL GINGOLD--THOUGHTS ON THE LATEST GOUVEIA SCHEME, THE LIBRARY'S PLANS, ETC. ETC. ETC.

To the Editor:

Last Monday night, Architect Paul Mays outlined the plans for the renovation and upgrading of the Croton Free Library. The plan would increase program space, improve patron flow, and perhaps most importantly, repair or replace those library features and systems nearing or exceeding their design lifetimes. The presentation was very well received by a large audience who obviously appreciates the numerous programs currently offered by the library to the community, be they performances, art exhibitions, group meetings, etc., etc., etc. Some of these programs are so well attended that parking and seating space has been fully consumed prior to their commencement. Thus, the increased program space would be heartily welcomed by the library’s numerous patrons, and all that right here in the center of our village.

While the true cost will have to await the final design, early estimates are in the millions of dollars which might be raised, at least in part, by grants and public subscriptions among the thousands of patrons of the library and its services.

At the same time, Croton’s Village Board, in its infinite wisdom, has announced plans to spend additional millions of dollars on the renovation of the house at Gouveia Park and other “improvements” to create a “community center” on the property. The center would also host performances, art exhibitions, meetings, etc. And the Village’s Recreation Department would be banished to Gouveia, creating great inconvenience for both the Recreation Department staff and the numerous villagers who avail themselves of the department’s services. These funds would also be raised, at least in part, by grants and public subscriptions among the residents of Croton.

For the roughly dozen years since the village foolishly accepted ownership of the Gouveia property, the Board has been desperately—desperately— seeking a use—any use—for the property. This is just the latest, equally foolish and wasteful, iteration.

The big difference between the library and village plans is, of course, that we already know what kinds of public services are offered by the library and many, many of us have already attended one of more of the programs it offers to the public. The programs offered at the proposed Gouveia “community center” are vague, at best, and it is not clear whether the Village Board would compel programs currently provided by the library to be transferred to Gouveia. Similar programs are currently provided, not only by the library, but also by the Croton-Harmon schools, essentially all of the Houses of Worship in the village, and a number of private venues, including the newest one, The Grand, located right in the center of the village business district. Would these programs also be compelled by the Board to transfer to Gouveia to ensure the “community center” is fully subscribed? We do not know, because the Board will not tell us.

The Board has taken the “if we build it, they will come; father knows best” approach to Gouveia. They will spend the money and make the “improvements” and then decide what programs will be presented at our new “community center.” Exactly the wrong prescription and the reverse of an intelligent approach to the issue.

If we’re serious, we should start with a blank calendar for a typical year. Then, we’ll inscribe on that calendar each of the events that already take place in our village and their schedule. This will necessarily involve discussions between the village and the owners of our current cultural venues, as well as obtaining their input as to the necessity and desirability of the new center. By the Board’s own acknowledgment, such critical discussions have not been held with the operators of the current venues in the planning for Gouveia. Of course, the Board will likely not want to go there, as they have traditionally been adverse to hearing anything that doesn’t totally agree with their own vision.

Next, we’ll go week-by-week and add the additional events to be held at the new center and decide which existing events will be relocated there. This will, of course, involve some speculation, but the Board has assured us that there is a great demand for such additional events. Once complete, we will have a full picture of the cultural life of our village and we will be able to determine how much, if any, demand there is for the new facility and how much of its space will be utilized for how much of the time.

And it may very well turn out that the village is doing just fine with the current arrangement and that the new “community center” is not really needed. Expansions, such at that proposed for the library, will easily compensate for any increase in programs envisioned for the future. And our current venues for such programs will not be seriously injured by the Village Board insisting that their programs be transferred to Gouveia to ensure that the “community center” is “successful” and not just an expensive empty shell much of the time.

While the village and the library may approach different sources for their anticipated outside grants, there may well be overlap between them and they could be in direct competition for these precious funds. Seeking public subscriptions from village residents will definitely result in competition for the Croton residents’ dollars, likely meaning that neither entity will be successful in raising an appropriate amount. This will certainly be to the detriment of the village and its residents, and we could well end up with neither the needed expanded, renovated library or a functioning “community center” at Gouveia.

Full disclosure. I have for decades been a patron of the library and its programs and, some years ago, served as President of the Library’s Board of Trustees. I also opposed the acceptance of the Gouveia property when it was originally offered to the village and feel that every nickel spent on the property is a total waste of money.

So let us approach this whole question intelligently, despite what the Village Board may tell us. Let us proceed with the necessary renovations and upgrades to the library. And before we spend another dollar at Gouveia, let us determine whether we really need the “community center” on the property, exactly which programs will be conducted there and on what schedule, and whether any other venues in the village will be negatively affected.

As for me, I will be happy to donate as generously as I am able to any fund established for improvements to the Croton Free Library. But unless and until it can be conclusively demonstrated that a “community center” at Gouveia is necessary and beneficial, I shall not be willing to contribute anything to its development.

Sincerely,

Joel E. Gingold

MUCH CHATTER WE HEAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA---ASSORTED SITES ALL OVER COUNTY--NY ELECTRICITY PRICES RANK SIXTH HIGHEST IN THE U.S.

ALBANY, NY (January 2026) — New York's residential electricity prices are among the highest in the nation, according to data from the Empire Center for Public Policy and the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In January 2026, the state's average residential electricity price reached 28.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, placing it sixth highest in the U.S.---READ MORE AT New York Electricity Prices Rank Sixth Highest in the U.S. - Talk of the Sound


NEW YORK ESCOs TO PAY $71 MILLION SETTLEMENT TO RATE PAYERS IN REGULATORY DISPUTE

Many thanks to our New Rochelle facebook friends for this article. As many here will recall, ESCOs were touted as the solution to energy pricing and assorted woes. And like so many of these energy schemes:



PORT CHESTER, NY (September 23, 2025) — Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York State Public Service Commission has approved a settlement with nine energy service companies (ESCOs), requiring them to pay $50 million in billing adjustments and offer up to $21 million in future savings to customers. READ MORE AT New York ESCOs to Pay $71 Million Settlement to Rate Payers in Regulatory Dispute - Talk of the Sound

1978 - KUZZINS TWO AND MOTHER'S DAY

Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship--in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

Many residents have fond memories of KUZZINS TWO at Amberlands. 

Click on the ad for 1978 Mother's Day and their menu.

You may also enjoy: 

and