YES VIRGINIA, THERE WAS ONCE A TRAIN CALLED "THE CROTON"

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

A former resident recalled seeing a postcard with a train on it that was called THE CROTON--and asked if we knew anything about it.

Indeed we did....click on the photos--a scan front and back of a great postcard, courtesy of The Croton Historical Society's archives of course.  A note in the file indicated that it was part of The Hudson River Railroad Company; here's the stock certificate from the archives.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY READING ABOUT HUDSON RIVER RAILROAD MAPS, 1867, COURTESY OF CROTON HISTORY & MYSTERIES HERE.

A FABULOUS TUESDAY AUTUMN MORNING AT THE CROTON ARBORETUM, TURCO'S IN YORKTOWN, AND GIOVANNI'S

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.

A fabulous Tuesday autumn morning in the Hudson Valley.  Click on the photos and links....First up, a cuppa Joe--Pumpkin flavor of course--from the local Dunkin Donuts--perfect for this time of year.  See the DD fall menu here.

Next up, a battery re-charge at The Croton Arboretum which recently celebrated the completion of its handicapped accessible boardwalk....... 

Read and see more about that here.

We were rewarded with the sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker, three black squirrels, and purple beauty berries in all their glory.

Non-descript during most of the year, this plant  explodes into color in the fall and is quite impressive. It's also a great pollinator, native, and the birds love the berries.  When your editor first saw it in the Arboretum, it was love at first sight...and we now have several on our property.  You can find them in Rosedale Nurseries...p.s. You might enjoy this photo album from their recent native plant weekend here.

We were also happy to see that the local flock of "Arboretum" turkeys is doing so well and counted eleven in total.

Like pileated woodpeckers, these are so much bigger up close!  And with a healthy fear of people--this was shot with a telephoto.

The Jane E. Lytle Memorial Croton Arboretum is a real treasure.  Check out a 2017 photo album from Croton United here and even more photos at their Facebook page here.

Next up, a leisurely drive through the Upper Village and eventually down 129 to Turco's in Yorktown.   

The reservoir area is really starting to show its colors and you should make a point of seeing it soon.

We normally go to Turco's for specialty items like their stuffed portabella mushrooms and their house-made mango salsa.

This time it was for Lazzaroni Amaretti Cookies--beautifully boxed, individually wrapped--and when they come in, you snap them up.  (We hadn't seen them since LaMonica's closed).  They're also available in a larger size beautiful tin that would make a great hostess gift---and did I mention, they're priced just right.

And finally back home for more mundane errands and the business of life--but not before we fueled up with take-away soup from Giovanni's Italian American Deli & Pastry on Croton Point Avenue.  Your editor heartily recommends this amazing Autumn hybrid--APPLE, BUTTERNUT & PUMPKIN SOUP! 

STAY TUNED FOR MORE AUTUMN DAYS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY 

YOU MAY ALSO HAVE AN INTEREST IN...A BUSY FALL WEEKEND AT HOLY NAME https://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-busy-fall-weekend-at-crotons-holy.html 

AND DON'T FORGET--THE ANNUAL FALL ASBURY HOLIDAYS ARTISAN FAIR & CHILI LUNCHEON IS 11/3; more info here

MORE ON CROTON'S GLORIA SWANSON IN THE LOST FILM, MADAME SANS-GENE

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.

We love tracking down ephemera on lost films--and for Croton's own Gloria Swanson especially (AND Croton's Lenore Ulric too, stay tuned).  Click on the photos and links.

So we were delighted to discover this vintage movie star Italian postcard from our friends behind EFSP for the 1925 film, MADAME SANS-GEN--and later a fabulous promo ad as well.  

For those who don't know, MADAME SANS-GENE (SOMETIMES SPELLED GEN) was an American silent romantic costume comedy-drama film directed by Léonce Perret and starring Gloria Swanson. Based on the play of the same name by Victorien Sardou and Émile Moreau, the film is now considered lost. 

It was produced and filmed in France, as Swanson was on extended vacation there. She soon became involved with Henri de la Falaise, hired by Paramount to be her translator, and who later became her third husband. Swanson plays a French washerwoman who becomes a duchess and a friend of Napoleon. 

NY TIMES REVIEW: Long before the hour fixed for the opening of the film, the streets in the neighborhood were all but blocked by a crowd of literally thousands of the curious eager to catch a fleeting glimpse of the new Marquise de la Coudray and her French husband, for it had been made known that Miss Swanson was to be present in person.

The throng was so dense that many of the guests of the producers, the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, had to fight their way from their automobiles to the doors of the theatre. Policemen were kept busy escorting dazzling women and their escorts into the theatre and after the show there was a terrific crush on the carpeted pavement. Outside, the theatre was decorated with tricolor streamers, and Napoleonic soldiers stood stolidly on guard just outside two sentry-boxes."

Note: All content on this blog is Copyright (c) by Maria Cudequest and by those 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 consent from your editor and the individual who contributed the content in question. For permissions or questions about this policy, please contact the editor.  

CONGRATULATIONS SCARECROW CONTEST WINNERS, CROTON-ON-HUDSON 2018 CONTEST

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.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2018 CROTON-ON-HUDSON SCARECROW CONTEST WINNERS--THEY WERE ALL FABULOUS!

-1ST PLACE FAMILY: THE SABO FAMILY
-2ND PLACE FAMILY: ROPPA & COFSKY FAMILY

-1ST PLACE ORGANIZATION/BUSINESS: IRMA'S HAIR SALON--SECOND YEAR IN A ROW!
-2ND PLACE ORGANIZATION/BUSINESS: CROTON YACHT CLUB

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS.

Many thanks to all who participated and to BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES

And to the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce

THE 1953 7-UP PARTY BOOK

In case you missed it, courtesy of our Flickr friend FPDA, a 1953 promotional booklet for 7-up. You'll find lots of interesting recipes here.  Just in time for the holiday season.

For those who don't know, 7-up was used in cake and cookie recipes quite a bit in the 50's and 60's. Click on the link to see the booklet http://bit.ly/1TujKoF

And here's a great routine from Jeanne Robertson about 7-up pound cake and her husband's trip to the supermarket (she calls her husband "Left Brain")--check out this very funny lady here.

CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS AT CROTON POINT PARK, CROTON'S GARDINER & MAYER

JOURNAL NEWS--Other boys top-15 finishers included Croton’s Sean Gardiner (fourth place, 15:47.4); Croton’s Aidan Mayer (11th place, 16:29.1); SEE IT ALL HERE

REMEMBERING FUNNY MAN MOREY AMSTERDAM

Remembering Morey Amsterdam, The Human Joke Machine, who died this date in 1996--an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on CBS's The Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966. READ MORE AT http://bit.ly/2zW29Us

CLICK ON THE PHOTO COURTESY OF CLASSIC FILM, READ MORE HERE http://bit.ly/2zeocbR

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: TURN ON THE TELEVISION 1960-1969; MORE HERE 

AND REMEMBERING ROSE MARIE AND THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW; more here 

1983 JEFF BOWELL, NEW TEACHER AT BENNETT CONSERVATORY

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

BY SPECIAL REQUEST...A RESIDENT HAS FOND MEMORIES OF A HORN TEACHER AT BENNETT CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC "BACK IN THE 80'S BY THE NAME OF BOWER" and wondered if there was anything in the files.....We don't know about a horn teacher named Bower, but we did find this article from 1983 on a Jeff Bowell. Click on the photo, courtesy of the outstanding archives maintained by the volunteers of The Croton Historical Society. Further inquiries should be made directly to Bennett Conservatory of Music at http://www.bennettconservatory.org/home.htm

2018 CROTON SENIORS ANNUAL HALLOWEEN BASH

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

MANY THANKS AS ALWAYS TO BOB ANDERSON FOR HIS ANNUAL REPORT ON THE CROTON SENIORS HALLOWEEN PARTY 2018--click on the photos.... The Croton Seniors celebrated their annual Halloween bash last Friday with a pot luck buffet, costume parade and a 50-50 raffle. Mary Santella was “udderly fabulous” in her cow costume which won her the most creative costume prize. The witches, gypsies, Batman and Robin and the grim reaper also joined the fun topped off with a great carrot cake for dessert. The seniors are always happy to accept new members, contact Valerie Nolan at the Rec. Dept., 271-3006.

You may also enjoy:  https://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-look-at-croton-seniors-club-then-now.html

SOME MORE RECENTLY UNEARTHED BITS & PIECES ABOUT CROTON NOTABLES: KATHLEEN BELLER, GLORIA SWANSON, HAROLD GRAY, and OSCAR BRAND

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

SOME MORE RECENTLY UNEARTHED BITS & PIECES ABOUT CROTON NOTABLES: KATHLEEN BELLER, GLORIA SWANSON, HAROLD GRAY, and OSCAR BRAND---click on the photos and links.

First up, Croton's Kathleen Beller in the 1985 made for television movie, DEADLY MESSAGES.  YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE MOVIE HERE.  To read a 1972 article about Beller--"Croton's Beller Gets Movie & TV Roles"--click here.

Next up, a rare movie star postcard, German, circa 1928, courtesy of our collector friends, Truus, Bob & Jan. featuring Croton's Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson.  

You can read more about the film here.  Swanson would receive an Oscar nomination for her role.

And check out Swanson in an amazing headdress for the 1919 production of Male and Female.

Click here. 

As many of you know, cartoonist and creator of Little Orphan Annie--Harold Gray--lived in Croton. 

Here's a rare find courtesy of our friend Frank Kelsey, a circa 1930's, 1940's Little Orphan Annie metal toy store in very good condition.  

There's all types of "Annie" memorabilia out there (Gray was smart about marketing and marketing rights) but this is the first stove we've encountered.  

Next up a June 23, 1983 article from the Manhattaset Mail about a performance Croton's Oscar Brand gave at a local arboretum....

For those who don't know, Brand lived in Croton for many years.

His daughter has recently written a book; read more here 

Some months back we also unearthed a Brand recording in Program #112 at WNYC at https://bit.ly/2M1HNmE

To see the last edition of SOME MORE RECENTLY UNEARTHED BITS & PIECES ABOUT CROTON NOTABLES: PETER FRAMPTON, GLORIA SWANSON, LENORE ULRIC AND VERA NEUMANN--click here.

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.

A TIMELY TOPIC: ARE THERE MONSTERS ON MAPLE STREET?

Please take a moment to read an important letter from today's Gazette....

ARE THERE MONSTERS ON MAPLE STREET?

To the editor:

This week in Croton began with a candidate handing out campaign literature at a shopping center. Although this particular candidate is a former Croton-Harmon High School student, the likelihood of winning MegaMillions is greater than winning election. Given the Croton connection and lack of viability, a bit of polite small talk would be expected. Instead some folks took the opportunity to launch their shopping carts into the candidate’s parked car.

Seriously? You don’t have to support somebody’s political views in order to refrain from banging up their car—especially when there is virtually no chance of the person getting into office.

The week in Croton continued with public calls to shoot another resident with a shotgun. This involved a person on the sex offender registry who lives in Croton. There is a legitimate argument for not releasing high-risk offenders back into the community, but to call for murder on Furnace Dock Road is not the way to handle this.

Croton residents are getting more comfortable with violence and more accepting of neighbors who call for violence.  

A year ago, this climate was initiated by one of our leading citizens inviting people to Private Message her to get the name and address of a Croton resident displaying an offensive flag.  READ THE REST HERE

ROBBINS PHARMACY 2018 SCARECROW CONTEST ENTRY

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

And more from the 2018 Croton Scarecrow Contest---this entry is from Robbins Pharmacy--click on the photo--more info here. 

FOR MORE SCARECROWS--HAPPY HEARTS ON THE HUDSON; MORE HERE. SEE THE CROTON HARMON MUSIC ACADEMY SCARECROW  HERE. AND CARMEN'S UNISEX SALON'S SCARECROW HERE.  AND THE WESTCHESTER BALLOON COMPANY SCARECROW HERE.   STAY TUNED FOR MORE.

1955, CROTON ROTARY CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

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

AND NOW A BLAST FROM CROTON ROTARY CLUB PAST: 1955, ROTARY CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL WITH ITALIAN FARE ON CHURCH STREET. Click on the images.

You may also enjoy these other Croton Rotary articles from Everything Croton:

--The Top 3 Articles for 2017; MORE HERE

--A LOOK BACK AT--AND FORWARD WITH--THE ROTARY CLUB OF CROTON ON HUDSON...MORE HERE

For more about the Rotary Club of Croton, visit their FB page HERE

2018 CHAPIN RACE RESULTS

HERE ARE THE 2018 HARRY CHAPIN MEMORIAL RUN AGAINST HUNGER 10K RACE RESULTS: David Fond came in 1st; Connor Tobin, 2nd; Kyle Gibbons, 3rd. See all the results here.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CAPTAIN ART ROOSA III

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

EXCERPTED FROM THE CROTON F.D. FB PAGE: Congratulations to Captain Art Roosa III whom completed the NYS Aerial Operations Course last week. This 27 hour course is designed to follow the NFPA 1002 Fire Apparatus driver/operator professional qualifications. This course provides the student with knowledge necessary to operate, inspect and maintain aerial devices....This program is required of all of our Tower Ladder 44 Drivers. Good job, Cap! https://www.facebook.com/CrotonFire/

CROTON HALLOWEEN WINDOW PAINTING CONTEST 2018

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

CROTON HALLOWEEN WINDOW PAINTING 2018

Despite the threat of rain, the weather was picture perfect for the annual Croton Halloween Window Painting Contest. Here are a few examples from the Croton Commons Shopping Center.  MANY THANKS to all the businesses for allowing the use of their window space.

Click on the photos and enjoy. And here's some more talent.............

You may also enjoy seeing windows from painting contests past at the links below:
  
--For the 2014 HALLOWEEN WINDOW PAINTING CONTEST; CLICK HERE

--For the 2013 HALLOWEEN WINDOW PAINTING CONTEST,  PARTS 1 & 2; MORE HERE 

--And here is an extensive album for the 2012 windows; more here  

--And from 2017 and Croton United: Lou Milano is not just a connoisseur of fine wine. When he puts on his Halloween orange attire, he doubles as an art critic....

SEE MORE HERE, courtesy of the Croton United FB page http://bit.ly/2yZrdNh

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.

AND NOW A WORD FROM THE JANE E. LYTLE CROTON ARBORETUM AND KAREN JESCAVAGE-BERNARD

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.

AND NOW A WORD FROM THE JANE E. LYTLE CROTON ARBORETUM AND KAREN JESCAVAGE-BERNARD

TO THE EDITOR:

This past Sunday, Arboretum members, contributors and local officials gathered at the Jane E. Lytle Arboretum to celebrate two things: finally finishing the handicap-accessible Boardwalk and Tree Trails and thanking everyone who made it possible: Incredibly this added up to more than 260 names of people, businesses and organizations. Incredibly, the boardwalk project has been more than 20 years in the making.

Just last week I started writing a grant application for our current project. And one of the entries on the application was: “Describe the history of the property”. “A swamp surrounded by stone walls to keep out farm animals” wasn’t the right answer. Croton is rich in history from the day Henry Hudson sailed up the river: its role in the American Revolution, establishing the US postal service, the Old and New Croton Dams, the Old Croton Aqueduct and the railroad to name just a few, not to mention Croton’s rich cultural history. This Arboretum land has its own complex history.

The Arboretum property first appears in 1926, on the very first aerial survey of Westchester County. On the photo you can see orderly rows and blocks of trees and the old Hessian Hill Country Club, soon to burn down in the Great Depression. The future Arboretum shows up as a dark patch of trees and water surrounded by clear-cut farmland. Looking at subsequent surveys over time, you can watch the woods grow back as farming fades, then recede again as suburban housing booms in the 1960s and 70. More houses = less woods and conservation activists started to think about protecting and preserving rapidly disappearing open space.

In 1975, philanthropist Samuel Rubin donated the 20 acres that became the largest part of the Arboretum to the Croton-Cortlandt Conservation Association. His gift came with deed restrictions limiting the property’s use to “wildlife habitat and conservation education” – but no funds to make either of these happen. The CCCA transferred title to the village and there it sat, quietly, until the 1990s.

In 1994 the Arboretum’s founding fathers and mothers organized a nonprofit – the Croton Arboretum & Sanctuary Inc. (CAS) – to provide the legal framework that enabled the village to lease the land to the group and CAS to raise tax-deductible funds to create the preserve. Fundraising began with annual memberships until inspired geniuses Laura Seitz, Gill Mader and Carol Shanesy invented the annual summer garden tour, which remains our core fundraiser.

Design and development began with hiking trails with different levels of challenge. There are now three, including the handicap-accessible boardwalk trail envisioned by Dr. Dan Salzberg. Of all the projects we’ve done, I’m personally proudest of this one, since it provides access to nature for people who so rarely get the opportunity to be out and about in our beautiful outdoors.

In 1995, we named the preserve the Jane E. Lytle Memorial Arboretum in memory of one of our beloved board members. Jane’s family and friends have been stalwart supporters over the years, though most of them now are far away, except for her partner, Anton Wilson, whose task today is accepting our thanks on their behalf as well as for his own generosity in making the project possible.

In April 1998, Mayor Bob Elliot cut the ribbon for the first section of boardwalk and the gazebo. Thanks go to Laemmel’s Landscape and Construction, who cleared away snow and fallen trees with only hours to go before the event. Supervisor Linda Puglisi was on hand then as now to celebrate with us.

Since 1998, three more sections of boardwalk trail were built by Ferguson Carpentry as we raised the funds. The Fergusons finished the final connection to the parking lot this fall. Thanks to Dan Sr., Danny and Eric Ferguson for their patience.

When you visit the Arboretum you will see tree identification signs alongside the boardwalk. With some help from NYS forester George Profous, we identified about 30 species of native trees along its route. Tree signage is one of the last outstanding requirements for national certification as an arboretum. So Croton will have something else to be famous for.

In-ground sign posts were installed by Inca Brothers Landscaping, and the signs themselves were mounted by Croton’s Boy Scout Troop 28 with some help from John Bernard. Inca Brothers principal Miguel Morejon and his talented crew continue work on our current project, an outdoor classroom and learning environment for people with cognitive issues.

Last Sunday, we acknowledged more than 260 benefactors: our faithful members, our generous individual and corporate donors, the educators and media professionals who donated their talents and services, helpful village and town staff and committee members, local businesses who give us discounts on their work, buy ads in our garden tour brochures and publicize our events, and civic organizations like the Croton Lions Club, Croton Boy Scouts, CHHHS’ CHOOSE program participants, and the Croton Free Library. Special thanks go to the gracious hosts who opened their beautiful homes and gardens for garden tours and other fundraisers and the many, many volunteers who make the tours and events possible. It takes about 30 volunteers, including the hosts, to put on a garden tour – and that’s a lot of volunteers over the years. Too many to thank individually, but we thank you all from our hearts. You are amazing!

Finally, last but not least, thanks are due to our hardworking board of directors. Over our nearly 25 year history, many have invested their time, talents and expertise in our project. Some have moved away, some even to other spheres. Some have turned their talents to other charitable ventures. So if you have a skill to contribute and an interest in the uses of open space to promote education, consider joining our board. We’re already planning for the next 25 years! You can leave your contact information at the Arboretum’s phone number: 914.487.3830 and we will get back to you.

Karen Jescavage-Bernard

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY THESE ADDITIONAL LINKS AT https://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2017/02/video-croton-arboretum-2017.html

THANK YOU CROTON SHOPRITE

10/15 - VIDEO - CROTON SHOPRITE: We are thankful to have helped raise over $1,051,000 during the 2018 SRS Veterans Campaign. Thank you to our customers for their generosity. All proceeds from the campaign will go to benefit local veteran groups such as Families of War Vets, the Tower of Hope, Hudson Valley Honor Flight, the Orange County Veterans Food Pantry, the Unified Military Affairs Council and the Tri-County Council for Vietnam Era War Vets. SEE THE VIDEO HERE.

IT'S THE BUSY SEASON FOR HOLY NAME OF MARY'S GOD SQUAD 2018

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.

Yes, it's the busiest time of the year for Holy Name of Mary's God Squad.  There's the annual Appeal Letter ---and then of course, their annual food tent at the 2018 Harry Chapin Memorial Run Against Hunger on Sunday 10/21. 

(Click on the photos to see the God Squad tents in 2017, 2016, and 2015.)

There's also the annual Fall Clean-Up for Parish Senior Citizens in the next few weeks. (Click here to see photos from the 2015 clean-up and click here for photos from the 2014 fall clean-up).

It's all hard work but it's also about real community service...in today's world, it's so refreshing to meet young people who do more than just talk.

And finally the capstone for the year--the God Squad 2018 Annual Sleep-out will be on Dec. 9th. This event raises money and more for CHOP in Peekskill.

(See photos from the 2017 sleep-out here and the Knights of Columbus 2017 follow-up post sleep-out breakfast here and from 2016 here.)

FOR MORE ABOUT THIS DYNAMIC YOUTH MINISTRY AT HOLY NAME--https://www.holynameofmary.org/youth-ministry-hnmy-god-squad

FOR MORE ABOUT HOLY NAME OF MARY'S KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, VISIT   https://www.facebook.com/HNMKofC/

YOU MAY ALSO HAVE AN INTEREST IN...A BUSY FALL WEEKEND AT HOLY NAME https://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-busy-fall-weekend-at-crotons-holy.html

SOME PLASTIC BAG ALCHEMY AND THE CROTON BOARD

An amusing but always cogent letter from this week's Gazette and Paul Steinberg on the village's unfolding plastic bag ban issue. 

To the editor: 

The Board of Education needs to revise the science curriculum to include alchemy in light of the new research performed by the Croton Board of Trustees. 

Many have criticized the revised plastic bag proposal. But with one glaring exception, the revised policy is one which should appeal to both liberals, conservatives, and libertarians. The proposal would allow consumers to use whatever bags they desire, which should please libertarians. It would impose a cost to cover the negative externalities created by plastic bag use, which should please conservatives. And it would allow Croton's elected officials and self-appointed guardians of public virtue to lecture residents, which should please the woke liberal wing. 

Where the revised law fails is in deviating from modern science. Much like in the middle ages, the Board of Trustees believes that a plastic bag is an existential threat to the oceans except when it is transmuted by crossing the threshold of a retail establishment under 5000 square feet in area. 

Once the bag enters a retail space of less than 5000 square feet, a process occurs which is not fully understood. But the outcome is a bag which is no longer a threat to the environment. The birds sing, the dolphins chatter, and the whales do backflips. 

Some cynical types belive that the 5000 sq foot criteria is designed to punish ShopRite for failing to bend to the will of the Croton Board of Trustees, but I think that this reivised proposal is a result of considered thought and analysis of scientific data by the Board of Trustees. Their discovery of the alchemical process is worthy of a Nobel Prize, and should result in a rewriting of Croton-Harmon High School chemistry textbooks. 

--Paul Steinberg, Croton-on-Hudson

 READ MORE ABOUT THE VILLAGE'S TROUBLING NEW POLICY, VIA A LETTER FROM RICK TURNER, AT http://www.crotonunited.org/news-views/2018/7/12/a-very-troubling-policy