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TOWN OF CORTLANDT COMMUNITY SWAP
10/17---DOORS OPEN 9 AM TO 1 PM
CLICK ON THE IMAGE.
Friday, October 2, 2026
TOWN OF CORTLANDT COMMUNITY SWAP
JOEL GINGOLD ENDORSES DLABOLA AND WATKINS
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The events of the past couple of weeks have only emphasized the importance of electing Voice of Croton candidates Mary Lynn Dlabola and Sam Watkins in November.
Mary Lynn will make an outstanding Trustee. She has suberb qualifications, will bring a fresh perspective to the Village Board, rather than automatically backing the unpublished agenda of the Croton Democratic machine and, as opposed to the current incumbents, she will listen to you. She is especially interested in your ideas and concerns.
Sam Watkins has served as our Village Justice for two decades. Over that period, he has developed an effective, efficient, and non-partisan court for our village, and, as opposed to his inexperienced opponent, he has exactly the temperament we want and need in our judiciary. Sam has truly earned another term in office.
So electing Mary Lynn and Sam will not only bring two highly qualified individuals to positions of responsibility in our community, but it will send a strong message to the Croton Democratic machine that they can no longer dictate policy and candidates to the citizens of our village. You all know the sordid procedure by which Sam Watkins was refused the Democratic nomination for Village Justice, but the manner in which Nora Nicholson was recently appointed to the highly-paid position of Assistant Village Manager, has demonstrated to us all that we need a change in the way things are done in Croton.
This is not by any means meant to denigrate Ms. Nicholson. While we have not been informed of the qualifications of the other candidates, I know Nora to be an intelligent and effective individual, with a deep knowledge of our village. I’m sure she will fill the position with distinction. But that is not the point.
The manner in which she acquired the job can only be considered another example of the Croton Democratic machine doing what it wants, how it wants, and when it wants, with no input from anyone else in Croton or even from local registered Democrats.
Village Manager Bryan Healy has stated that filling the position was his responsibility alone, which is a perfectly reasonable stance. Yet, for reasons that have never been explained, Deputy Mayor Len Simon, an elected Trustee, was appointed to the selection committee. And, of course, Ms. Nicholson, herself, was a serving, elected Trustee of our village. It is hard to believe that Mayor Brian Pugh was unaware of what was happening, and thus three of our five Trustees were party to the appointment, while Trustees Nachtaler and Slippen, as well as our village attorney, were kept in the dark until after the appointment was made. What were the others afraid of? Or was it simply business as usual for the Croton Democratic machine. “We do whatever we want, and the public be damned!” “We don’t care about procedure or transparency or any of those nuisances which could impede us in what we want to do.”
One point in this whole seamy affair which has not been addressed is that Manager Healy reports to the Village Board. Thus Mr. Simon, and Ms. Nicholson, herself, are, in effect, Mr. Healy’s bosses and how can we know if they (and Mayor Pugh) brought any pressure to bear on him? The whole process may have been completely above board, but the optics are terrible and it leaves a stench over the Village Board and the Village Manager.
Ms. Nicholson had every right to apply for this highly-paid position. But the proper thing for her to have done would have been to resign her seat on the Board at the time she submitted her application. And Mr. Simon should never have been appointed to the selection committee. These would have eliminated any concerns over conflict-of-interest or undue influence. But that is not what they chose to do.
To insure that something like this never happens again, we must minimize the influence of the Democratic machine and elect individuals of great integrity to all positions in our village. People who do not owe allegiance or anything else to party bosses. We must elect the Voice of Croton candidates.
To my fellow Democrats, I know how difficult it is to mark a ballot for another party. It took me a long time to get there. But there is a feeling of liberation and independence when you do just that, and it is imperative for the health of our village.
So vote for Mary Lynn Dlabola and Sam Watkins in November. You will never regret that decision.
Sincerely,
Joel E. Gingold
ANOTHER SCAM ALERT!
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AND IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: EverythingCroton: SCAM ALERT/PHISHING ALERT--MY CHART
SEPTEMBER 2026 EDITION OF THE CROTON HISTORIAN---FEATURES BUSINESSES IN CROTON THROUGH THE YEARS
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.
THE SEPTEMBER 2026 EDITION OF THE CROTON HISTORIAN---FEATURES BUSINESSES IN CROTON THROUGH THE YEARS (OLD POST ROAD SOUTH FROM THE DUMMY LIGHT TO THE INTERSECTION AT MAPLE STREET).
The newsletter is a perk that comes with membership in The Croton Historical Society; become a member today! Croton Historical Society
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MORE ON CROTON'S MODEL TRAIN STORE KNOWN AS THE ROUNDHOUSE I
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I have many fond memories of the train store that used to be down by the tracks. My dad and I were there twice a month, then off to the diner. A malted for me and French Fries, a coffee and a piece of Coconut Cream pie for him, bought with some of my weekend paycheck as a Sweeper and Errand Boy for a barbershop in Montrose. The walk back was a drag but sometimes a guy named Jimmy Rio would give me a lift into "town".
I was very happy to see the ads for the store on your blog and thought I'd share more of what I found with an A.I. program. All this comes from Face Book. Enjoy.
Response: Thank you. Will forward it to the Croton Historical Society for them to check. The ROUNDHOUSE TRAIN STORE ads are here. What the reader found is below; we did our own checking on Google AI:
Historical Profile & Ownership Details
- The Owner: The store was owned and operated by Warren Portman, a local resident. [1]
- The Expansion: The Croton North Station store was the original flagship. Portman expanded the business due to its success, opening Roundhouse II in Midtown Manhattan (a basement shop near Grand Central Terminal) and Roundhouse III on Martine Avenue in White Plains. [1]
- The Legacy: When Portman closed the Croton North location in the late 1970s, he sold the building to an architect. In the early 1980s, he transitioned to a distribution business in Peekskill and opened other ventures like The Train Shop Limited in Manhattan and the Hobby Warehouse in New Rochelle. [1, 2]
REMINDER--LWW CROTON TRUSTEES FORUM 10/8
Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton-on-Hudson: our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship -- in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.
REMINDER--LWW CROTON TRUSTEES FORUM 10/8
OSSINING MAN REPEATEDLY WATCHED WOMAN THROUGH HER BEDROOM WINDOW
Many thanks to reader PM for following up on these social media rumors. This is from the Patch.
TOWN OF NEW CASTLE, NY — A peeping-tom has been arrested after he repeatedly targeted a Westchester woman, cops say. The New Castle Police Department says that 50-year-old Juan G. Guambana, of Ossining, was arrested on Thursday for six counts of second-degree unlawful surveillance. MORE AT Ossining Man Repeatedly Watched Woman Through Her Bathroom Window: Police | Chappaqua, NY Patch
ON THE BEAT, THOMAS STAUDTER, THE GAZETTE 10 THRU 10/7, EARLY FALL MIX
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Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton-on-Hudson: our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools, our houses of worship -- in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.
THIS WEEK'S 'ON THE BEAT" AT THE GAZETTE (THOMAS STAUDTER, click on the image) features an extensive article entitled EARLY FALL MIX. There's news about The Smithereens, Sasha Dobson, Mike Ledonne's Groover Quartet and so much more.
The Gazette does not have an online presence but is on sale just about everywhere.
LITHUANIA CELEBRATES GUARDIAN ANGELS' DAY - ANGELU SARGU DIENA--A.K.A. LITHUANIAN POLICE DAY
Friends travelling overseas sent this photo---their coffee on October 2nd and GUARDIAN ANGELS DAY-- In Lithuania, October 2nd is widely recognized as Angelų Sargų diena (Guardian Angels' Day). While it stems from the Catholic calendar, it serves a distinct secular role today: it is officially celebrated nationwide as Lithuanian Police Day (Policijos diena). The name honors police officers as the symbolic "guardians" and protectors of society. CLICK ON THE IMAGE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
OUR REGULAR FRIDAY GUEST FEATURE--TOM FARANDA'S FOLLY: HIS FRIDAY COCKTAIL SERIES... & NOW THE MAPLE OLD-FASHIONED
OUR REGULAR FRIDAY GUEST FEATURE--TOM FARANDA'S FOLLY---AND HIS FRIDAY COCKTAIL SERIES---AND NOW...THE MAPLE OLD-FASHIONED. This looks soooooooooooooo delicious! go to Friday cocktail – Maple Old Fashioned
SCAM ALERT/PHISHING ALERT--MY CHART
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 number of readers----your editor too----have reported a sudden end-of-week uptick in these MYCHART EMAILS. None of us have ever had a MONTEFIORE MY CHART account. Delete!
HUDSON VALLEY COCAINE TRAFFICKING RING TAKEDOWN...
DEADLINE APPROACHING--WESTCHESTER COUNTY YOUTH SERVICE AWARDS 2026
The Westchester County Youth Bureau and Youth Board are currently accepting nominations for the 2026 Youth Service Awards for high school students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and service to their community.
Criteria and Deadline for Nominations
Nominees must be high school students in 11th or 12th grade who reside in Westchester
A nominator may nominate more than one student -- please use a separate nomination form for each student.
Students are not permitted to nominate themselves.
Nominations must be submitted by Friday, October 9, 2026, at 5 p.m. SEE MORE AT 2026 Youth Service Awards
BY SPECIAL REQUEST: DIY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES---BOYS
A reader doesn't care much for what's available commercially these days in Halloween costumes for boys and wants to try the home-made, traditional route.....but is all thumbs......
We get that.....You may find some inspiration from a page out of the 1970 Sears Wishbook...click on the photo.......or...the easiest---grab your glue gun and...
BY SPECIAL REQUEST: DIY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES---BOYS
***FOOTBALL FIELD, DOLLAR STORE COSTUME; MORE HERE
***SPIDER INFESTATION COSTUME! MORE HERE.
***FELT PUPPY EARS HEADBAND; GO TO Felt Puppy Ears Headband
***NO SEW PIRATE COSTUME; MORE HERE
***6 COOL HOME MADE FIRE FIGHTER COSTUMES; MORE HERE
BY SPECIAL REQUEST: DIY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES---BOYS
***FOOTBALL FIELD, DOLLAR STORE COSTUME; MORE HERE
***SPIDER INFESTATION COSTUME! MORE HERE.
***FELT PUPPY EARS HEADBAND; GO TO Felt Puppy Ears Headband
***NO SEW PIRATE COSTUME; MORE HERE
***6 COOL HOME MADE FIRE FIGHTER COSTUMES; MORE HERE
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