Eastchester Board of Trustees Discuss Upcoming Events

After a quick call to order by Eastchester's Town Board and the Pledge of Allegiance, Supervisor Anthony Colavita gave the floor to Peter McCartt, Chair of the Eastchester Environmental Committee, at the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night.

McCartt was there to discuss Eastchester's third annual Green Day Festival at Town Hall, which is set for Saturday, June 12^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be 60 participating organizations, including exhibits and interactive demonstrations on local ecosystems, energy efficiency, and alternative energies.

"We always get asked how to green your backyard, so we'll have a presentation on that," said McCartt. Festival-goers will learn about water conservation, how to compost, and what sustainability means.

"We'll have beekeepers, lots of food, veggies and wraps, plenty of tastings from local restaurants," he explained. "There'll be lots of giveaways and freebies. We have three free CFLs (Compact Florescent Lamps), and reusable totes, so everyone will go home with something. Bring your reusable mug and get free gourmet coffee from Trader Joe's."

Six live bands have been secured, five of which are part of the children's entertainment for the day, like the Musical Munchkins and Annie and the Natural Wonder Band.

Solar Punch, who also played last year, will be performing this year as well. Like their namesake, the band uses solar power to play, loading up their batteries with the sun's rays.

"This is going to be a really fun event for the whole family," he said, telling the Board that residents can go to GreenWestchester.com for more info.

The theme of parties and festivals stayed on the agenda as citizens and the Board spoke about the Memorial Day ceremony and parade on the morning of Monday, May 31^st.

"I attended the Memorial Day festivities and thought it was a wonderful experience," said Christine of Hill Road in Eastchester, "I was humbled. Kudos. My son rode in the parade and loved it."

Councilman Michael Cahalin also said how nicely the parade was done this year, giving special thanks to Eastchester resident Mike Fix, who helped put the parade together.

Councilman Cahalin commended the high school band for sounding fantastic and said, "The parade was well attended, but not as it should be. I think people lose the spirit of the day."

He continued, "It's important for the people to know the history. And young children need to understand it too. We need to support the veterans. They put their life on the line for us. We can never forget the veterans."

Councilman Frederick Salanitro voiced his concerns regarding underage drinking at prom.

"We need our children to have a safe prom season and graduation. We need to ensure that they don't participate in any underage drinking," he said. He stressed vigilance and prevention to parents in preventing the kids from drinking.

Supervisor Colavita told everyone to mark their calendars for Lake Isle Country Club's 30th anniversary event on Friday, July 2^nd.

FDR Drive will be performing live from 7 to 10:30 p.m, and the fireworks display begins at 9:15 p.m. The parking lot will be reserved to watch the show and can accommodate up to a couple thousand people. Hotdogs, hamburgers, Italian ice, and bottled water will be available.

All the funds for the event are in the town's budget, Supervisor Colavita stressed. The band's $2,000 fee comes out of the town's special event money. 

Other topics discussed included the police department upgrading their answering machine/telephone service. Police Chief Timothy Bonci recommends using Light Path for installation at a cost of $1,800. The service comes with a 5-year maintenance plan, which costs 10 percent less than what they had been paying for maintenance, he said.

Supervisor Colavita ended the meeting with a moment of silence for war veterans, those currently serving and for police officers.