Keeping Harrison Clean; Kudos To Keio: Mayor's Column

From Mayor Ron Belmont

As many of you may know, Avalon Communities will be starting construction on a parking garage, in downtown Harrison, on the lot owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Association (MTA). The garage will have over 400 spaces, owned and operated by the MTA, for commuters.
There will also be additional spaces for residents of the soon to be built residential project and for commercial users. I am very encouraged by the changes proposed by this exciting project and am eager to work with MTA and Avalon on a shared vision that will support the various needs of our community.

Judging by the number of volunteers for this year’s Spring Spruce Up event, it’s easy to see that the Town of Harrison is committed to a vision in which every neighborhood is a clean, green, beautiful place to live. Residents expect the Town Board to do what is required to insure that this objective is achieved. This goal can be reached only through cooperation and team work and I am asking that each member of our community do their part in removing debris and discarded items from their property in accordance with Harrison’s municipal code. You can find the entire Town/Village code at www.harrison-ny.gov . I encourage everyone to comply in an effort to preserve the appearance of our neighborhoods. I hope you will all work with me in keeping Harrison looking its best.

Once again, congratulations are in order for Keio Academy and this year’s magnificent Cherry Blossom Reception. It was an honor to attend this lovely event. The school’s talented students provided guests with wonderful entertainment. I would like to recognize Keio Academy and their long standing presence in Harrison. In addition to being a school of excellence, the Keio community brings Japanese tradition and culture to Harrison and I appreciate all their contributions.

I would like to bring your attention to an issue that comes up each year. Spring is upon us and dog owners may be walking their pets more frequently in and around our neighborhoods. In an effort to be courteous, dog walkers should carry disposable waste bags and clean up after their pets. Used dog waste bags should not be left in neighbor’s trash cans or recycling bins and should not be thrown into the storm drains on our streets and roadways.

Proper disposal of dog waste is a must and every dog owner should participate.

With Passover and Easter on the horizon, I hope residents find time to get together with friends and family and to relax and unwind. On behalf of my fellow Councilmen, I would like to take this time to wish all residents a happy and safe Passover and Easter holiday season.

I would like to extend a heart felt congratulations to Harrison resident Beatrice Goldstein on becoming a US citizen. Citizenship in the United States comes with the important responsibilities of protecting our country’s values and living in accordance with our laws. This is a wonderful accomplishment and I wish Ms. Goldstein all the best.

I would like to recognize The Harrison Players and the wonderful job they did with their recent staging of the musical, “Working”. It was a pleasure to see this fantastic production and the hard work and talent really showed through. Congrats to all involved.

In closing, please make note of the following announcement from our Assessor’s Office: May 1 st is the deadline for all Senior tax exemptions.

The next “Lunch with the Mayor” is on Friday, April 16th and I will be at Porta Napoli located at 261 Halstead Avenue in downtown Harrison. On Friday, May 3 rd I will be at T-N-T Luncheonette located at 244 Harrison Avenue. I will be at these locations from 12:30 to 1:30 and look forward to meeting with residents and talking about issues facing our community.