Editorials

What is the point of voting when you know the outcome of an election before it takes place? Many of us may be asking that question as we look toward the March 16 elections in which eight incumbent trustees in our three river communities are running for re-election to their village boards. All eight candidates are unopposed.

One likely reason they face no opposition is that partisan politics seemingly has had little to do with their current performance on their respective boards in Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and Irvington. While their opinions on various issues may occasionally differ, all the trustees appear to be taking pragmatic stances in pursuing solutions to the problems each village faces.  more »

This issue of The Hudson Independent marks the beginning of our fifth year of publication, an achievement that began in a rather remarkable way for a local newspaper. Seventy-five civic minded members of the communities we serve came together as shareholders in the Hudson Valley News Corporation, in order to create a newspaper that would be objective and impartial in its reporting.

We have strived toward meeting these goals while covering a diverse range of activities that touch the daily lives of all our readers in Irvington, Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. The news we report and information we provide reaches some 13,200 homes and businesses in the three villages, and hundreds more through the paper’s availability at key locations.  more »

Fighting City Hall has traditionally been viewed as a losing battle. So, too, has been duking it out with such established entities as the Metropolitan Transit Authority, Cablevision and the Department of Motor Vehicles.  more »

It’s a privilege that so many take for granted, as evidenced by the woefully low turnouts year in and year out. Yet, those same people, who apparently can’t find the time to get to a polling place, are the first ones to point blame at elected officials.

Election Day is upon us again with races in Westchester County government and state and county judges hanging in the balance. The highest profile contest is for county executive between incumbent Andy Spano and challenger Rob Astorino.

The fate of the district attorney, county clerk and 17 members of the Board of Legislators are also in the hands of those who bother to pull a lever on November 3. For a quick synopsis of all the races, visit www.SmartVoter.org.  more »

With so much doom and gloom and negativity dominating the headlines, how refreshing it is to pause for a moment to recognize the goodwill and enormous generosity of a Tarrytown resident who seeks no publicity but has dedicated much of her long life to making the world a better place.

Kathryn Wasserman Davis is 102 years young and has the smile of a school girl that radiates and grabs the hearts of everyone privileged to be in her presence. A true inspiration in every way.

She had the fortune of marrying a Wall Street legend, Shelby Cullom Davis, and throughout their lives they donated large sums of money to promote global understanding and peace through education, children’s health and well-being and preserving land in the Hudson Valley.  more »

Westchester County is rapidly becoming unaffordable for many residents, especially young families and individuals, such as policemen, firemen, nurses and teachers, who help shape communities.

The situation has worsened in recent years with the sagging economy and real estate market. If there was ever a time for affordable housing units to crop up in local municipalities to retain residents who are fleeing by the dozens on a monthly basis, this is it.  more »

Over the past three and a half years we have provided our readers with news of what is actually happening in our communities, both the good news and the bad news; that is the task of worthy journalism. Citizens informed of all the facts are better equipped to make the right decisions on matters that affect their lives. Now we want to hear more from you and that will be possible on our new website: www.thehudsonindependent.com  more »

Envision our river villages a decade or two in the future. We would see a population increased by riverfront development and housed in other locations found suitable for residential construction. For our auto driven suburban culture that means more cars no matter how close these locations are to mass transit. A new, widened span replacing the existing Tappan Zee Bridge would facilitate a predicted increase in traffic that would move eastward across the county or seek destinations to the north or south on Route 9. However, among that burgeoning flow, we would likely find more motorists from west of the Hudson who cross the span to connect with rail transportation in Westchester.  more »