Letters to the Editor, week of Dec. 20

‘No drop in the bucket’ column hit topics dear to her heart

To the Editor:

Ellen Best’s article, “No drop in the bucket” (The Recorder, Dec. 13) so hit on topics dear to my heart (interacting with neighbors, community connections and water usage) that I felt compelled to drop you an email. 

Coincidentally, I recently attended a talk and tour of the Ossining Weir, organized by the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct. In case you may not be aware, the weir is part of the Old Croton Aqueduct. Pete Dispensa, a civil engineer with the Department of Environmental Protection, led the two-hour discussion and tour. Mr. Dispensa provided a tantalizing history of the weir, which was constructed in 1842, and New York City waterways before attendees were invited to literally descend into the depths of the aqueduct. He also talked about the Delaware Aqueduct project, which also was mentioned in the article, to fix the 35-million-gallon a day leak which was paused due to the recent drought. 

For those who are interested, there is another tour of the Ossining Weir tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 21, at 10 a.m. Preregistration is required at aqueduct.org for the free event, which convenes at the Joseph Caputo Center located at 95 Broadway, Ossining. Besides educating participants on the New York City water supply system, the discussion and tour are great catalysts for spreading awareness about the necessity of water conservation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and encourage all to attend. It is the type of community event, albeit extended community, that I find greatly appealing and for which I am constantly searching.

Looking forward to future “Best Foot Forward” editions.

Camille Prisco

Pound Ridge

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Lewisboro officials ignoring concerns over country club use

To the Editor:

Misrepresented as “beach club/snack bar improvements” for its member-only, summer-only day camp and picnic area, the Waccabuc Country Club has broken ground on what appears to be a three-season, full-on family resort and nighttime restaurant/bar/TV lounge accommodating up to 345 “guests” within inches of Lake Waccabuc, a private, exclusively residential water body, part of the New York City auxiliary reservoir system.

This waterfront expansion of an existing nonconforming use to accommodate a restaurant/bar/event venue is egregious, in and of itself, but it will also establish an ominous precedent for future lakefront development throughout Lewisboro. 

So, why has the town been stonewalling us for months on our 50-signature petition for a rehearing of the massive and unconditioned area variances granted by the zoning board to green light this project?  Since August, we have been knocking on the doors of the planning board, building department, town board and zoning board — and, more recently, our New York state assemblyman, state senator, Westchester County legislator and board of health, even the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Crickets.

For four straight months, the zoning board has shut us out of their agenda, when all we are requesting is a simple vote to hold a rehearing. Yes, and upon that rehearing to impose reasonable conditions on the use of these new commercial facilities.We have hired a lawyer, observed all application submission requirements, and know that we have standing. Yet, our concerns go unaddressed month after month. As of now, the zoning board has not committed to ever hearing us. Meanwhile, construction continues unabated.

Anyone who is concerned about the precedent this sets should register their interest/concern in the ZBA voting for a rehearing by writing to “Chair Price and Members of the Zoning Board” at zoning@lewisborony.gov, copying townclerk@lewisborony.gov for distribution to the town board.

Tara A. Owen

President, Save our Serenity neighborhood coalition

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Retired BCSD teacher: changes in health care coverage are ‘cruel’

To the Editor:

I am one of the many retired Bedford Central School District teachers and active employees who are very upset about our current health care plan. I am 78 years old, a breast cancer survivor and am personally terrified about the changes in coverage I’ve experienced since retiring. My oncologist is no longer in the network, along with my other doctors and hospitals. Am I supposed to risk the cancer returning by being forced to go to another doctor simply because he or she is in network? My doctor and hospital stated that while they have been successful with every other Medicare Advantage plan, they have not been able to work with our company, Anthem. 

The promise the school district made to us as retirees when they took away our original Medicare and replaced it with Anthem’s Medicare Advantage plan was that we would have “as good as or better” coverage, but instead the change has reduced previous coverage, increased costs significantly and worse, many hospitals and physicians are refusing to partner with Anthem. This is just cruel. Please give us your support. 

Juliane Harris

Ridgefield, Conn.