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Welcome to the home of the North Salem Democratic Club.  We aim to keep you up-to-date on our elected officials, what's happening at town hall, vacancies that occur so that you might consider volunteering, who represents us on our town Democratic Committee and so much more.  Thanks for viewing.

If you are interested in learning more about Proposition 1, check out Erica Smitka's interview with Look TV, a regional YouTube program by clicking on this link:  Proposition 1.  Erica is the Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of New York State.  Proposition 1 is an Amendent to the New York State Constitution that puts the power back into the hands of New Yorkers; protecting all New Yorkers from discrimination by the government. 

Description of Proposal:

This proposal amends Article 1, Section 11 of the New York Constitution. Section 11 now protects against unequal treatment based on race, color, creed, and religion. The proposal will amend the act to also protect against unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes, as well as reproductive healthcare and autonomy. The amendment allows laws to prevent or undo past discrimination.

This year we lost one of our longest and most devoted members, Herbert Geller, at the age of 102.  Here is his obit and below are two acknowledgements of the Clubs contribution in accordance with the family wishes:

Herbert F. Geller, 102, of North Salem, NY formerly of Bronx, New York, passed away Thursday, February 29th, 2024 at his home.

Herb was born on December 9th, 1921 in Bronx, NY to the late Samuel and May Geller. A first-generation Jewish American, Herb joined the Signal Corps and the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He went on to train as a radio repairman at Camp Crowder in Missouri and then was assigned to the new Army Air Corps and deployed to England. After the war ended, he manned a radio tower in ally-occupied Germany. He rose to the rank of Corporal and was honorably discharged in 1946. After World War II, he studied journalism at Long Island University in Brooklyn and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, thanks to the G.I Bill.  

After graduating with his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, he met Gloria (née Feldman) Geller and they got married on October 7th, 1956. He moved to Mt. Kisco, New York and worked at the Patent Trader. He later became a writer and editor for the Bridgeport Post. For his series on the bicentennial, he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He was also a playwright and wrote the musical “Who Built the World” about the struggles of Irish immigrants. 

 

A leader of the North Salem American Legion, Herb was heavily involved in local politics in Westchester County throughout his life, later becoming the head of the Westchester Democratic Committee for many years. He was deeply devoted to the Democratic Party and campaigned for numerous progressive causes and candidates. Herb was also a committed neighbor and was President of his neighborhood’s Candlewood Lake Association for over 20 years. A committed veteran, he led the Memorial Day Parade for North Salem for over 30 years.

 

Gregarious, outspoken, fun-loving and adventurous, Herb made friends easily and they remained loyal throughout his life. However, his greatest joy was his late wife Gloria and their three daughters, JeriAnn, Sharon, and Nisa. Herb is survived by his daughters, his sons-in-law Dr. William Zinn and Jeffrey Tannenbaum, his grandchildren Ariel, Grant, Benji, Isabella, Oriana, Joseph and Samuel, his grandson-in-law Ben Starkweather, and his great-grandson, Gabriel Starkweather. He was predeceased by his wife Gloria and his sister, Erna Beth Drucker. He also leaves eight nieces and nephews, eight great-nieces and nephews, and his beloved caretakers Minerva Rodriguez and Dora, Flory, and Margarita Morales.

 

A graveside ceremony honoring his life will be held at 11:30 AM on Sunday March 3rd at Sharon Gardens, Kensico Cemetery, 273 Lakeview Avenue, Valhalla, NY 10585. A Shiva and celebration of his life will be held at his home, 2 Stephen Road, North Salem, NY 10560 from 1:00 - 7:00 PM following the graveside ceremony.

 

Donations in his memory may be made to the Community Center of Northern Westchester, which is committed to reducing hunger and providing resources for local communities.  Click here to donate

This year's Presidential Primary is Tuesday, April 2nd.  For information on absentee and early voting, visit the County website:  click here

There is also information on how to register and early voting on the League website (League of Women's Voters Northeast Westchester) - LWV

The following town boards and town committees have open seats where you can serve:

Conservation Advisory Council - 2 year term

1 Vacancy - Term Ends 10/31/24

 

Town Housing Board - 3 year term

1 Vacancy - Term Ends 4/14/2025

1 Vacancy - Term Ends 4/14/2025

1 Vacancy - Term Ends 4/14/2026

 

Information on the various boards can be found on the Town website.

 

If you are interested in serving on one of the boards/committees, please send a letter of interest along with a resume to Maria Hlushko, Town Clerk at mhlushko@northsalemny.org

From the Desk of Katherine Daniels:

August 2023

Dear Friends and Neighbors: 

 

We face a unique challenge due to the ballot this year.  I am one of only two Democrats on the Town Board.  I will be running against two Republican candidates: incumbent Brent Golisano and Elizabeth Almeyda, a newcomer to Town government.  The two open seats for Town Board will go to the candidate with the first and second highest votes. 

 

Cast only One Vote

With two Republican opponents in a Republican-led Town, the odds could be stacked against me unless my supporters cast one vote -- for me – for Town Board. Voting for only one is a way to show strong support for the candidate who best represents your values and convictions.  If you vote for a second Town Board candidate, you are in effect nullifying your vote for me.  more

Your Vote November 7th is Essential

We are concerned that voter turnout could be low because there are no national candidates on the ballot.  Local government matters –it drives crucial legislation that affects our daily lives here. And government works best when there are checks on the party in power. Consensus is built by having more than one party represented on the Town Board. 

 

A Winning Track Record

I am proud that I have worked so well with our government in the past three years and have accomplished a great deal. My priorities remain largely the same: 

ü  Planning and community engagement

ü  Diversity of leadership

ü  Fiscal responsibility

ü  Transparency

ü  Preserving and protecting open space and the environment.

 

As for my accomplishments:

 

Climate and Energy Efficiency:  I am proud of what I have accomplished as chair of the Climate Smart Community leadership team.  Due to the efforts of my team, the Town earned bronze certification, joining the ranks of Bedford and other towns on the cutting edge in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a cleaner, more energy efficient economy.  We conducted a greenhouse gas inventory, passed a Climate Action Plan, adopted NY Stretch (an energy-saving enhancement to our Building Code) and made some energy saving improvements to Town buildings.  We also conducted a series of educational campaigns to help residents improve the efficiency of their homes and businesses.  We continue to work closely with NYSEG and other groups to improve the electric grid and make it more resilient to flooding, excessive heat, extreme weather and other challenges associated with climate change.  We continue to promote composting, waste reduction and recycling and support efforts to preserve North Salem’s wetlands, woodlands and open space.  In three short years, we have accomplished a lot, but there is more to do.  I am fully committed to getting even more done.

 

Capital Planning:  Although North Salem’s Comprehensive Plan has called for a capital plan since 2011, until I joined the Board in 2020, there was no capital planning committee and no formal effort being made to plan for capital improvements, such as replacing aging pipes and equipment in the water and sewer districts, improving Town buildings and expanding our capacity for recreation and other services.  For example, it has been decades since Town Hall was last renovated.  Delancey Hall is a beautiful historic building, but it is run down and there was no plan to fix it.  Generally, we have been deferring maintenance on Delancey, Lobdell and other Town buildings, forcing the Board to scramble when critical systems fail.  Good capital planning ensures that the Town will have money in place and be prepared to deal with potentially large expenditures before they happen to avoid large fluctuations in budgeting.  It also gives residents a clearer idea about what is important and when to expect things to happen.  I am working with a great team of volunteers to develop a capital plan for North Salem.  I am fully committed to getting this done too.

 

Good Governance:  Upon joining the Town Board three years ago, I realized how inefficiently things were operating.  Information was stranded in silos on individual computers and inaccessible when employees were out of the office.  Much of the financial work was being done manually.  The process was not transparent to the Board and prone to error. This needed to change.  With the help of the Director of Finance and others, I convinced the Board to invest in municipal software that will eliminate many of the inefficiencies and make it easier for the Board to carry out its fiduciary duties. 

 

I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the Town Board and I hope you will continue to support me in that role.  Please make sure to vote on November 7th or take advantage of early voting, which starts on October 25 and runs through November 5.  Absentee ballots can be obtained through the absentee request portal.  Remember, be strategic.  Target what matters most and cast your vote for me.  Encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.

 

You can support my campaign again this year by sending a donation using the following link:  DONATE.  You can also mail a check to The Committee to Elect Katherine Daniels at 768 Peach Lake Road, North Salem, NY 10560.

 

Sincerely,

Katherine

From the Desk of Martin Aronchick:

September 13, 2022

I am grateful to the people of North Salem for having returned me to office as a Councilman this past November 2021. I continue to work hard to justify this trust, and would like to let everyone know what I’ve accomplished and what projects I will be working on in the immediate future.


My legal background has given me a wealth of experience in government service. In my current position as a Managing Director with K2 Integrity LLC, I advise our government clients on integrity and compliance issues. On our Town Board, I have scrutinized each of the many contracts that the Town enters into, looking for ways to protect the Town’s interests. Early in my tenure as a Town Councilman, I wrote a new Ethics code, to safeguard the Town’s integrity, and a new Social Media policy, to promote transparency.


Among my priorities going forward are promoting Croton Falls; protecting the Town’s environment; preserving the Town’s unique historical character; and creating new opportunities for recreation. To achieve these purposes, I am the Town Board’s liaison to the Committee drafting the master plan for the Croton Falls Hamlet; and I am the Town Board’s liaison to the Conservation Advisory Committee, the Recreation Committee and the Historic Preservation Commission. more

I was one of the leaders of the Town Task Force that reviewed the procedures and policies of the Town Police Department and made recommendations to promote transparency, community engagement, and the betterment of the Department.


I drafted a policy and procedure for the use of our Town properties for public events. Perhaps you visited the pocket park in Croton Falls last June for the arts festival that was held there in 2021. (Hopefully, you enjoyed the music that my jazz duo played at that event!) We needed a policy that encourages and regulates such events, and I took on that job.


I enjoy my service on the Town Board. We conduct the Town’s business in a civil, non-partisan and effective manner. The most important task that we are confronting is protection of North Salem’s rural character and open spaces, while keeping our taxes down and our property values up. I will continue to be a strong advocate who will protect North Salem from over development.


I feel a genuine commitment to the welfare of the North Salem Community, and have involved myself in many civic groups. I am an active member of the Croton Falls Fire Dept. (Interior Firefighter and EMT); of the North Salem Historical Society (as an officer, past Trustee and former President); of the North Salem Lion’s Club; and was an Assistant Scoutmaster with North Salem Boy Scout Troop 1.


It is of paramount importance that the Town Board fulfill the wishes and goals of the entire community – its residents, property owners and business operators – in everything we do.  I draw on my knowledge of the Town’s affairs from my Town Board service and from my participation in local civic groups to accomplish these goals.  But I need your help.  Please contact me at 914-276-0212 (my home phone) or at maronchick@northsalemny.org<mailto:maronchick@northsalemny.org> (my Town email) or at mnrj@optonline.net<mailto:mnrj@optonline.net> (my home email) to share your ideas about what the Town should be doing or if otherwise you wish to speak to me about any aspect of Town business.


The Town needs your help as a volunteer as well. The diverse array of Town committees provides a means of getting involved in the Town’s affairs in a manner that appeals to your specific interests. Please contact me if you wish to explore being a Town volunteer.


It is a privilege to serve as a Town Councilman, and I thank the voters of North Salem for giving me the opportunity to do so! 

Martin C. Aronchick