Westchester County Newsmakers, 12.29.2014
Empire City Casino toy and coat drive
For the eighth consecutive year, Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway President and CEO Timothy J. Rooney and Catholic Charities teamed up to make the holiday season happier for New York families in need. The “Christmas Spirit Toy and Coat Drive,” which began Nov. 29 and continued through Dec. 17, produced new and unwrapped toys as well as new or gently used coats. The items were delivered to Catholic Charities-supported agencies for Christmas.
Josh Blake, president of California-based and family-owned company Jams, donated 500 toys to the annual drive for the third consecutive year. John Lennon, owner of Yonkers-based Smart Move & Storage, donated his company”™s services to transport and store donations while they were distributed by community organizations.
Dyson Center earns accreditation
The Dyson Center for Cancer Care at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in radiation oncology as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR).
Radiation oncology is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist may use radiation to cure cancer or to relieve a cancer patient”™s pain.
“The safe delivery of radiation therapy requires the coordinated efforts of the entire radiation oncology team and we here at the Dyson Center for Cancer Care take pride in our commitment to patient safety and comfort, which contributes to the overall positive experience,” said Sandi Cassese, vice president of oncology services for Health Quest. “This accreditation is a testament to our role as a leader in high-quality cancer care in the Hudson Valley.”
The Dyson Center for Cancer Care has been accredited by ACR since 2000 and was the first center in the region to receive the recognition.
Walker named to pro bono board
Richard H. Walker has been elected to the Pro Bono Partnership board of directors in White Plains. He is general counsel and member of the group executive committee for Deutsche Bank. Prior to joining the bank, he served as director of the division of enforcement of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He is a trustee emeritus of The American Folk Art Museum and co-chairman of The American Friends of Bucerius Law School.
“Dick is committed to supporting in-house counsel to bridge the access to justice gap, in keeping with the partnership”™s charter. His stature as Deutsche Bank”™s general counsel will help the partnership engage in-house counsel from the financial industry into this important effort,” said Mark Nordstrom, the partnership”™s board chairman and senior counsel-labor and employment law, General Electric Co.
Pro Bono Partnership provides free business and transactional legal services to nonprofit organizations serving the disadvantaged or enhancing the quality of life in neighborhoods in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
ORMC appoints nursing director
Orange Regional Medical Center Surgical Intensive Care Unit in Middletown has appointed Ann Wanderling as unit director of 3 West.
Wanderling joined ORMC in 2012 as bed-flow coordinator. Formerly she worked at Morristown Medical Center in the coronary intensive care unit and has served as a clinical coordinator, unit scheduler and charge and staff registered nurse. She is a member of several nursing committees, including Magnet: New Knowledge and Innovation and the Shared Governance Professional Practice Committee.
Fried named to schools post
Paul R. Fried has been named superintendent of White Plains public schools, effective July 1, for an anticipated three-year contract.
Fried emerged as the finalist among 62 candidates. He comes to White Plains from Montville, N.J., where he has been superintendent for the last five years. Prior to that, he was superintendent of the Mamaroneck School District from 2005 to 2010 and was a principal and assistant superintendent in Ossining for the previous 19 years.
A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, Fried earned his master”™s degree there as well and has a doctorate in educational administration from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Fried succeeds Timothy P. Connors, who returned to White Plains last year as interim superintendent after having served previously as superintendent in the district from 2002 through 2009.
Ulster Savings awards grant
The Ulster Savings Charitable Foundation recently awarded a $5,000 grant to the United Way of Ulster County in support of its “Raising HOPE: Women Mentoring Women to Success” program.
The program, which began in 2008, provides volunteer mentors to offer guidance and support to low-income women as they reach self-sufficiency and a higher quality of life for themselves and their families. Since its inception, “Raising HOPE” has helped hundreds of women achieve educational and vocational goals, including GED and post-secondary courses, job application and interview techniques.
“We”™re very pleased to support the ”˜Raising HOPE”™ program with this grant,” said MaryRose Warcholak, executive director of the foundation. “It is a life-changing initiative for women in need living throughout Ulster County.”
Realtors support Astor program
The real estate community in the Hudson Valley came out to support Rhinebeck-based Astor”™s Adopt-A-Family Program. This program matches donors to Astor”™s children and families in need of assistance during the holiday season. This year, Astor will serve more than 1,800 children and their families.
Those participating in this program included: Adeline Malone Law Office, Berkshire Hathaway Hudson Valley, Arlene Campbell, Gary DiMauro Real Estate, H.H. Hill Realty Services Inc., H.W. Guernsey Realtors, Integrity Land Services LLC, Key Bank, LeGrand Real Estate, Wendy Lyons, Millbrook Real Estate LLC, Patricia A. Hinkein Realty LLC, Paula Redmond Real Estate, Shawn Borrelli Pratt; Rodenhausen Chale LLP and Swan Realty.
Julia Crowley and Linda Lindsay of Paula Redmond Real Estate Inc., and Pat Cortese of H.W Guernsey Realtors Inc., took the lead in organizing the program with their colleagues.
Port Jervis police donate to cancer center
Members of the Port Jervis Police Department recently met with members of Orange Regional Medical Center”™s Spagnoli Family Cancer Center to donate the proceeds from its No Shave November fundraising initiative. The police department raised more than $1,700 and all proceeds will benefit the cancer center.
Wallkill Valley opens branch
Wallkill Valley Federal Savings & Loan opened its newest branch at 205 Homestead Ave. in Maybrook in a space formerly occupied by Chase Bank. Michael Horodyski, president and CEO of the bank, said, “We are really excited to bring a small-town community-minded bank back to the community of Maybrook.”
Products include a variety of checking accounts, short-term and long-term savings accounts and investment property loans.
Denise Malpheir, a former assistant manager at Chase, has accepted the position of branch manager.
Westchester Land Trust receives re-accreditation
The Westchester Land Trust (WLT) has achieved renewed land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance.
“This distinction, first awarded to our organization in 2008, sends an important message to our community that WLT is committed to achieving national standards for excellence in land conservation. We are proud to display the accreditation seal,” WLT President Lori J. Ensinger said.
Accredited land trusts are authorized to display a seal indicating to the public that they meet national standards for excellence, uphold the public trust and ensure that conservation efforts are permanent. WLT is one of only 285 land trusts from across the country that are currently accredited.
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