Croton Week in Review: July 14-18
Nora Nicholson interview, more Sarcone news, lightning hits golf club, arrests in alleged CVS thefts, revolutionary field trip, ConEd at Gotwald Gardens, CCA electricity rates, and how to solarize.
Monday July 14
The Chronicle started off the week with an in-depth interview with Croton trustee Nora Nicholson, who is running for re-election this November on the Croton Democrats ticket along with incumbent mayor Brian Pugh and first time candidate Karen Pecora. We talked a lot about her history and background as a student in Croton, her shift from the corporate to the non-profit world, and a number of burning issues in the village—including, of course, the all consuming debate over housing development in Croton. Interviews with Pugh and Pecora will be coming up soon.
Also this day, a panel of federal judges declined to reappoint Croton attorney John Sarcone as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York. Sarcone had been appointed on an interim basis by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to the 120 day slot, but his tenure generated considerable controversy. Asked to comment by the Chronicle, Sarcone sent us a quote attributed to Mark Twain, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” We soon found out what he meant (see below.)
It was a stormy evening, and the Hudson National Golf Club took a hit from a lightning bolt. Our heroes at the Croton-on-Hudson volunteer fire department were quickly on the scene, one of many calls they answered during the evening. No injuries were reported.
Tuesday July 15
In a press release today, the Croton Police Department reported the arrest of two Queens men for allegedly stealing, on June 1 of this year, $2,440 worth of merchandise from our local CVS Pharmacy on Maple Street. Using sophisticated investigative techniques, police arrested one of the men—Lawrence Davis, 38—on June 27, and the other—Vasilios Sotiropoulis, 55—on July 11. Both also had charges pending in other communities, and both were remanded to the Westchester County Jail pending posting of cash bail. The Chronicle will update this report as events warrant.
Also today, we reported on a Sunday field trip by our local archaeology chapter to the Fort Montgomery State Historic Site, just 20 or so minutes away from Croton. The fort was destroyed by British forces during a pivotal battle in the American Revolution. Although the Americans lost, the battle paved the way for the victory of the patriots at Saratoga just days later, which historians say marked the turning point in the revolutionary war.
Wednesday July 16
Today we reported on the possible impact of upcoming ConEd work at the intersection of Cleveland Drive and Benedict Boulevard, home of the new Gotwald Gardens. The utility will be replacing the gas main line that goes under the median strip, which not long ago was planted with shrubs and flowers. This will require three excavations along the median, but ConEd and Croton officials assured the Chronicle that damage would be minimal. We will monitor the situation over the coming weeks and report on the progress of the work.
Also today, we found out what Croton attorney John Sarcone was talking about when he quoted Mark Twain to the effect that his “death” had been greatly exaggerated. The Trump administration appointed Sarcone as a Special Attorney and returned him to his Albany office for at least another 210 days. In reality, Sarcone will now become acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York. The administration has not yet tried to give Sarcone a permanent appointment to the post, which would require the approval of the U.S. Senate; Sarcone has also told local media that he is in line for a federal judgeship.
Thursday July 17
Joel Gingold, a very long-time Croton resident and retired nuclear engineer, penned another Guest Editorial for the Chronicle, this time about Sustainable Westchester’s Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program for delivering electricity to village residents and businesses. Gingold questioned whether the CCA was the best deal for villagers, but most importantly, he criticized the Croton Board of Trustees for keeping residents “in the dark” about their choices—especially since the CCA rate has been significantly higher than ConEd’s for some time now. If we receive a response from Sustainable Westchester, we will certainly publish it.
Friday July 18
Yesterday we featured a Guest Editorial critical of Sustainable Westchester’s electricity supply program, so it’s only fair that today we put a more positive spin on the organization’s activities. We reported on a Webinar the previous evening, introduced by State Senator Pete Harckham and conducted by former Croton mayor Leo Wiegman and other staff at Sustainable Westchester, about its new solar program designed to help homeowners navigate the solar installation process. Time is of the essence for those who wish to take advantage of federal tax credits, which under Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill will be running out at the end of this year.
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