River Journal reached out to each of the four candidates for the Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustees, offering an opportunity to express why residents should elect them. All four responses follow.
Village elections will be on Tuesday, March 16th, 2021. Polls will be opened from 6:00am to 9:00pm.
For absentee ballots, contact the Board of Elections at 995-5700 or the Village Clerk at 366-5106-5113, (March 10th is the last day to file an absentee ballot) in addition you may log onto:
https://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/absentee-ballots
All information in this article was written and submitted by Sleepy Hollow Board of Trustee candidates. River Journal, as a matter of policy, does not endorse candidates.
Tom Andruss
As a candidate for Trustee, I want to help awaken the full potential of Sleepy Hollow. I am running with the Unite Sleepy Hollow ticket, which is a group that I have supported since its formation. After moving to the Village in 2007 with my young family, I realized that Sleepy Hollow is much more than the home of the Legend. It is a gem on the Hudson River. My kids have grown up here and still attend the public schools. Few Westchester communities can boast the grand riverfront vistas, vibrant neighborhood spirit, and diverse populace of Sleepy Hollow.
As a three-year member of the Village Planning Board, I watched as Mayor Wray, Deputy Mayor Glenn Rosenbloom, and their Unite Sleepy Hollow team achieved many successes. When the opportunity presented itself, I opted to join the team. My priority is to see that the Edge-on-Hudson development is carried through and completed in a timely fashion. I am also excited by the Village’s project to develop public land called The Common. That project will connect parts of Sleepy Hollow in a meaningful way, providing better access to recreation for all residents.
But Sleepy Hollow also needs more targeted projects to beautify and enhance the character of our village. A few years ago, we saw the addition of a lighted sidewalk with embedded poetry in the pavement along Riverside Drive. The Beekman Ave overpass above the Metro North tracks was replaced in cooperation with Edge-on-Hudson. More recently, the Village began to plan for viewing platforms and nature paths in Devries Park.
I will help the Village balance the major development projects and the smaller, neighborhood initiatives. Sleepy Hollow is on the path to becoming a destination, and I am excited to help the Village on the journey.
Daniel Convissor
Sleepy Hollow is a good place. With wise leadership, we can make it a great place.
My interest in public policy and government goes back to childhood. The passion grew as a young adult. When Mayor Koch proposed the Midtown bike ban in 1987, I started working with advocacy organizations, and subsequently delved into transportation policy; reading laws, public documents and analyzing NYC’s budgets.
It is my nature to observe how things work and make them more efficient. Upon seeing something broken, I feel an urge to fix it. During Morse School’s parent orientation for my first kid, the Principal apologized for the gym being closed due to flooding. (Sewage was backing up during rain storms!) Clearly, a sewer line was blocked. I contacted Village officials, following up until it was resolved. I’ve tackled issues big and small in Sleepy Hollow ever since.
Soon after moving here in 2013, I joined the Environmental Advisory Committee, focusing on street safety and leading yearly cleanups in Douglas Park. We produced recommendations in 2018 for improving safety at 9 intersections on Beekman, Valley and Cortlandt. With other groups I helped draft plans that make Routes 9 and 119 safer for everyone.
Over the years I have watched, testified and presented at more than 90 Board of Trustee meetings. Digging in to several of Sleepy Hollow’s budgets when they came out, I produced suggestions for savings, revenue sources, and I noted some accounting slip ups. I see how the Village operates and have cooperated with staff. This involvement revealed improvements we can make to achieve our potential.
I have the experience, passion and vision Sleepy Hollow needs to get better budgets, communication, housing, quality of life and environment. More info is online at convissor.net. Vote for Daniel Convissor on the Change for the Better ballot line.
Jared Rodriguez
I live Downtown at Kendall and Beekman Avenues with my wife Lindsay and our son Calvin. We’re restoring a two–family house while living in it, making it super energy efficient and eventually carbon neutral, doing much of the work ourselves.
I grew up in Haverstraw and Stony Point and attended North Rockland High School, Tufts University for civil engineering and architecture, and NYU for a Masters in sustainable real estate development. In my career, I’ve made a big impact on reducing energy consumption in very large multifamily and commercial buildings, helping communities and small businesses in the Hudson Valley plan for a better future, representing the transportation needs of a significant portion of citizens in the metropolitan area, and now doing exciting and fulfilling work advising the City and State of New York on addressing the challenge of rapid climate change.
Lindsay and I moved to Sleepy Hollow in 2017. The Village perfectly met our needs like affordability, a walkable and socially diverse downtown with train access, recreation, and groceries all within walking distance. At the time we didn’t realize how magical Sleepy Hollow is, from incredible sunsets and river views, to deeply comforting scenes of neighbors being together with their families in their backyards, the sound of children playing in our neighborhood, and a community that reverberates with kindness and support – or at least that’s how Downtown feels. We shovel each other’s snow. We look out for each other.
I didn’t grow up with this. I lived in suburban sprawl along the Palisades Parkway on the way to Bear Mountain. Living in a real community feels reassuring and safe. I want my son to experience this way of life. I value being part of a tight Village and I’m hopeful my fellow neighbors will embrace me and what valuable expertise I will bring to the Board of Trustees.
More information about me and my resume are available at www.jaredtrodriguez.com
Denise Scaglione
I have lived in Sleepy Hollow for 22 years with my husband and two sons, and have served as a trustee since 2015. I am an office manager and volunteer with the SHHS Athletic Study Committee and the SH Football Boosters. The Boosters require the players to be active in the community, and this year the team volunteered for NYS Senator Peter Harckham’s SH food drive, and they held their own fundraiser raising over $10,000 to feed first responders and families in need during the height of the pandemic.
During my current term as Trustee, Mayor Wray tasked me with leading initiatives to revitalize our parks and natural spaces. If re-elected, I will continue that work. I am working with county officials and design teams for Devries Park and the Common. With NYS DOT, we are in discussions regarding improvements to Route 9, successfully installing the pedestrian signal at Pierson. The Pocantico shoreline, sea wall at Kingsland, and renovation of the Lighthouse are all on my agenda.
River access is why I lobbied for the kayak rack at Horan’s Landing and I will do the same for Devries. I worked with village staff on two public events this year, The Wishing Wall and Chick Galella’s 100th Birthday Celebration.
Unite Sleepy Hollow’s priorities are:
- Moving forward on the 2019 Village Comprehensive Plan
- Passing fiscally responsible budgets, keeping taxes low without cutting services. (Annual Village property taxes have averaged less than 2% for the last 10 years.)
- Strengthening Village departments to meet the needs of our growing population. (A DPW management study will provide recommendations for a state-of-the-art facility; the NYS “Length of Service Award Program” for our volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Corp is established.)
- Supporting our business community on Beekman Avenue, Valley and Cortlandt Streets with “Living Streets” initiatives.
This is an exciting time in Sleepy Hollow and I’m looking forward to continuing my work for the Village.
