Winners
Liz and Steve Alderman. The Armonk couple received the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor. Their son, Peter, was killed on 9/11 in the World Trade Center, and they subsequently established a foundation in his name, which provides mental health care to victims of violence around the world.
County shoppers. The controversial Ridge Hill complex in Yonkers celebrated its official opening, drawing thousands of local residents hoping to win door prizes and take advantage of other one-time promotions at the mixed-use center’s stores and restaurants, which include H&M, Lord & Taylor, L.L.Bean, Sephora, and The Cheesecake Factory.
Westchester homeowners. The county recorded a 9-percent increase in home sales in the third quarter of 2011 over the same quarter in 2010; sales jumped 7 percent in Rockland and 9.8 percent in Putnam.
Losers
Jose Martinez. The former New Rochelle middle-school dean was sentenced to six months in jail and 10 years of probation for sexual contact with a 14-year-old male in his office at the school.
Rivertowns residents. A recent environmental report revealed that more sewage was spilled into and contaminated the Hudson River in 2010 (19 million gallons in all) than along the entire coastline of California.
Greenburgh homeowners. Several homes in the town were flooded after a drunk driver crashed into a fire hydrant. The fire department used pumps to help empty the water from the homes’ flooded basements. The driver was charged with DWI.
