We’re Not No. 1?
Nope, for a change. Westchester comes in seventh out of 62 in a ranking of the healthiest counties in the state (that county to the north of us comes in first).
Musical Notes
Yonkers resident Kevin Puts wins the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his debut opera, Silent Night: Opera in Two Acts, which was commissioned and premiered by the Minnesota Opera in Minneapolis in November 2011.
(Not So) Funny Business
Mamaroneck sure isn’t the Riverdale of Archie Comics, but the co-chief executives of this family-run business certainly are feuding like Betty and Veronica for exclusive rights to the red-haired, freckle-faced, perpetual teen. Nancy Silberkleit, daughter-in-law of a company founder, under court order to stay away from the business, wants to maintain the status quo, while Jonathan Goldwater, son of another founder, wants to expand Archie’s brand. We predict a real cat fight.
We Feel Pretty
Of course, you heard it here first! In our 2010 “Best Places to Live” feature, we noted that Tarrytown was “charming, with a delightful downtown bustling with antiques stores, galleries, one-of-a-kind shops, restaurants, and…a great music hall.” Now, Forbes has joined the Tarrytown fan club and names it one of the top 10 prettiest towns in the country. Gee, Forbes, call us the next time you do that feature—we’d be happy to help you out.
A Legend Passes
American Bandstand legend Dick Clark, who was born and raised in Mount Vernon, dies at 82. Journal News reporter Jorge Fitz-Gibbon recalls past interviews with Clark.
“Dick Clark once told me that one of his fondest memories growing up was listening to the jukebox at ‘Itchum’s,’ a corner hangout in his hometown of Mount Vernon, where kids—including a young Clark—would flock after school to hear the latest tunes.”
Wrestler of the Year
Somers High School senior Brian Realbuto is already having a pretty darn good year, having committed to Cornell and being a two-time state champ in wrestling. Then he does what no wrestler in Section 1 has done—and nails the title once again, becoming the Journal News Westchester/Putnam Wrestler of the Year. Third time is, indeed, a charm.
Ridge Hill Ramps Up
More high-end shopping—just what Westchester needs! Lord & Taylor opens an 80,000-square-foot store in the snazzy new Ridge Hill development in Yonkers. Built by mega-developer Forest City Ratner Companies, the group responsible for the New York Times Building, the New York by Gehry building, and Brooklyn’s MetroTech Center, Ridge Hill is a self-contained little city on a hill with luxury condos, offices, a cineplex, retail stores, and restaurants.
