Local Matters Westchester

Superintendent Mary Fox‑Alter reflects on 40+ years in education, from Pleasantville to East Ramapo to leading Ossining schools. We cover district leadership, a $210M school bond, responsible use of AI in classrooms, and the political pressures facing public school leaders today.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we sit down with Scarsdale-based comedian Ben Rosenfeld—Russian-Jewish immigrant, sharp-witted storyteller, and one half of the comedy duo behind Westchester Comedy Club and Living Room Laughs. Ben talks about building a real comedy scene in the suburbs, teaching stand-up to beginners, and why being the father of a seven-year-old shapes so much of his material.He shares how comics stay calm when a joke bombs, why most people can learn to be funny, and what audiences can expect from his and Michelle Slonim’s upcoming New Year’s Eve shows in White Plains. We also get into married-to-a-comedian life (“We just take turns being sad,” he deadpans), and whether AI can actually write jokes.Smart, dry, and very funny, Rosenfeld pulls back the curtain on the craft, business, and emotional endurance of stand-up.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, the hosts talk with longtime Westchester journalist David McKay Wilson, who wrapped up a remarkable career with The Journal News/LoHud/Gannett in September.Wilson discusses the state of local journalism, the next chapter of his reporting life on Substack, and his community projects, including the Stars of Hope holiday art effort and his church's ballroom dance nights.

Chappaqua’s John Cirillo joins Local Matters Westchester to share stories from life in sports PR — from his Brooklyn roots and Fordham days to his time with the Knicks, Madison Square Garden, and beyond. Hear about Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee, Reggie Miller, and Cirillo’s creative life as a teacher, author, and lyricist. Recorded remotely from Genesis/Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco.

At 92 and 67, Broadway veteran Patricia Conolly and her actor/astrologer husband, Colin McPhillamy, join Local Matters Westchester to share stage stories and tell us what's in the stars, politically and otherwise.

Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley joins Local Matters Westchester to discuss her Democratic primary campaign for New York’s 17th Congressional District, where she hopes to challenge incumbent Republican Mike Lawler in the general election.She shares how her working-class upbringing shaped her perspective and highlights her priorities: housing affordability, humane treatment of immigrants, health care access, and climate action. Phillips-Staley also weighs in on civic engagement, youth activism, and foreign policy, stressing her focus on giving disenfranchised communities a voice.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we talk with John Cappello, an Air Force veteran and Democratic candidate for New York’s 17th Congressional District. He’s running against incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, whom he calls not genuinely moderate, questioning the congressman’s support for President Trump, what he describes as his recent performative politics, and votes like the “Big Beautiful Bill.”A Rockland resident, Cappello details the moment he decided to become a pilot, his work honoring World War II heroes through the Halyard Mission Foundation, and how and why he decided to join this race. He explains how his views have evolved and clears up questions about his party registration and political identity. Our conversation also leads him to explain how Barack Obama became the first Democrat he supported for president.We ask Cappello about the Gaza hostage deal, the government shutdown, and health care, along with local concerns like affordability, housing, and education. He says his campaign is rooted in leadership and practical problem-solving over partisanship.We’ve invited all the candidates (Democrats and Lawler alike) to join us in this ongoing congressional race series, as local and national attention continues to focus on this key swing district.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we talk with Tibi Guzmán, CEO of The Arc Westchester, the county’s largest organization supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families. She explains her journey into this work, which was shaped by her own experience as the parent of a child with autism, and why that personal connection fuels her passion for the mission.Guzmán shares how The Arc Westchester serves the community through programs that build independence and opportunity, from early intervention to adult housing and employment support. She also weighs in on federal budget decisions in Washington that could significantly impact people with disabilities, explaining what’s at stake for families and why advocacy matters.Guzmán also pushes back against claims linking autism to vaccines, describing how it creates societally damaging stigmas for families already facing significant challenges.Additionally, she spotlights the work being done at the Ann Manzi Center in Mount Kisco, which just marked a milestone with a ribbon-cutting following major renovations.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we spoke with Cheryl Smith Alvarez, director of the Westchester Transcendental Meditation (TM) Center in Katonah.Alvarez explains what Transcendental Meditation is — and isn’t — how she first discovered the practice, and why so many people, from busy parents to frontline health care workers, are finding it life-changing. She also shares details on a partnership at Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, where she has helped train more than 100 doctors, nurses and other health care staff in TM over the past couple of years. So if your local care team seems calmer than expected, Alvarez and TM might just be part of the reason.We also cover common misconceptions about meditation, its relevance in today’s stressful and divided times, and practical tips for anyone looking to bring more calm, clarity and creativity into daily life.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we’re joined by Peter Chatzky — Briarcliff Manor’s deputy mayor, a longtime business executive, and a Democratic candidate in New York’s 17th Congressional District, where a crowded primary field has formed to challenge Republican incumbent Mike Lawler.Chatzky reflects on lessons from decades in local government and shares his views on housing, gun violence, healthcare, bridging divides, Israel, and the influence of NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.He also offers his perspective on Lawler’s claims of being a political moderate and shares his take on his fellow Democrats, as the race for one of the nation’s most closely watched congressional seats takes shape.

Paul Feiner has been town supervisor of Greenburgh since 1992, making him the longest-serving supervisor in Westchester County. In this week’s episode of Local Matters Westchester, we talk with Feiner about how he got his start in politics, why he decided against becoming a rabbi, and the pros and cons of his trademark (and almost comical) accessibility.He shares why he believes the political establishment doesn’t like him — and why constituents do — his disappointments with both Democratic Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (over Edgemont’s incorporation push) and Republican Congressman Mike Lawler (for supporting Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” and massive cuts affecting local hospitals), and why he treated Hillary Clinton the same as any other resident when she considered moving to Greenburgh.Feiner also discusses his love of swimming and biking, how he cares for his elderly mother, his plans for new museum projects, and what he hopes to accomplish in a next term — he’s running for reelection this November, with no sign of slowing down his high-energy, sometimes frenetic pace. After more than three decades in office, he reflects on what keeps him motivated — and why he insists on answering every email and helping every constituent, even as some colleagues wish he managed his time differently.

When the Record-Review closed, the Bedford area lost a trusted source of local news. One year ago this month, The Recorder — a nonprofit founded by Ed Baum, Lloyd Trufelman, and Karen Sabath, with longtime editor Thane Grauel helping to lead the newsroom — stepped in to fill that gap.In this episode, Local Matters Westchester co-hosts Adam Stone (publisher of The Examiner) and Martin Wilbur (former Examiner editor-in-chief, now a senior reporter at The Recorder — yes, it’s an incestuous local media world) talk with Editorial Director Ed Baum and Publisher Lloyd Trufelman about how it all began, the reasoning behind its nonprofit structure, the story behind the brand name, how they’re inspired by the legacy of a 19th-century Katonah Recorder, and much more.

Over the next 15 years, if Westchester doesn’t step up efforts to address its housing gap, the county could lose between 8,400 and 12,000 jobs annually, $533 to $742 million in earnings, and $32 to $57 billion in GDP, according to a May report by the Regional Plan Association (RPA), released with the Westchester County Association.“Westchester County is in the midst of a housing crisis, which, if left unaddressed, will impact the long-term health of the regional economy,” the report warns. “Despite recent progress, the supply of new units has not kept pace with the growing need.”On this week’s episode of Local Matters Westchester, we speak with Marcel Negret, RPA’s director of land use, to break down the findings and what they mean for residents and policymakers.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we’re joined by longtime Fox Lane Varsity baseball coach Matt Hillis, who has led the program for more than 20 years.Fresh off guiding the Foxes to the Section 1 Class AA title and a run to the state championship game, Hillis reflects on his journey—from giving up his own pro playing dreams as a young man to parlaying that passion into a coaching career that’s made him a local legend. He taught hitting at Columbia, and then Army, where he absorbed the West Point culture and brought those expectations of focus and hard work back to Bedford.Following his 400th career win this past spring, Hillis shares what made this year’s team so special and what it takes to build a true program culture at the high school level, not just coach a team.We also talk about local sportsmanship in the social media age—where players sometimes take shots at opponents’ personal lives and coaches too often look the other way—and how he addresses that.Hillis weighs in on the growing local umpire shortage, whether pitch counts are truly supported by data, and reflects on coaching standout players in recent years, including Fox Lane alums Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates; Tyler Renz, drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round of the 2024 draft; and Michael Lombardi, selected by the Kansas City Royals in the second round this past July.He also shares how a negative experience with his own high school coach in Rockland County shaped his philosophy of turning player weaknesses into strengths.We touch on his decision to become a biology teacher (but not a chiropractor), and now that he’s retired from teaching, whether he has any plans to hang up his coaching cleats.On the lighter side, you’ll hear why his dream dinner guest list includes Anthony Bourdain, JFK, and Lou Gehrig.

On this episode of Local Matters Westchester, Andrea Della Mura — two-time breast cancer survivor and owner of The DRIPBaR Rye — shares how her health journey inspired her to start the business 15 months ago. She explains what IV drip therapy is all about, shares success stories from local clients, and answers common questions from skeptics. Della Murra also previews Hope Takes Flight, a Support Connection fundraiser at The DRIPBaR Rye on Thursday, Sept. 18, featuring keynote speaker David Pogue of CBS Sunday Morning, who will present “Healthcare: AI Gets Real.”

Republican Assemblyman Matt Slater of District 94 — a rising voice in New York’s GOP politics — joins Local Matters Westchester this week. We open the conversation by asking him about the looming fallout from President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” particularly its massive impact on the state’s Medicaid funding and patient care.We ask where he stands on the new school cell phone ban, how he squares his criticism of social media with his recent viral spat with AOC, and what might be next for his political future — spoiler alert: he says he doesn’t plan ahead.The former Yorktown town supervisor also shares his views on utility rate hikes, the MTA, affordable housing, whether bipartisanship is tougher in the Trump era, and how a moment with his son helped shape his view on school meal funding.

This week on Local Matters Westchester we spoke with Kathleen Reckling, CEO of ArtsWestchester, about the organization’s 60-year journey and what it’s like stepping into a role long held by local legend Janet Langsam.Reckling shares her background—including an early interest in arts journalism—the potential impact of federal cuts, with up to $8 million at risk for Westchester’s arts economy, and why public investment in the arts is more urgent than ever.We also discuss the intersection of art and politics, how the U.S. treatment of the arts compares globally, and how the organization supports local culture through efforts like the ArtsMobile and JazzFest.

At 94, Hartsdale resident Hanne Holsten still remembers her childhood under Nazi rule with stunning clarity. In this special episode, she shares the powerful story of her family’s escape from Germany — and the heartbreaking moment, as an 8-year-old girl, when she realized her life was about to change forever.Holsten talks about survival, loss and how teaching helped her heal.We’re also joined by Millie Jasper from the White Plains-based Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center, who explains how the center keeps history alive and fights hate today — with encouraging stories of students who drew swastikas but, after education, came to understand the error of their ways.This is an important conversation you won’t want to miss.

Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer joins our Local Matters Westchester podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the village’s future. We talk about the uncertain outlook for the Pleasantville Music Festival, his firm opposition to moving local elections to November, and how the village is working to strike a balance between growth and small-town character amid development questions, parking challenges, and lowering school enrollment.We also touch on affordable housing, his relationship with the Jacob Burns Film Center, village pool problems, and the mayor’s unabashed fanboy love for the Pleasantville Farmers Market — plus whether he plans to run for another term.And in a late-breaking moment, he reads a just-received email from the New York Conference of Mayors detailing how the newly passed “Big Beautiful Bill” will cost New York billions.Big thanks to Genesis/Saw Mill Club for sponsoring these community conversations.

Kathy Quinn, founding director of Yorktown-based Support Connection, shares the story behind this nonprofit providing free, confidential support to women and families facing breast, ovarian, and gynecological cancers. We talk about how it started, who it helps, the group’s “Hope Takes Flight” origami crane campaign, the vital annual Support‑A‑Walk in October, and why peer support makes all the difference.