Hudson Valley Uncensored

Joining Brett Freeman on the show today is Dr. Rodd Stein. Dr. Stein is a pediatrician with Northern Westchester Hospital, and is a graduate of the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. Today, Dr. Stein discusses the baby formula shortage being experienced nationally and offers his expertise on what nursing mothers can do to keep their babies healthy in the midst of this crisis.Dr. Stein explains the current situation with the baby formula shortage and how he has seen less cases locally. He strongly advises that mothers should not attempt to create their own formulas by following online recipes. He also offers his recommendation that nursing mothers who are struggling to get formula should try breastfeeding and seek resources from both their pediatricians and local hospitals. Listen in today to access valuable advice from a trusted professional regarding this extremely important topic.The Finer Details of This Episode:The impact of the present baby formula shortage crisis Why mothers should not attempt creating their own formulas Resources for struggling mothers who are nursing The warning signs of malnutrition in babiesQuotes:“Moms are struggling to obtain baby formula.”“The Academy of Pediatrics says don't make your own formula, we have enough resources and things we can do to help keep your baby healthy, without you having to make formula based on recipes online.”“The other thing they say not to do is to try and stretch out your formula by diluting what you have. That's a definite 'no'. It can lead to electrolyte imbalances in your baby, which can lead to really severe health issues.”“Allergies to breast milk are not very common. There are babies who will have problems with breast milk, but that's usually because they have a milk sensitivity.”Show Links:Halston Media Group website

On this week’s episode of Hudson Valley Uncensored, host Brett Freeman is joined by regulars Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News, and Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times, plus Carol Reif, managing director of North Salem News and The Somers Record, and reporters Whit Anderson, Gino De Angelis, and Sophia Caselnova. First up, Marschhauser reports on the Board of Education elections in Lakeland, Yorktown, and Katonah Lewisboro. As predicted, the incumbents reigned supreme, despite challenges from grassroots groups who disapprove of what the board has been doing. In response, Marschhauser and Freeman discuss the incumbents’ power as representatives of stability and the status quo. Dumas also has an update on the school board elections in Mahopac, where there was some controversy with anti-vaxxers but which ended with a win for the more moderate candidates. The bigger news in Dumas’ area is that the Manhattan school budget failed to pass by eight votes. The school district can put it back up, but if they end up going to austerity, they may have to cut programs, including sports and after-school activities. Dumas is also looking into an unconfirmed story about a sexual assault at a business in Carmel, with the police making an arrest over the weekend.North Salem and Somers have also been holding school board elections, and Reif reports on the results there. She also mentions that the Somers Record will be covering career day at Lincoln Hall and reports that Quantico Elementary School’s principal will be retiring, triggering a year of transition as the district’s superintendent is also retiring in 2023. Reif then reports that the HyGrade in Croton Falls—a revamped deli/grocery store that will serve food, coffee, and beer—may finally be opening in a couple of weeks. There’s also a contentious story coming out of Mount Kisco over a cell tower that may or may not be sited in Leonard Park—the town’s only park—with people questioning if this will actually benefit people who own cell phones in the area. Next, Anderson jumps in with more school board voting from Bedford, where the three incumbents whose terms were ending chose not to run again. Anderson suggests that’s not a coincidence but is likely because of the special education scandal that’s been going on. In addition, Bedford’s school budget got overwhelmingly approved along with two bonds. De Angelis then has a story from the Lewisboro Planning Board about a subdivision development in Vista that’s been frequently delayed. There was a point of contention about letting it go to a public hearing, but this was outvoted, and it will be discussed in the next meeting on June 15. Caselnova then reports that Yorktown Town Board is working with the local food alliance to launch a baby formula drive in response to the widespread shortages, and Reif mentions the Westchester Formula Finders, an organization that searches for baby formula and lets people know where they can access it. Finally, in last week’s episode, the group teased a story about a big business shutting down in Somers; this week, they reveal that the business is The Mexican Shack, a jewelry and gift store run by Somers icon Steve Delzio, which will be closing after forty-seven years of business.Episode Highlights:Joining Brett today are two editors from the Halston Media team—Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News, and Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times. Also present are Carol Reif, managing director of North Salem News and The Somers Record, and reporters Whit Anderson, Gino De Angelis, and Sophia Caselnova. Marschhauser reports on the Board of Education elections in Lakeland, Yorktown, and Katonah Lewisboro, where, as predicted, the incumbents reigned supreme. This despite facing challenges from grassroots groups who disapprove of what the school board has been doing, including those who are ardently opposed to Critical Race Theory. In response, Marschhauser and Freeman discuss the incumbents’ power as representatives of stability and the status quo. Dumas also has an update on the school board elections in Mahopac, where there was some controversy with anti-vaxxers but which ended with a win for the more moderate candidates. However, the bigger news in Dumas’ area is that the Manhattan school budget failed to pass by eight votes. The school district can put it back up, having lost by so little, but if they end up going to austerity, they may have to cut programs, including sports and after-school activities. Dumas suggests that the vote may have been more the result of discontent among voters regarding taxes rather than the proposed increase itself. Dumas is also looking into an unconfirmed story about a sexual assault at a business in Carmel, with the police making an arrest over the weekend. North Salem and Somers have also been holding school board elections, and Reif reports on the results there, with North Salem avoiding controversy while Somers had a bit more of a contest despite being mostly free of politicking. Reif also mentions that the Somers Record will be covering career day at Lincoln Hall, where representatives from different careers come in to talk to the kids about what they might want to do after school. She also reports that the Principal of Quantico Elementary School in North Salem, Mary Johnson, will be retiring, triggering a year of transition as the district’s superintendent, Dr. Freeston, is also going to be retiring in 2023. Freeman takes a moment to praise Reif for this kind of story, which is vital to community journalism and deserves its space as much as the controversial stuff. Reif also reports that the HyGrade in Croton Falls may finally be opening in as soon as two weeks. This revitalization of a former deli/grocery store will serve food, coffee, and beer and sits next to Parker Mercantile, the artisan general store that had its soft opening earlier in May. There’s also a contentious story coming out of Mount Kisco over a cell tower that may or may not be sited in Leonard Park. Reif explains that it’s a complicated issue, and people are coming out of the woodwork to discuss it at village board meetings (at least seven at the last one, all of whom were against the tower). Some have been questioning if this will actually benefit people who own cell phones in the area, especially because Leonard Park is the only park in Mount Kisco. Anderson jumps in with more school board voting from Bedford, where the three incumbents whose terms were ending chose not to run again. Anderson suggests that’s not a coincidence but is likely because of the special education scandal that’s been going on, meaning the three new board members are going to be entering a firestorm. In addition, Bedford’s school budget got overwhelmingly approved along with two bonds. In Somers, meanwhile, playoffs have started, and Anderson’s spent the week covering baseball and lacrosse games, promising a full sports section next week. Next, De Angelis has a story from the Lewisboro Planning Board regarding a subdivision development in Vista that’s been delayed a lot. There was a point of contention about letting it go to a public hearing regarding where the water system should be plugged in, with two members of the board claiming that the public wouldn’t care that much and shouldn’t have that much input into it. However, they were outvoted, and it’s going to a public hearing in the next meeting on June 15. De Angelis also reports that the Lakeland school board is certifying their voting results. Freeman points out that it’ll be interesting to see whether members of the two factions will be present and how the school board will incorporate the community feedback they’ve been getting. Caselnova shares that Yorktown Town Board is working with the local food alliance to launch a baby formula drive in response to the widespread shortages. It will run until May 31, and you can donate at the town hall in Yorktown, St. Mary’s on Route Six and Mohegan Lake, or the First Presbyterian at the corner of 132 and 202. They’ll accept anything that people may have on their shelves, even if it’s recently expired. Reif jumps in to mention the Westchester Formula Finders, an organization that searches for baby formula and lets people know where they can access it. The group then discuss the reasons behind the formula shortage. In last week’s episode, the group teased a story about a big business shutting down in Somers. This week, it was officially revealed that the business is The Mexican Shack, a jewelry and gift store run by Somers icon Steve Delzio, which will be closing after forty-seven years of business.Quotes:“In Lakeland, the most contentious one of mine, where we had twelve candidates, we had two grassroots groups, factions ideologically opposed, you know, both thought the school board wasn’t doing a good enough job. And the incumbents reigned supreme.”“People like stability in their schools, especially because it’s the value of their homes. A lot of people move to Yorktown and Lakeland because of their school standing. And, you know, this controversy at school board meetings, and I think they say, ‘Oh boy, you know, if people don’t want to come to our schools, that’s gonna hurt my home value.’ And I really think that plays a factor.”“The ironic thing of it all, for me, anyway, was that it wasn’t an outlandish budget in that the proposed tax increase was less than 1%. It was like 0.7%. But people still voted it down anyway. I think it was more just like, people are just… if you read social media leading up to it, you got that there was a discontent amongst the district, just people are just tired of taxes.”“That’s what community journalism is all about. You know, we kind of touch on some of the controversial stuff, but then we don’t disappear. We’re back for something like a career fair. And I think it’s wonderful that you’re doing that.”“People love their cellphones, but they do not like cell towers.”“How do they move this community forward? Without the divisiveness with, you know, incorporating some of the feedback they’ve heard? So I’m curious to see if the competing factions who lost show up tonight, and what their presence is moving forward at these meetings, if it’ll remain the same.”“I don’t think it’s a wealth thing. I think, regardless of your level of affluence, moms and dads rely on formula. Even, you know, certainly even breastfeeding moms still rely on formula to help supplement the baby.”“I’d love to have my dad on this show because he has a very strong opinion about what’s going on with baby formula.”“That just sort of brings up a question—should we not be doing this regionally and finding out where in our areas there might be something like what she mentioned, you know, go to this church, go to this food pantry. Just saying, it seems like it’s a regional thing.”“When I got engaged, I couldn’t afford that much. And in the year 2022, I still can’t afford that much. But Steve did a really nice job with doing a little enhancement with Lauren’s engagement ring. Very inexpensively, he did something where he kind of raised the stone and just made it look a little bit prettier than it was. So you know, Steve does magic with things.”Links:Halston Media Group website

On this week’s episode of Hudson Valley Uncensored, host Brett Freeman is joined by regulars Tom Walogorsky, editor of North Salem News and The Somers Record; Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News; and Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times, plus reporters Gino De Angelis, Whit Anderson, Sophia Caselnova, and Tom Bartley. The episode kicks off with an announcement about Halston Media’s new monthly publication, The Mount Kisco Bedford Times. Its coverage area includes Mount Kisco, Bedford, and Pound Ridge, and its first issue, out May 19, will cover the local fire departments’ new chiefs, Martha Stewart’s tag sale, and a community forum with Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney. Then, in more Bedford news, we hear about a scandal involving photos of special ed students, the proposed budget for the next school year, and the Oak Ridge water treatment plant’s funding to expand its filtration system. Bartley also reports that Bedford is having second thoughts about opting out of allowing retail outlets to sell marijuana and discusses the reasons behind this U-turn.Next, Caselnova jumps in with some Yorktown news, including the town board’s decision to invest $1.2 million in the community center and theater, the Relay for Life, and plans to build a haunted house property in the back of the JV mall. Marschhauser then takes the Yorktown baton to report on a lawsuit involving an attempt to stop property development on the former Soundview Prep School site. He also covers the school board elections, which have gotten pretty intense with disagreements over how the board handled the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion movement. Meanwhile, Dumas has a story about violin scammers in Mahopac—fake violinists who use pre-recorded music to cheat money out of passers-by—and some sad news about pets being abandoned now that people are returning to normal life post-pandemic. He also covers a heartwarming story about the late Judge James Reitz, a Mahopac icon, having a courtroom in Putnam Country Court named in his honor. And finally, we squeeze in some North Salem and Somers Town news, with Walogorsky reporting that Board of Education elections are happening there too and hinting at a mysterious story involving the retirement of a long-standing business that could be big news for local residents.Episode Highlights:Joining today are three editors from the Halston Media team— Tom Walogorsky, editor of North Salem News and The Somers Record; Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News; and Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times. Also present for this episode are reporters Gino De Angelis, Whit Anderson, Sophia Caselnova, and Tom Bartley. On May 19, Halston Media is launching a new monthly publication called The Mount Kisco Bedford Times. Its coverage area includes Mount Kisco, Bedford, and Pound Ridge, and its first issue will include stories on the local fire departments’ new chiefs, Martha Stewart’s tag sale, and a community forum with Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney. Richard Gere has sold his house in Pound Ridge for a large amount of money, so he will be leaving the Pound Ridge Community… but he’s moved to North Salem, so there’ll be no escaping Halston Media! A major story has been happening in the Bedford Central school district involving photos of special ed students in the high school boys’ bathroom that were then distributed among the student body and on social media. The students’ parents were furious at the district’s response and are now going after the board, while the police are investigating and the district’s hiring a third party to investigate the incident at the administration. Also in the Bedford area, there’s a proposed budget for the next school year that will be voted on May 17. This will include a universal pre-K program that the board just accepted the money for, but in order to move forward with it, there’s a lot of other logistics that need to be figured out. Sean Patrick Maloney officially announced the Oak Ridge water treatment plant is getting $1.8 million to expand its filtration system in order to deal with elevated levels of chemical contaminant PFAS. The new system is expected to take two to three years to be put in. May 21 will be Katonah’s 125th celebration of moving from Old Katonah to New Katonah. The residents of Old Katonah decided that rather than giving up their homes when New York City was going to flood them to make way for the Muscoot Reservoir, they would move them to the area now known as New Katonah. Bartley reports that Bedford is having second thoughts about its decision to opt out of allowing local retail outlets to sell marijuana. They want to allow residents the chance to protest it and force a town-wide permissive referendum in November. There are three reasons behind this: 1) social justice—poor people and people of color have been penalized more than others by this law; 2) economics—marijuana outlets bring traffic to the town, which could benefit other merchants; 3) sales tax—Bedford would get a thirteen percent cut on sales tax on marijuana, so there’s the potential for huge revenues. Caselnova has several stories happening in Yorktown, including the town board’s decision to invest $1.2 million in the community center and the Yorktown Stage Theater. She also reports on the Relay for Life happening Friday and plans to build a haunted house property in the back of the JV mall, including a haunted mansion, haunted toy store, and haunted hospital. Marschhauser continues the Yorktown news with a story he’s covering about a lawsuit involving the overlay zones Yorktown approved last year. Overlay zones encourage mixed-use development by relaxing density and bulk requirements—in layman’s terms, buildings on this land can be bigger and have a larger footprint than they would under the normal zoning map.  One of the proposed developments was for 148 units on the former Soundview Prep School site, including a mix of townhouses, condos, and an apartment building, mostly senior housing. There have been objections from the start that this project would ruin this bucolic property, and a lawsuit has now been filed seeking to overturn the town board’s decision to approve these overlay zones, in effect killing the Underhill Soundview project. Town Supervisor Matt Slater spoke to Marschhauser, stating that this is a baseless lawsuit that will cost the town money and that its organizers are standing in the way of progress. Marschhauser is working on getting a statement from the group that filed the lawsuit, which was formed by Trish Sullivan-Rothberg, who previously ran unsuccessfully for town council. It’s school board election week in Yorktown and Lakeland, where there are a lot of grassroots candidates challenging the incumbents. The candidates have split into three factions, including two groups called “Lakeland Rise” and “United for Lakeland,” which respectively support and oppose the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion movement. Dumas has been covering a story involving violin scammers in Mahopac—fake violinists who use electronic violins and pre-recorded music to convince people to give them money. Technically, they’re not doing anything illegal, but some store owners are irritated by their customers getting scammed and want a Buyer Beware story out there. Dumas is also working on a profile about two dogs who have been slow to be adopted, which has a sad but interesting backstory. During the pandemic, adoptions went through the roof as isolated and lonely people got pets to keep them company. But now that people are getting back to normal life, the SPCA is having trouble getting pets adopted because people already have them, or worse, are either giving their pets back or just abandoning them.Judge James Reitz, who passed away a couple of years ago, was an icon in Mahopac. He started the drug court in Putnam County, which gives drug offenders a chance to go to rehab rather than jail, which has been a remarkable success and used as a template by communities all across the country. Courtroom number 301 in the Putnam County Court will now be named after him, becoming the Judge James Reitz Courtroom. Walogorsky reports that the Board of Education elections are also happening in North Salem and Somers. He also hints at another story in Somers with a long-standing business about to announce a retirement, but everybody will have to wait for May 19 to find out about it!Quotes:“It’s very exciting, it’s the proverbial rollercoaster feeling of starting up a new newspaper. This is actually the second time in my career that I’ve been part of a new publication launching. So it’s, you know, it’s definitely equal parts exciting and terrifying.”“People know about Halston and what we do, and I think they’re generally excited to, you know, to have us be part of the communities, which is awesome to see.”“I heard we made an enemy of David Letterman. That’s just, that’s not good.”“We don’t seek out controversy. We don’t go on fishing expeditions. I know there’s some media outlets who go on fishing expeditions, trying to find controversial stories to talk about. That’s never been our approach. But at the same time, we don’t avoid controversy either. You know, I think it’s wrong to avoid controversy. Because when you avoid controversy, you’re not serving all the constituents in town.”“There’s a very diverse crowd of people who seek out marijuana. And I’ll also tell you from my interview there, people choose that in lieu of narcotics. You know, people have pain management that they have to worry about. So anyway, I personally think—I know you’re the reporter, so you can’t give your opinion—I personally think Bedford is doing the right thing there.”“This fall, they’re trying to build a haunted house property in the back of the JV mall in the parking lot. So it’s gonna be like a three-part thing. They’re gonna have a haunted mansion, a haunted toy store, and a haunted hospital. And it’s gonna be like, this big thing where you kind of walk through, but it’s all live. So it’s all actors, like, touching you, and coming up in your ear and being really creepy. But the town seemed pretty excited about that.”“I don’t know if anyone follows Lakeland, but it kind of devolved into chaos a little bit. You know, accusations of racial epithets hurled at the superintendent and assistant superintendent, just a lot of shouting matches, things like that. It kind of got out of control. So they’re running because they just think the current board didn’t do a good enough job.”“People tend to like controversy, free school board stuff, you know, they like to maintain the status quo. I think a lot of people, most people, avoid the noise of it and say, ‘Well, you know, my child’s getting a good education, I’m happy with the way things are run, so I vote for the school board budget, and I vote for the incumbents,’ it’s usually been the way it goes.”“You know, when I hear austerity budget, I feel like I want to play the violin here. And I mean, it’s still an enormous budget, you know, and people’s taxes are still pretty damn high.”“If you google it, you’ll see videos of these guys being confronted by real violin players who come up and go, ‘Hey, yeah, let’s jam. Let’s play together.’ And of course, the other people, the scammers can’t do anything. The problem is, technically, they’re not doing anything illegal. I mean, if you want to donate to a guy who’s doing karaoke violin, there’s nothing wrong with it.”“They could take the dog or the cat or whatever and bring it to the shelter and turn it back in. But what a lot of them are doing is just taking them out to some random neighborhood and letting them loose.”Links:Halston Media Group website

Editorial Roundup and Dr. Paul Strombom on Colorectal Cancer AwarenessThis week on Hudson Valley Uncensored, Brett Freeman has an interview with colon and rectal surgeon Dr. Paul Strombom from Phelps Hospital to talk about Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Then, later on in the episode, he also  is joined by regulars Tom Walogorsky, editor of North Salem News and The Somers Record, Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News, and Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times.First up,  Freeman is joined by Dr. Paul Strombom to discuss colorectal cancer and the importance of getting regular screenings. They start out by discussing the increase in colon cancer rates in the under-50s and the simultaneous decrease in the over-65s. Dr. Strombom says that there’s no obvious reason for the increase in younger patients, though diet and environment may be factors, but the decrease in older patients is down to better screening and the ability to remove pre-cancerous polyps during colonoscopies. He then reassures listeners that the colonoscopy process isn’t so bad (though the bowel prep process is a different matter) and that it’s the best way to prevent colon cancer, along with a healthy diet and quitting smoking. Freeman brings up the question of symptoms, and Dr. Strombom points out that many patients have no symptoms, which is why regular screening is so important in order to catch any problems early. He also addresses the higher rate of colon cancer in African Americans and explains that access to regular screening is a factor in this problem. The discussion then moves to what happens after a colonoscopy, Dr. Strombom explaining that polyps are sent to the pathologist to be tested and that the type and number of them will determine the regularity of your repeat colonoscopies, which can be anything from ten years to three months. And finally, they return to screenings, with Dr. Strombom explaining that while colonoscopy is the best type, there are other, less invasive procedures available, and the most important thing is to attend your annual screening of whatever type.Following the interview ,Walogorsky has the big news out of Somers Town that Bill Faulkner is throwing his hat into the ring and running for Congress in the 16th District this fall. He’ll be taking on Jamal Bowman, who’s also going to be primarying Vedat Gashi, and Dumas joins in to say that he just interviewed a very confident Gashi, who took some shots at Bowman’s alignment with the Democratic Party’s views. In response, Freeman brings up the issue of President Biden’s stance on energy independence and says he’d be curious to see whether self-proclaimed “Biden Democrat” Gashi agrees with the President or not. Moving on, Marschhauser reports on some progress in Yorktown’s project to bring sewers to 315 homes, which had been held up by the county’s refusal to release funds for the project unless Yorktown signed up for the affordable housing code it repealed in 2016. After a six-month logjam, the county now seems to have backed off from its demand following the federal government’s recent approval of $1.2 million for the sewer project. Dumas then reports on a controversial change to Mahopac’s town board meetings, Supervisor Carrazi having decided to scrap the new business public comment sessions, causing upset among town members. Finally, Marschhauser and Walogorsky close this section of the episode with a roundup of what’s happening in their areas, including the opening of a new supermarket, a march in support of Ukraine, and the beginning of spring sports season.Episode Highlights:March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to bring awareness of colon cancer and encourage people to get screened when necessary. Rates of colorectal cancer are increasing among the under-50s but decreasing in people over 65. Dr. Strombom says there’s no official explanation for the increase in younger patients, though diet or environmental exposure may be involved. However, the decrease in older patients is due to better screening and the ability to not only diagnose colon cancer with a colonoscopy but also remove the polyps that can turn into colon cancer in the future. The recommendation now is to start getting colonoscopies at age forty-five instead of fifty, as previously recommended. Dr. Strombom explains that the actual colonoscopy process itself is not too bad—most people get some sedation and just take a thirty-minute nap—but admits the bowel prep is unavoidably unpleasant! A healthy and balanced diet plays a role in decreasing the risk of any medical problems, including colon cancer, while smoking increases your risk. In the end, though, Dr. Strombom states that screening is the best thing that can be done to prevent colon cancer. Some colon cancer patients may see a change in the quality of their bowel movements—possibly they’ve gotten thinner or more frequent—and some people have bleeding. Unfortunately, many patients have no symptoms at all, so it’s important to get screened and catch the cancer early, as these symptoms may indicate a more advanced cancer, which could be more difficult to cure. African Americans have higher incidence rates and death rates from colon cancer, which is likely a multifactorial problem, including environmental factors and access to screening. There are several pushes to increase screening within the African American community to try to prevent these cancers from arising. For those looking to donate money to support colorectal cancer patients, Dr. Strombom recommends the American Cancer Society, which has several great programs, including support for patients going through diagnosis and help with patient transport. When polyps are removed during a colonoscopy, they’re sent to the pathologist for identification as either benign or pre-cancerous. If you have a bunch of non-benign polyps, that potentially changes the frequency of colonoscopies after your first one. Colonoscopies are not a one-and-done treatment; they’re something that continue up to the age of eighty. Following a healthy colonoscopy, most people would usually get their next one in ten years, possibly seven if the quality is unsure. Once you start finding polyps, the frequency increases to every five years, possibly more if there are a lot of polyps. If there are so many polyps they can’t be removed in one treatment, you may have a repeat in three-to-six months with a longer time blocked out for the procedure. When you have a diagnosis of colon cancer, you’ll receive some staging to see how advanced the cancer is, which usually consists of a CAT scan of your chest, abdomen, and pelvis, and then some bloodwork. If the cancer hasn’t spread anywhere else in your body, then the first treatment is surgery, which is potentially curative on its own. Dr. Strombom points out that there are less invasive forms of screening out there for those who are hesitant about getting a colonoscopy and that getting annual screening done is the most important thing. However, he does say that colonoscopy is the best type of screening they have because they can remove polyps right there and then.On today’s episode are three editors from the Halston Media team—Tom Walogorsky, editor of North Salem News and The Somers Record; Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times; and Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News. Walogorsky starts off with the big news out of Somers that Bill Faulkner has announced he’ll be throwing his hat in the ring and running for Congress in the 16th District this fall. He’s got the Republican and Conservative endorsements and will be looking to take on Jamal Bowman, the Democratic incumbent who’s also going to be primarying Vedat Gashi. Dumas jumps in on this story to report that he just interviewed Gashi, who was very confident that the district’s in his favor and took some shots against Bowman, suggesting his views aren’t aligned with the Democratic Party. Freeman also brings up Jen Psaki’s response to criticism of President Biden’s stance on energy independence and says that he’d be curious to hear more about what Faulkner and Gashi have to say on this issue and whether Gashi, who described himself as a “Biden Democrat,” agrees with the President’s approach. Marschhauser reports that, in 2021, Yorktown was looking to move forward on a project to bring sewers to 315 homes and approached the county to access a ten million dollar fund set aside for this project. However, the county would only release those funds if Yorktown adopts the affordable housing code it repealed in 2016. A six-month  stalemate ensued, but it looks like the county has now backed off, and Yorktown will be getting that ten million fund. Marschhauser says that the federal government’s recent approval of $1.2 million for the sewer project has been cited as breaking the logjam. He quotes County Executive George Latimer as stating that protecting safe drinking water through the sewer project is too important to be used as leverage. Mahopac News’ front-page story this week was on a change to town board meetings. Previously, there would be two public comment sessions, one for agenda items and one for new business, at which people could come up to the podium and talk. Dumas reports that Town Supervisor Michael Cazzari has now decided to scrap the new business sessions, which has provoked complaints, including by former Town Councilman Mike Borelli. Marschhauser gives a quick update on news from his area, including Bedford welcoming a new branch of DeCicco & Sons on March 25, the Silver Jubilee celebration for Support Connection—a non-profit supporting those affected by breast and ovarian cancer—in Yorktown on April 1, and the beginning of spring sports season. Walogorsky tells us about a March for Peace for Ukraine happening in North Salem on Sunday, March 27. He also mentions that he’s excited about sports season, with the Tigers opening up lacrosse season on March 26. Quotes:“This is our month to encourage people to get out and do their screenings as necessary, and just bring a little bit awareness to colon cancer, and make sure people are getting the right care.”“One of the good things about colon cancer screening is that not only can you diagnose colon cancer by getting a colonoscopy, but you can actually improve it by removing the polyps that are the little growths that can turn into a colon cancer in the future.”“I think the thing that most people probably dread or fear the most is the bowel prep itself, which is a little unpleasant. You’re drinking a bunch of liquids to make you go to the bathroom, and just most of the day on the toilet can be unpleasant. There’s not really any way around it, unfortunately, because we do have your colon as cleaned out as possible so that we can see these little growths and take them out and prevent them from turning into something more concerning.”“A lot of patients won’t have any symptoms at all. And that’s why we want to catch these early because if you are having symptoms, it may mean some more advanced cancer. It may be more difficult to cure.”“If you have a bunch of polyps that are the kind that we worry about, that potentially changes the frequency of colonoscopies after your first one. The point is colonoscopy’s not a one-and-done, and you’re free for the rest of your life. It’s something that we continue to do, really up until the age of eighty.”“When you have a diagnosis of colon cancer, we do some staging, meaning we check to see how advanced the colon cancer is. And that usually consists of a CAT scan of your chest, abdomen, and pelvis, and then some blood work. And if it hasn’t shown, spread anywhere else in your body, then the first treatment really is surgery, and that’s potentially curative on its own.”“There are several other types of screening out there, especially for people who are hesitant about getting a colonoscopy. I’d still say the colonoscopy is the best that we have because we can remove the polyps that we find at the time. But in the end, it’s important to just get annual screening.” “He took some shots at Bowman, doesn’t think his views are aligned to the Democratic Party. He cited his vote against Biden’s infrastructure bill, his vote against relief to the Ukraine, his constant use of the defund the police movement, which Vedat says he does not support.”“He called himself a centrist Democrat, kind of like a Biden Democrat.”“It’s interesting that Vedat Gashi said he’s a centrist Democrat, like Joe Biden, because I do feel like Joe Biden has kind of gone to the left. I mean, he spent much of his career, I think, in the center, but kind of gone left as a president. So I’m curious what that means.”“More than a decade ago, the New York City DEP set aside ten million for this project. The county controls the allocation of this fund. So now herein lies the disputes, you know, the town said, 'Okay, we want that ten million bucks to, you know, bring sewers to Yorktown.' And the county said, 'Well, great, adopt that affordable housing code, and we can talk.'”“I don’t think they were necessarily aware of that business being tied up over this affordable housing fee when they approved the money. I think it was just they saw this as an infrastructure project. And they were putting money toward it. I don’t think they’re necessarily taking sides in the affordable housing debate.”“I guess Supervisor Cazzari’s position is that people can contact him and the town board members directly, you know, via email or phone calls. And so it doesn’t need to be raised at a meeting.”“Under Schmidt’s administration, these things could spiral out of control, and there was some circus-like atmosphere. And Cazzari is trying to control that. But, you know, some people aren’t happy with this particular approach.”“It’s spring sports season. You know, I love spring sports. I love being outside, getting the fresh air, and, you know, attending some lacrosse games or whatnot.”Links:Halston Media Group website

On this week’s episode of Hudson Valley Uncensored, host Brett Freeman is joined by some new guests—Jessica Einterz, reporter for The Katonah Lewisboro Times and Yorktown News, and Whit Anderson, reporter for The Somers Record and North Salem News. Also joining them are regulars Tom Walogorsky, editor of North Salem News and The Somers Record; Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News; and Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times.New reporter Einterz starts us off with a story she’s working on about the rise in gas prices, and the group discusses the impact on local businesses and families as well as how politics always finds its way into such discussions. Then we have a slew of positive local news, starting with Halston Media’s very own Corinne Stanton winning the Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year and Somers resident Steve Wilson climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for the second time, this time after donating one of his kidneys. Meanwhile, Walogorsky reports on two local groups in Salem collecting medical supplies for Ukraine, and Einterz tells us about her interview with a food truck owner who uses a community-minded pay-what-you-want business model.Turning to more dramatic news, Anderson reports on Somers resident Vicenzo Fidanza, who was arrested on March 1 by the New York State Police for multiple felony drug and weapons charges. Included in Fidanza’s cache was over twenty pounds of cocaine and over 1,500 grams of amphetamines, and he was in possession of an AK-47; he was denied bail and remains in custody. The group then moves on to politics, with Matt Slater’s confirmation that he is seeking the assembly nomination for District 94 and Vedat Gashi officially announcing that he’s running for Congress, as well as rumors that Michael Grace is running for Lieutenant Governor. Walogorsky then follows up on a story about a brick being thrown through the window of the State Trooper barracks in Somers and the helicopter chase that followed, resulting in the arrest of a nineteen-year-old who is now facing second-degree criminal mischief charges. And we finish up with a preview of Walogorsky’s upcoming interview with a MasterChef Junior contestant from South Salem and a discussion of whether Gordon Ramsay yells at kids or if he keeps his temper just for adults.Episode Highlights:Two new Halston Media staff join today’s roundup—Jessica Einterz, reporter for The Katonah Lewisboro Times and Yorktown News, and Whit Anderson, reporter for The Somers Record and North Salem News. Also present today are three editors from the Halston Media team—Tom Walogorsky, editor of North Salem News and The Somers Record; Brian Marschhauser, editor of Yorktown News and The Katonah Lewisboro Times; and Bob Dumas, editor of Mahopac News. Einterz has been working on a story about the rise in gas prices, and the group discusses the impact of this on shipping prices, grocery prices, and businesses and families. For the first time in two years, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade returns to Mahopac on Sunday, March 13. It’s the third-largest St Patrick’s Day parade in the state of New York, and this year’s Grand Marshall is Eddie McDowell from Atlanta Southeast. Mahopac News’ own Corinne Stanton, one of our sales executives, has been named Business Person of the Year by the Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce. Mahopac News will be doing a feature on Corinne this week, for which Bob will be interviewing Michael Celestino, CEO of the Chamber, to get the scoop on why they chose her. Four years ago, a Somers resident called Steve Wilson climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Two years ago, he donated a kidney to a stranger in a completely selfless act. On March 10, Walogorsky reports, Mr. Wilson made it back to the top of Kilimanjaro as part of a group called The Kidney Donor Athletes, who aim to prove you can donate a kidney and still live a very active, healthy life. Two local groups in North Salem—the North Salem Ambulance Corps and Animal Embassy (an environmental education group)—have joined forces for a drive to collect medical supplies to aid Ukraine. A story that recently blew up on the Halston Facebook page was Einterz’s interview with Lyle Puente, owner of Put Some Meat on Your Bones food truck in the Jefferson Valley area. Lyle runs his business on a pay-what-you-want model, which means people who may not be able to pay so much don’t have to worry about being judged when they come to the truck. Lyle admits people take advantage of this and that he makes only about fifty percent of what he should, but he cares more about helping the community than making a profit. Anderson reports on the explosive story of forty-year-old Somers resident Vicenzo Fidanza, who was arrested on March 1 by the New York State Police for multiple felony drug and weapons charges. Some of the drugs found included over twenty pounds of cocaine and over 1,500 grams of amphetamines, while Fidanza had an AK-47 with him. Fidenza’s attorney requested in court that he not be remanded for his violation of parole, but that was denied, so he remains in custody. Off the back of this, the group discusses search and seizure rights for those on probation and the drug problem in the Somers community. Marschhauser jumps in with a report on Matt Slater’s confirmation that he is seeking the assembly nomination for District 94. Slater is currently the Town Supervisor for Yorktown, a job he started in January 2020—he says he wasn’t planning on seeking higher office so soon, but with Kevin Byrne vacating that seat, the timing was just right for him to go for it. The group then discuss their opinions on Matt Slater and the potential impact his role change might have on the Republican Board, especially after the chaos in Bedford last year when Chris Burdick was elected to the Assembly. Vedat Gashi officially confirmed that he’s running for Congress in the 16th Congressional District against Jamal Bowman. Meanwhile, rumor has it that former Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace is running for Lieutenant Governor alongside Rob Astorino, the longshot candidate for the Republican nomination. Walogorsky follows up on the story from February about a brick being thrown through the window of the State Trooper barracks in Somers, ending up with a helicopter pursuit through the town. The perpetrator turned out to be a nineteen-year-old who was arrested and is now facing second-degree criminal mischief charges. Walogorsky will be interviewing a little boy named McLean, who’s from South Salem and is going to be on MasterChef Junior.Quotes:“We’ve tried to gauge reactions from our Facebook page. But unfortunately, all the comments so far are inappropriate or just F Joe Biden, which isn’t something we can really publish.”“She worked hard for our clients. She worked hard for the business community. She’s been volunteering for the Mahopac Chamber for many years. And, you know, so it’s definitely well-deserved.”“Very cool thing coming out of Somers: gentleman named Steve Wilson, four years ago, Mr. Wilson climbed Mount Kilimanjaro out in Africa. Two years ago, he donated a kidney to a complete stranger, just, you know, selfless act, just the right thing to do and everything. And actually, this morning, Thursday, March 10, he is back at the summit of Kilimanjaro.”“I just think it’s great that even on like a hyper-local focus, there are still people putting in the effort to try to help out with what’s going on over there.”“He has admitted that people do take advantage of it. And that he makes about fifty percent what he actually should, but he doesn’t care about the profit. He just cares about helping the community.”“I’ve known Lyle for years now. I did actually a story on him four or five years ago. My wife recommended him, and that’s where I learned all this crazy stuff about him. You know, my favorite fact is that he was in the music video for The Weeknd ‘In the Night.’ He was, yeah, he was in the entertainment business as like, you know, a snake handler for Madonna.”“It’s just a little jarring to see somebody, I’m sure, being frog-marched off in handcuffs.”“I personally like Matt Slater more as a politician than when he worked for politicians. You know, I think when he worked for, you know, when he was an employee of Senator Murphy, you know… Let me put it this way. He definitely was a good employee in the sense that he advocated for his boss.”“Usually, when you hear about, you know, helicopter chases, it raises some eyebrows.”“I’m just saying I got as many angles as I could of a boarded-up door.”“This guy is allegedly a special kind of stupid because if you’re gonna commit vandalism against the State Trooper barracks, they’re gonna, you know, be pretty motivated to find out who did it.”“I’ve never watched the adult version of this show. Is this the one where, like, Gordon Ramsay screams at you? He’s very nice to kids. But I didn’t imagine he would be screaming at the children.” Links:Halston Media Group website