Opponents slam proposed Con Ed rate hikes
The months-long battle over Con Ed’s proposed double-digit rate hike in energy bills to households and businesses has begun.
Con Ed rate bills for its 3.4 million electric customers in the region would increase on average 11.4 percent, while its 1.1 million gas customers would see their charges jump 13 percent on average. In total, Con Ed is hoping the rate hike increases its revenue by $2.2 billion.
New York State Senator Pete Harckham notified the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) that he is opposed to the proposed double-digit rate hike. The PSC will determine the final rate increases by the end of 2025.
“At a time when many New Yorkers are struggling financially, dealing with inflation and trying to stretch their paychecks just to pay for the basics, it is just ludicrous for Con Ed to expect that these rate hikes would be rubber stamped for approval,” Harckham said. “Regardless of its rationale for needing to increase revenue, at this time residents cannot be expected to come up with money that many simply don’t have to spend.”
Harckham said rate hike increases are necessary to fund network resiliency improvements that will help protect the grid from the severe weather New York is experiencing now, the result of climate change.
“Consumers should not have to bear the full brunt of paying for those improvements, especially if they are facing increased costs almost everywhere else.”
Harckham said both his Albany office and his district office in Peekskill have received hundreds of calls in the past several weeks from constituents complaining that they cannot afford to pay the already skyrocketing supply charges that the utilities pass along—and this was before Con Ed’s rate hike increases were announced.
According to Con Ed, the proposed electric and gas rate plans will support economic growth and development in New York City and Westchester County by investing more than $21 billion over three years to build new infrastructure including transmission, substation and distribution facilities to better serve customers, including those in disadvantaged communities, and help ensure compliance with New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
The filing requests new rates for one year starting on January 1, 2026. The company said it is open to a multi-year settlement to provide more cost certainty for its customers.
Con Edison estimates that its investments will require approximately $1.6 billion more in electric revenue and about $440 million more in gas revenue, resulting in an average electric bill increase of 11.4 percent and an average gas bill increase of 13.3 percent.
– By Jim Roberts
State wins $6 million judgment against illegal pot store
New York Attorney General Letitia James secured a $6 million judgment against the owner of Big Chief Smoke Shop (Big Chief), an unlicensed cannabis store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Big Chief sold cannabis for more than a year without a license and ignored repeated orders by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and other law enforcement authorities to stop operating without a license.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and OCM obtained a judicial closing order that shut down Big Chief in December 2023. This judgment requires Big Chief’s owner to pay nearly $5.9 million in penalties for selling cannabis without a license and for continuing to do so after being ordered by OCM to stop, $121,000 in disgorgement of illegal profits, and $44,000 in costs and attorney’s fees.
“Of all the unlicensed cannabis operators who worked to undermine the rollout of the legalized cannabis industry in New York, Big Chief was one of the worst bad actors I’ve seen,” said New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan. “Beyond endangering their customers and our community by selling untaxed, unregulated, and illegal products, they were bad neighbors who hosted illegal activity, frequently trashed the area outside their premises, and blatantly mocked and provoked residents, elected officials, and law enforcement in the press.”
New York’s Cannabis Law requires any person who cultivates, processes or sells any cannabis product to be registered and licensed by the New York State Cannabis Control Board. The law imposes a penalty of up to $10,000 for each day an individual sells cannabis without a license, and a penalty of up to $20,000 for each day an individual continues to sell cannabis after receiving an order to cease operating from OCM. Additional revenue-based civil penalties may also be imposed based on the amount of the unlicensed sales.
Jenkins wins County Exec seat, next election in November
Ken Jenkins, who stepped up to the role of County Executive when George Latimer took his seat in Congress in January, won a special election for the position last week, defeating Republican challenger Christine Sculti. Jenkins will serve out Latimer’s unexpired term through 2025.
Jenkins won 64 percent of the vote (57,590 votes) versus Sculti’s 32,956 votes (36 percent). Jenkins won the seat until a regularly scheduled election this November. The winner of that contest will serve a regular four-year term. Observers anticipate a rematch of the two foes in the upcoming fall campaign.
City DPW offers final rest for Christmas trees
Still need to get rid of your Christmas tree? The City of Peekskill DPW will be out every Thursday during the month of February with the chipper truck to pick up any Christmas trees.
In addition to the Thursday pickups, trees can also be brought to the DPW garage during Saturday drop off. As a reminder, any trees with nails, lights, metal wires, or in bags will not be chipped.
For those who would like to have their tree picked up, please call the DPW office at (914) 734-4130.
Principal Peters honored as Black History champion
Peekskill Middle School principal Donald Peters was chosen as the 2025 Black History Champion by his students. Peters was honored by State Senator Pete Harckham with a Senate proclamation prior to the Peekskill Black History Month Basketball Tournament.
Peters served as assistant principal from July 2021 to May 2023 and became the interim principal before becoming principal in May 2023.
He started his career in education working as a substitute teacher in a middle school with experience at both the middle school and high school levels. He’s also worked as a special education teacher at both levels and served as Assistant Principal of Instruction and Supervision at a middle school in the Bronx, overseeing the mathematics, science, special education departments, discipline and programming.
Peters received his bachelor’s in criminal justice from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., his master’s in education from Mercy College and a master’s in school building leadership from the City College of New York.
WCC celebrates new Honors College classroom
SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) proudly celebrated the grand opening of a classroom dedicated to the Honors College, made possible through the generous support of an anonymous donor.
The Honors College at SUNY WCC in Valhalla provides a rigorous and enriching academic environment designed for motivated students seeking a challenging curriculum. The program prepares graduates for transfer to top four-year institutions, including Ivy League schools and other highly selective universities. The new state-of-the-art classroom will serve as a hub for collaborative learning, engaging discussions, and innovative instruction, further strengthening the college’s commitment to academic excellence.
Dr. Mira Sakrajda, Director of the Honors College, expressed her excitement about the new space: “This new classroom represents a significant investment in the success of our Honors College students. It will provide an inspiring environment where they can grow intellectually, engage in dynamic discussions, and prepare for the next steps in their academic journeys. We are incredibly grateful to our anonymous donor for recognizing the value of our program and investing in our students’ futures.”
Student art on display through the month of February
The Peekskill Schools Art Department is holding its annual February art show through the end of the month. Come by and check out Peekskill’s student artists.
Elementary and Middle School art will be on display at the Peekskill Coffee House, and the High School Art will be on display at the Bean Runner Cafe. High School art students will be selling their work at the Bean Runner, and all proceeds will be awarded to students when they graduate as a scholarship.
State awards two grants to KinoSaito in Verplanck
KinoSaito Arts Center in Verplanck has received a grant award totaling $40,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector.
In addition, artist Ryoko Endo received a Support for Artists grant from NYSCA to support her creative work. Sponsored by KinoSaito Arts Center, this award will fund Sumi Ink classes led by Endo.
Through New York State’s continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded $82 million this year to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state.
To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $162 million in FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 of the state’s regions.
LGBTQIA+ youth social group meeting on Feb. 28
A Fourth Fridays social group for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies in grades 9-12 will be held on Friday, Feb. 28, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Neighborhood Center at 4 Nelson Ave.
All youth in grades 9-12 from Westchester and surrounding counties are welcome to have dinner, get to know each other, play some games and activities, and also listen to guest presenters.
For more information about Fourth Fridays, please click here.
Area non-profits supported by real estate agents
The Hudson Gateway REALTOR® Foundation (HGRF), the charitable arm of the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS®, (HGAR) donated a total of $101,750 to 52 charities and non-profit organizations throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond in 2024.
As it enters its twelfth year of fundraising, the Foundation is gearing up for another successful year of providing financial assistance to those organizations dedicated to helping the needy in the New York metro area and elsewhere. Birthright of Peekskill was one of the recipients. Others in Northern Westchester included Croton Cortlandt Food Pantry, Ossining Children’s Center and Support Connection Inc.
“The mission of our REALTOR® Foundation is to give back to those in need in the many communities where our members live and work,” said Ralph Gabay, president of the HG REALTOR® Foundation. “Due to the generosity of our members and sponsors, we were able to distribute a record amount of donations to local non-profit organizations that support our local communities and help them thrive. We also encourage our members to volunteer their time as well as provide financial support.”
The Foundation is now seeking applications from charities and nonprofits for 2025. For more information or to apply for funding from the Hudson Gateway REALTOR® Foundation, please visit www.hgrealtorfoundation.com.
‘Winter Recess Camp’ at Youth Bureau this week
The City of Peekskill Community HUB is holding a Winter Recess Camp starting on Tuesday, Feb. 18 through Friday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the City of Peekskill Youth Bureau. Lunch will be served. Kids will enjoy exciting activities including interactive games, arts & crafts, sports, board and video games and much more.
The Peekskill Youth Bureau is open to all school-age children in grades 5 through 12, who live in Peekskill and the surrounding area. The Winter Recess Camp is for ages 10 to 13 years.
For more information contact Darryl Francis at [email protected] or call Matthew Benson at 914.734.4148. To register, visit this link.
Recent Real Estate Transactions
Morocho, Edgar, Cortlandt Manor. Seller: Young Ambassadors in Christ LLC, Peekskill. Property: 898 Washington St., Peekskill. Amount: $450,000. Filed Jan. 7.
1013 Brown Street Partners LLC, Peekskill. Seller: Frank A. Catalina, Peekskill. Property: 1013 Brown St., Peekskill. Amount: $100,000. Filed Jan. 8.
Adames, Ismael, Yorktown Heights. Seller: Hudson Valley Bank, Tarrytown. Property: 4414 Villa at the Woods, Peekskill. Amount: $220,000. Filed Jan. 7.
3170 Albany Post LLC, Carmel. Seller: MJD Contracting Corp., Carmel. Property: 3170 Albany Post Road, Cortlandt. Amount: $321,000. Filed Jan. 7.
50 Bayberry LLC, Briarcliff Manor. Seller: Thomas J. Larkin Jr., New York. Property: 58 Bayberry Drive, Peekskill. Amount: $375,000. Filed Jan. 7.
Casey, Daniel, Cortlandt Manor. Seller: Queen Equities LLC, Lakewood, New Jersey. Property: 61 Oregon Road, Cortlandt. Amount: $640,000. Filed Jan. 10.
Violet Vision LLC, Forest Hills. Seller: Gyenizse Tibor, Cortlandt Manor. Property: 71 Trolley Road, Cortlandt. Amount: $221,000. Filed Jan. 10.
