CITY
Electeds call for safeguarding state social workers
More than a year after a Child Protective Services worker was viciously attacked in Peekskill, local electeds and state officials gathered at the Peekskill gazebo on Friday, May 16, to call for safeguarding Child Protective Services (CPS) Workers.
Supporting state legislation to safeguard CPS workers while on the job were State Sen. Pete Harckham, Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, and officials from Westchester County, the City of Peekskill, and the Civil Services Employees Association.
The press conference was held just a few blocks away from where on May 14, 2024, Maria Coto, a CPS worker with the Westchester County Department of Social Services (WCDSS), was attacked and brutally beaten by Haseem Jenkins while visiting a client. She later died from her injuries on June 19. Coto’s attacker is in jail pending trial on two counts of second-degree murder.
Over 20 of Coto’s WCDSS colleagues attended the press conference, including her supervisor Christine Leoce who had spoken with Coto on the phone just a few minutes before she was attacked, as well as Coto’s uncle and aunt.
“This horrific act of violence has left a hole in Maria’s family and a hole in her work family at DSS,” Harckham said in a release. “We have to do everything we can to make sure a tragic death on the job like Maria’s never happens again in New York.”
Harckham and Levenberg introduced legislation earlier this year requiring Departments of Social Services in districts statewide to provide panic buttons to all employees who interact with clients in external settings. It also establishes crimes of assault, aggravated assault, and menacing specifically to CPS workers while in the line of duty.
In a release, City of Peekskill Mayor Vivan McKenzie said the “heinous crime and tragic loss” of Coto in 2024 highlights the urgent need to ensure the safety of CPS workers.
“Their work is vital to the well-being of our communities, and they deserve to carry out their responsibilities without fear for their lives,” McKenzie said. “Those who commit such violent acts must be held fully accountable, and we must prioritize strong protections for those dedicated to serving the public.”
Hattie Adams, president of the Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) Westchester County Local 860, said passing the legislation is integral to creating safer conditions for the caseworkers safeguarding their most vulnerable populations.
“We are grateful that Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Levenberg recognize the risks case workers face when working in the field and understand the urgency in getting these bills passed,” Adams said. “We can’t honor Maria Coto’s memory without taking every step possible to ensure that what happened to her never happens again.”
Elevator cab at Peekskill station will be replaced through MTA capital plan
State funding will enable the replacement of the elevator cab at the Peekskill train station.
In recognition of National Transportation Week (May 11 to May 17), State Sen. Pete Harckham announced May 15 that the state budget funding for the $68.4 billion capital plan of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) will have economic, climate, and quality-of-life benefits for the Metro-North Railroad service area and the rest of the Hudson Valley.
These investments seek to protect the system from rising sea levels due to climate change while improving communting for travelers across the 40th Senate District, including the City of Peekskill.
A press release from Harckham’s office stated the railroad’s plan allocates $1 billion to station design and construction, including the Chappaqua, Goldens Bridge, Purdys, Croton Falls, and Brewster stations, as well as the redesign of the Mount Kisco, Bedford Hills, Katonah, and Southeast stations.
In addition, the funding enables the railroad to rehabilitate the parking lot at the Patterson station and replace the elevator cab at the Peekskill station.
“A fully-funded MTA capital plan is not just about tracks and trains—it is investing in the economic vitality of our Hudson Valley communities,” Harckham said. “The strategic investments in the MTA capital plan will help ensure our residents can reliably access jobs, and that our local employers have the workers they need to serve our residents.”
The recently enacted 2025-2026 state budget allocates $1.4 billion towards financing the MTA’s five-year capital plan, which includes $6 billion in investments to Metro-North Railroad. The railroad plans to purchase new railcars, improve outlying stations, build resilience into its rail lines, and begin a major reconstruction of the Park Avenue underground approach to Grand Central Terminal.
Harckham said investments in Metro-North will benefit its 255,200 daily riders, including many “reverse” commuters, who travel to jobs in Westchester and Putnam counties and help to contribute to economic growth in those areas, including healthcare facilities.
– Eric Harvey
Peekskill police officers commended for sexual abuse investigation
Five police officers from the Peekskill Police Department were among 29 officers in Westchester County honored for their bravery and exemplary police work at the annual Police Memorial Service and Honor Awards ceremony held on Wed., May 13 at the County Center in White Plains.
Lt. Adam Renwick and Detectives Paul Moerlins, Kylee Papas, John Merritt and John Marchioni of the Peekskill Police Department were awarded a Citation of Commendable Merit for their successful investigation and arrest of an adult male who had sexually abused a minor.
The team was awarded second place for county cases closed in the six-month period ending on March 31, 2025. Chief of Police Leo Dylewski read the citation for those officers during a live stream of the event posted by the county.
“Lt. Adam Renwick, Detectives Paul Moerlins, Kylee Papas, John Meritt, John Marchioni exhibited exceptional intelligence in devising and gathering valuable evidence that did not initially exist when they were assigned the case and they are hereby awarded second place,” Dylewski said.
On Aug. 7, 2024, Detective Moerlins was assigned to investigate a sex offense where a ten-year-old male victim had been sexually assaulted by a 33-year-old male suspect. In addition to the sexual assault the suspect was attempting to groom the victim with the intent to further sexually abuse the child, Dylewski said.
“Detective Moerlins, along with Detectives Papas and Meritt devised a plan to pose as the victim and continue communication with the suspect,” Dylewski said. “The detectives’ efforts were successful and the suspect proceeded to communicate believing he was communicating with the victim. The case culminated when the detectives arranged for the suspect to meet with the victim at which the suspect was apprehended.”
– Eric Harvey
Installation of artists’ plaques on public art coming soon
The artists who created the public art that enlivens the city of Peekskill will soon be recognized for their contributions.
Over the next several weeks Peekskill will be installing artwork attribution plaques at each site to ensure there is a consistent feel to the city’s art. According to the Planning Department, the goal is to host several opening events for an official dedication of an Art Trail in the fall. Money from the state’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) funded many of the projects.
Several of the artworks are part of the “Illuminate Peekskill!” project planned to feature five sculptures approved for sites between the waterfront and the downtown.
The “Wind Farm” piece at the small park at the top of Central Avenue was designed to have pinwheels internally illuminated all night using battery power.
This past winter the pinwheels were lighting up only intermittently. Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art has temporarily removed them and is working with an art conservator and electrician to improve their functionality. The Planning Department expects the pinwheels to be back up soon.
– Jim Roberts
Rally opposing Medicaid coverage cuts held at Pugsley Park
A press conference urging U.S. Mike Lawler (R) to oppose cuts to Medicaid coverage for millions of New Yorkers was held at Pugsley Park on Tuesday, May 14, at 11 a.m.
Anna Oman, an organizer with 1199 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) said there were a little over 20 caregivers, members of 1999SEIU, and community leaders gathered at the event, which continued despite the rain.
Speakers included Laurie Lanphear, executive director of New York Health Home Coalition, Michael Davoli, senior New York State government relations director at American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and Charlotte Savoury, a respiratory therapist at Good Samaritan and a registered Republican living in Congressional District 17, which Lawler represents.
The rally was part of a national week of action across key districts in New York State, with others held in Riverhead, Nay Shore, Brooklyn, Plattsburgh, Dunkirk, and Medina. The group said if these Medicaid cuts are passed, the state faces the loss of 72,000 healthcare jobs and would lose $6.7 billion in federal funding in 2026.
In a statement, Savoury said massive cuts to federal healthcare programs like Medicaid “kills us” and destroys good patient care.
“Healthcare should not be on the chopping block,” Savoury said in a statement. “We already care for a lot of uninsured patients and that means our hospital picks up the tab. It’s the right thing to do, but it shows how we all end up paying for it on the back end if more people are uninsured.”
– Eric Harvey
New members of the Field Library Board of Trustees
The Field Library Board of Trustees welcomes three new members filling vacant seats:
Dr. Deborah Grimshaw is a retired school administrator, and has served as a trustee on the Fulton Public Library and Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery boards. In 2020, she and her husband followed her daughter’s family to Peekskill to care for their granddaughter. They are happy Peekskill residents.
Michael Spencer is a lifelong resident of Westchester County currently residing in Cortlandt Manor with his wife, Ivy, and his two children, Hailey and Jordon. He is a commercial lender with over 30 years of experience assisting businesses and individuals. Mr. Spencer enjoys spending his spare time with his family, as well as hiking the Hudson Highlands.
Nina Levine-Apicella is a 38-year resident of Peekskill who loves to read, garden, and library-hop with her young granddaughter. Her educational journey began with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Psychology which led her to pursue a master’s degree in Special Education. After a fifteen year career as a special educator, Ms. Levine-Apicella returned to school and received a Master of Library Science. She is now retired after 15 years as the Peekskill Middle School Library Media Specialist. Ms. Levine-Apicella looks forward to bringing her skills and enthusiasm to support library services for the benefit of all community members.
The Field Library Board of Trustees consists of 11 residents of the City of Peekskill and the Town of Cortlandt. The Board meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm in the library. Meetings are open to the public.
For more information email [email protected].
– Sourced from the Field Library
TOWN OF CORTLANDT
Cortlandt corrects mistakes on mailed water bills
Residents in the Town of Cortlandt opened the water bills they received in the mail this month and got a rude surprise.
It turns out many bills contained the address and account information for a different resident than the homeowner whose address appeared on the mailing.
Several residents posted their reactions on social media when they saw the mistake. One person wrote: “…the bill I received was over [$]800! Alleged no payment for prior quarter & more than [$]500.00 for the last quarter. I was in a panic till I saw the address.”
According to town officials, residents were told to ignore the incorrect bills and wait for the corrected bill. Residents can also pay online where the correct information appears on their account.
A spokesperson for Town Supervisor Dr. Richard Becker told the Peekskill Herald, “The Northern Westchester Joint Water Works performs the water billing service on behalf of the Town of Cortlandt.
“Due to a programming problem with our printing vendor, the water bills issued on May 1 were issued with a mismatched address on the remittance coupon of the bill. Account information and specific charges in our billing system were correct, and once we were aware of the error, we worked with our printing vendor to re-issue corrected bills.
“Unfortunately, our usual quality control measures were not met. We understand the frustration it caused, and have internally created an additional measure to help prevent future occurrences,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.
– Jim Roberts
