CITY
Fired city worker seeks $6 million settlement
The attorney for fired Peekskill city employee Brian Raphael is demanding a $6 million payout and a return of his job with the city.
The dollar amount to settle the case appears in legal papers filed with Westchester County court last week.
Raphael’s lawsuit is the second instance where the city lost a default judgment for failing to respond to a lawsuit within the time limit. In the previous case the city paid $1 million to settle without getting a chance to try the merits of the case in court.
Raphael was terminated in late 2021 during his probationary period when the city claimed he did not perform his job as Assistant Water & Sewer Superintendent reporting to David Rambo. However in court papers Raphael’s attorney claimed he was fired for making ongoing allegations of unsafe working conditions.
In the recent filing Raphael’s attorney Peter Wessel states the $6 million includes punitive damages. He cites the Public Employee Whistleblower Protection Act under New York Civil Law.
Peekskill City Manager Matthew Alexander said he could not comment regarding ongoing litigation. The next scheduled court date is set for later in July. If no settlement is reached the case would go to a jury to decide the payment Raphael will receive.
– Jim Roberts
New apartments overlooking the Hudson target fall open
The developer of “East Point on Hudson” plans to start renting apartments at the South and Grove location in Peekskill in early fall.
“We’re down to fixtures and fittings right now,” said Tony East, a partner at Finkelstein Timberger East Real Estate (FTERE). “We had a bit of a slowdown over the winter with some rough weather but now we’ve got 30 to 40 people in that building every day getting work done including kitchen cabinets, tile work and final finishes.”
East is working on preparing marketing materials for the property and expects to have a website up and running soon.
The four-level, 51-unit building provides spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley, spacious rooms and higher-end amenities. The smallest units are over 1,000 square feet; two-bedroom units are close to 1,400 square feet. Building amenities include a large swimming pool with a deck and seating area, a barbecue area with a fire pit, a gym, clubroom, charging stations for electric vehicles, underground parking for residents, and outdoor parking for guests.
Rental prices are still being determined. “We’re fine tuning that now,” East said. “We have numbers penciled in but have to verify that by comparing them with Ginsburg Development properties up and down the Rivertowns.”
Another new market-rate rental residential property in Peekskill, Park Place Tower at 1108 Brown Street, is 95 percent leased with over 200 residents. The building owner there is now looking to fill four retail spaces including a restaurant to fill the corner space.
– Jim Roberts
Ruben’s Mexican Cafe presented with award for 20th anniversary
Ruben Alvarez, owner of Ruben’s Mexican Cafe, was the recipient of a New York State Senate Empire Award by state Sen. Pete Harckham in celebration of the business’s 20th anniversary in the City of Peekskill.
The New York State Empire Award is presented in recognition of outstanding contributions and dedication to the growth, prosperity and betterment of the community and the state, according to a press release from Harckham’s office on May 23.
“I am delighted that we could recognize an important local family-owned business on its anniversary,” Harckham said. “These businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, providing jobs for our communities. Ruben’s story is one of an immigrant’s hard work and sacrifice in a very challenging business. We wish him, his family and his team many more years of success.”
The press release stated Alvarez hails from Jalisco, Mexico, and brought his passion for food and traditional Mexican dishes to North Division Street. Since the cafe’s founding in 2005, it has been a much-loved gathering spot and destination in Peekskill, offering an authentic taste of Mexican culture and cuisine, the release said.
“I thank Senator Harckham for this award,” Alvarez said. “It is an honor to be recognized on this important milestone for our business. I hope that we can continue to contribute to the local economy and our community for many years to come.”
– Eric Harvey
Peekskill Rotary Club donates $11K for Peekskill City School District
The Rotary Club of Peekskill is once again making a donation to support the Peekskill City School District, this time contributing $11,000.
On Tuesday, May 20, at the Peekskill Board of Education meeting, the club’s president Anthony Washington provided the details on three checks.
One check of $7,500 will help defray the travel cost of the Peekskill High School Iron Devils robotics team when traveling for competitions. Another check of $2,500 will assist the Peekskill Education Foundation with the purchase of virtual reality goggles for the school district. Lastly a check of $1,000 aims to complete the Oak Side Greenhouse project.
“We’re really anxious to see the finished product,” Washington said of the greenhouse project. “As you know, it was an empty space with no equipment, no soil, no plants or anything. And the last time I was there, there were actually green things growing. So we’re thrilled about that.”
– Eric Harvey
13 Ambulance Corps members receive awards
Thirteen members of the Peekskill Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps (PCVAC) were honored at this year’s Westchester Regional Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Council award ceremony for their contributions to the EMS profession in 2024. The event took place on May 20 at Westchester Community College in Valhalla.
The following individuals received Lifesaving Awards:
Medical Director Dr. John A. McGurty, Chief Steven Sniffen, Captain Mack Godbee, Lieutenant Justin Hayes, Lieutenant Elizabeth LaPadula, EMT Jake Polay, Darryl Brickhouse, Edward Rowe, Bernard Walker, EMT Kelly McGovern, Stephan Jack, EMT Giorgi Dalakishvili, EMT Justin Loja.
The Lifesaving Award is awarded to EMS providers who serve as primary caregivers and deliver effective and appropriate medical treatment that results in saving a life. To qualify, the patient must have been in cardiac arrest – apneic, pulseless, and unresponsive – and was completely resuscitated with physical and mental capabilities restored to pre-incident levels.
– Jeffrey Merchan
Law Enforcement torch run for special olympics finishes in Peekskill
Riverfront Park was the finish line for the Tri-County Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics held on Monday, May 19.
The run starting at about 8:30 a.m. brought together agencies throughout Rockland County, Westchester County, and Putnam Valley. It was the 39th year of support by Westchester County law enforcement and the fourth year united with support from Rockland and Putnam County law enforcement.
The course consisted of five legs, passing through multiple communities and law enforcement jurisdictions ending at Riverfront Park on Hudson Avenue around 4:45 p.m.
– Eric Harvey
Mobile Passport Office coming to Peekskill May 28
Need a passport? The Office of The Westchester County Clerk will have a Mobile Passport Office set up in front of the Neighborhood Center at 4 Nelson Avenue on Wednesday, May 28 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. For more information, individuals are encouraged to contact the Westchester County Clerk’s Office at (914) 995-3080.
‘Faces of Freedom’ exhibit opens June 7 at Lincoln Depot
The Lincoln Depot Museum’s newest exhibit, “Faces of Freedom,” will open with a special program on June 7 at 2 p.m. featuring special guest historian, author and editor/publisher of Military Images Magazine Ronald S. Coddington.
In this exhibit, visitors will look upon some of the faces of nearly 200,000 men – soldiers – of African descent who Abraham Lincoln acknowledged helped to turn the tide of the Civil War.
The portraits are prints from original, wartime, identified photographs. The stories are the result of research of primary source documents, including military service records and pension files, newspaper reports, regimental histories, and other writings.
This exhibit is made possible by Military Images, a quarterly magazine founded in 1979 and dedicated to showcasing, interpreting, and preserving Civil War portrait photography, and the generosity of the William C. Goodridge Freedom Center & Underground Railroad Museum in York, P.A. ”The Faces of Freedom Exhibition” will remain on display at the museum for viewing on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. from June 7 to July 12.
TOWN OF CORTLANDT
Co-defendant in Griffin case gets one-year prison sentence
Robert Dyckman, a Town of Cortlandt employee for over 25 years until his October 2019 departure, received a federal prison sentence of one year and one day on May 20 in front of U.S. Federal Court Judge Vincent Briccetti.
Dyckman’s sentence includes two years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $1,500. He was ordered to surrender to begin his sentence by 2 p.m. on July 7.
Dyckman plead guilty on August 26, 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in the case against Glenn Griffin. Griffin was charged with illegal dumping at Cortlandt’s Arlo Lane facility and bribing Dyckman to avoid detection. Griffin owns Griffin Landscaping, other businesses, and numerous properties in Peekskill.
Griffin is due to be sentenced by Judge Briccetti in White Plains federal court on June 11.
Dyckman was an Assistant General Foreman with Cortlandt for over seven years. He supervised several dozen town employees, drivers and laborers and was responsible for overseeing road maintenance, paving, snow plowing, catch basin drainage repair and maintenance, sweeping, and tree work.
– Jim Roberts
Public invited to discuss Cortlandt development plans
The Town of Cortlandt Planning staff and its consulting team will host a second community workshop on the future of the Cortlandt Train Station area on Tuesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library.
The first workshop was held last fall, where facilitators listened and learned from residents on their issues, preferences, and ideas. This workshop will include a short presentation from 7:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and then an open house of listening stations from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
All are welcome to attend. Registration is appreciated but not required. Refreshments will be provided. More information is available here.
Hendrick Hudson School District hosts Music Hall of Fame ceremony
The Hendrick Hudson School District will host its inaugural Hendrick Hudson Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in the district’s high school auditorium. The induction will take place during the Tri-M Music Honor Society induction.
The first inductees into the Music Hall of Fame are Elena Bonomo, Clare Carey, Sarah Ann Duffy, Susan Feldman, Steven Frieder, William Lemak, Claire Leyden, Ema S.K. Price, Philip Solomon.
TOWN OF PUTNAM VALLEY
Putnam Valley renaissance faire no longer coming
A renaissance faire originally planned for the Town of Putnam Valley’s Camp Combe has moved its venue to Camp Herrlich in Patterson, New York.
As reported in Watching Putnam Valley, the renaissance entertainment group, Kingdom Faire, learned that it could not hold its events this summer at Camp Combe due to the camp’s special use permit after a planning board meeting.
The application from the YMCA originally proposed creating 185 parking spots on the property at Peekskill Hollow Road in Putnam Valley. Many of the proposed spots were close to the Peekskill Hollow Brook, which is a water supply for the City of Peekskill, sparking concerns from one member about potential runoff from the parked cars at the shoreline of the brook.
– Eric Harvey
STATE
Senators Harckham, May host public hearing on harmful algal blooms
State Senators Pete Harckham and Rachel May hosted a public hearing on May 21 at the State Capitol regarding harmful algal blooms.
Harckham’s office said in a release that the hearing evaluated the efficacy of the New York State’s monitoring and management of harmful algal blooms (HABs), and to examine potential legislative solutions.
According to the release, HABs are accumulations of cyanobacteria that can release dangerous toxins into water bodies. The blooms known as blue-green algae pose a growing threat to public health and environmental stability across the state, the release stated.
“This hearing was about protecting our waterways, preserving fragile drinking water supplies, and safeguarding public health,” Harckham said in the release. “The alarming rise in harmful algal blooms across New York, exacerbated by climate change, demands a coordinated, evidence-based statewide strategy to mitigate risks and support our communities.”
Both Harckham and May have introduced legislation seeking to address HABs, with Harckham’s bill seeking to authorize municipalities and lake associations to obtain permits for the use of scientifically vetted products to control algal blooms and restore safe phosphorus levels in water bodies.
At the hearing, lawmakers received in-person testimony from state agencies, local governments, lake associations, researchers, agricultural organizations, and environmental advocates, including Riverkeeper’s Associate Director of Government Affairs, Jeremy Cherson.
“Reducing harmful algal blooms will take more than a singular silver bullet,” he said. “We need the New York State Department of Health to step up with stronger public protections, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to finalize long-overdue pollution plans for the Mohawk and Walkwill Rivers, and state leaders to support communities with the tools and funding to safeguard drinking water.”
– Eric Harvey
NATIONAL
GOP’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ passes
The Republican-led House passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” by a single vote (215 to 214) on Thursday, May 22.
The package includes tax cuts, reform to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), immigration fees, ending breaks for clean energy, and support for domestic manufacturing.
In a press release, U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler celebrated the cap for state and local taxes (SALT) being raised from $10,000 to $40,000, work requirements and eligibility verification checks being added to Medicaid, eliminating federal taxes on tip income and overtime pay, and support for education and workforce development.
“This tax package extends the key 2017 tax cuts, puts more money back in the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers, and supports small businesses,” Lawler said. “While no legislation is without compromise, this bill makes meaningful strides toward a fairer tax system. We must build lasting consensus along party lines and across the aisle to achieve progress.”
Lawler said the SALT cap being raised would provide immediate relief to middle-class families in Westchester and that 93 percent of middle-class families in the Hudson Valley making below $300,000 will be able to fully deduct their state and local taxes.
“This was my number one focus in Washington from Day One of being here, and I’m thrilled that we find ourselves here today,” Lawler said in another release May 22. “Now, it’s on New York State and Governor Hochul to rein in the reckless spending we’ve seen- and if that requires a change of leadership in the Governor’s mansion in 2026, so be it.”
The package slashes Medicaid spending by roughly $700 billion and SNAP by about $300 billion. According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, the bill will reduce participation in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by roughly 3.2 million people in an average month over the 2025-2034 period.
In a press release from Empire State Voices, Diane Volz, a retired 102-year-old public school teacher from Peekskill criticized Lawler for supporting the bill potentially cutting $500 billion from Medicaid.
“Like nearly one-fifth of Americans, I rely on Medicaid for my healthcare—I simply couldn’t survive without it,” Volz said. “Now, because of Rep. Lawler’s short-sighted cowardice, millions of us are at risk of losing that coverage, all so that a handful of billionaires can get new, larger tax breaks. These cuts don’t make Medicaid better. They will lead to countless New Yorkers losing access to lifesaving treatment, and people will die because of it.”
– Eric Harvey
