Domestic Violence Services Coming to Northern Westchester
Somers is joining with Pound Ridge, North Salem, Lewisboro and Bedford in an initiative to bring services to Northern Westchester for domestic violence victims.
The Somers Town Board voted unanimously on September 7 to spend $5,000 a year for two years for the town’s portion of the rent for a facility where the services will be offered.
Following last week’s meeting, Supervisor Rick Morrissey declined to say where the facility will be located in order to protect the privacy of the victim who will be coming to it.
In a recent letter to the town board, Gwen Wright, executive director of the state Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, stated the Westchester County Office for Women was given a $200,000 state grant for the pilot program.
County Legislator Francis Corcoran was among the advocates for domestic violence victims who came to last week’s meeting to ask the town board to provide part of the funding for the rental of the building.
Environment Committee Chair Leaves
The longtime chair of the Somers Energy Environment Committee has stepped down from the post.
At last week’s town board meeting, Morrissey announced that Michael Blum was leaving. Blum was thanked for his efforts by town board members.
Morrissey said one of the committee’s efforts under Blum’s chairmanship was to obtain solar panels that were placed on the roof of the town’s public library.
The town board voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Jerry Stern and Don Bleasdale as the new co-chairs of the committee Their terms as co-chairs will expire on December 31.
“The committee will act as a conduit for the purpose of promoting and communicating environmentally sound and cost-effective initiatives in order to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption while making effective use of relevant town resources,” according to the group’s mission statement.
