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  1. District voters to weigh in on $125M budget

  2. Trump’s Seven Springs homes get OK

  3. Katonah-Lewisboro: District hopes to ‘take new ground

  4. Katonah Fire Department celebrates new truck, renovations

  5. Bedford Hills carnival offers fun supports field trips

  6. editorial: District ‘balancing act’

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By NATALIA BAAGE-LORD

Bedford Central residents will return to the polls on May 21 to vote on the district’s $125 million budget. It keeps all but one academic program and slashes nearly 20 staffing positions.

The administration has not shied away from saying that the 2013-14 budget was one of the most difficult it has assembled in recent history. The $125,057,000 budget stayed under the tax levy cap, at 3.37 percent, and is up 1.92 percent — nearly $2.36 million — from the current 2012-13 budget.

Approved by the school board at its April 17 meeting, the budget retains all of its programs except for its Academic Community for Educational Success module. In addition, the cuts forced the termination of 19.5 staff positions, for which a number of board members, including president Susan Elion Wollin, expressed remorse.

The administration began the process working with a larger budget of over $128 million, but implemented cuts to get to the district’s current budget level. While the upcoming budget was tough to shape, said assistant superintendent Mark Betz, the administration worked hard to ensure that students will receive the best education in the coming year. They said they attempted to implement the cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.

Some cuts included a reduction of clubs at the high school and middle school.

Read more >

District ‘balancing act’

We had a reporter a few years back who spelled out the acronym “ESL” as “English as a Special Language.” This “special language” might be especially reserved for New York State’s school budget votes. In the district’s overall budget proposal, we read: “The proposed school year tax levy, not including levy for permissible exclusions or levy to support library debt, is $103,887,884. School tax levy limit, not including levy for permissible exclusions, is $103,887,966.”

As interpreted by Bedford Central School District’s assistant superintendent Mark Betz, this means that part of the budget is not restricted by the 2 percent tax cap. Thus the actual level of increase in the district is 3.37 percent, since a part of the tax levy is allowed to be excluded from the 2 percent tax cap mandated by the state. These can include such items as capital debt — principal and interest on mortgages, and construction costs — and are removed from the calculations. Read more >

Voters to decide on district’s $125M budget

After 18 years, Trump gets final approval for Seven Springs


By ANTHONY R. MANCINI

Business magnate Donald Trump’s plan to build luxury homes on the Seven Springs estate near the Byram Lake Reservoir received its final approval from Bedford’s planning board on May 14, allowing development to begin on the site after 18 years of hurdles.

“It’s really kind of an oasis in Westchester: incredibly private, incredibly exclusive. It’s just really an amazing piece of land,” said Mr. Trump’s son Eric Trump, who is overseeing the project, on May 15. “Bedford’s an amazing area, and that area’s second to none.”

Eric Trump said 12 new houses would be built on the property, which is situated between Bedford, New Castle and North Castle. Read more >

ANTHONY R. MANCINI

Charles Martabano presents plans for luxury homes at Donald Trump’s Seven Springs on Tuesday night at the meeting of the Bedford Planning Board.