Local Matters Westchester

Chappaqua’s John Cirillo joins  Local Matters Westchester  to share stories from life in sports PR — from his Brooklyn roots and Fordham days to his time with the Knicks, Madison Square Garden, and beyond. Hear about Patrick Ewing, Spike Lee, Reggie Miller, and Cirillo’s creative life as a teacher, author, and lyricist. Recorded remotely from Genesis/Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco.

At 92 and 67, Broadway veteran Patricia Conolly and her actor/astrologer husband, Colin McPhillamy, join  Local Matters Westchester  to share stage stories and tell us what's in the stars, politically and otherwise.

Tarrytown Trustee Effie Phillips-Staley joins  Local Matters Westchester  to discuss her Democratic primary campaign for New York’s 17th Congressional District, where she hopes to challenge incumbent Republican Mike Lawler in the general election. She shares how her working-class upbringing shaped her perspective and highlights her priorities: housing affordability, humane treatment of immigrants,...

This week on  Local Matters Westchester , we talk with John Cappello, an Air Force veteran and Democratic candidate for New York’s 17th Congressional District. He’s running against incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, whom he calls not genuinely moderate, questioning the congressman’s support for President Trump, what he describes as his recent performative politics, and votes like the “Big Beau...

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we talk with  Tibi Guzmán , CEO of The Arc Westchester, the county’s largest organization supporting people with developmental disabilities and their families.  She explains her journey into this work, which was shaped by her own experience as the parent of a child with autism, and why that personal connection fuels her passion for the mission. Guzmán shares...

This week on  Local Matters Westchester , we spoke with Cheryl Smith Alvarez, director of the Westchester Transcendental Meditation (TM) Center in Katonah. Alvarez explains what Transcendental Meditation is — and isn’t — how she first discovered the practice, and why so many people, from busy parents to frontline health care workers, are finding it life-changing. She also shares details on a partn...

This week on  Local Matters Westchester , we’re joined by Peter Chatzky — Briarcliff Manor’s deputy mayor, a longtime business executive, and a Democratic candidate in New York’s 17th Congressional District, where a crowded primary field has formed to challenge Republican incumbent Mike Lawler. Chatzky reflects on lessons from decades in local government and shares his views on housing, gun violen...

Paul Feiner has been town supervisor of Greenburgh since 1992, making him the longest-serving supervisor in Westchester County. In this week’s episode of  Local Matters Westchester , we talk with Feiner about how he got his start in politics, why he decided against becoming a rabbi, and the pros and cons of his trademark (and almost comical) accessibility. He shares why he believes the political e...

When the  Record-Review  closed, the Bedford area lost a trusted source of local news. One year ago this month,  The Recorder  — a nonprofit founded by Ed Baum, Lloyd Trufelman, and Karen Sabath, with longtime editor Thane Grauel helping to lead the newsroom — stepped in to fill that gap. In this episode,  Local Matters Westchester  co-hosts Adam Stone (publisher of  The Examiner ) and Martin Wilb...

Over the next 15 years, if Westchester doesn’t step up efforts to address its housing gap, the county could lose between 8,400 and 12,000 jobs annually, $533 to $742 million in earnings, and $32 to $57 billion in GDP, according to a May report by the Regional Plan Association (RPA), released with the Westchester County Association. “Westchester County is in the midst of a housing crisis, which, if...

This week on  Local Matters Westchester , we’re joined by longtime Fox Lane Varsity baseball coach Matt Hillis, who has led the program for more than 20 years. Fresh off guiding the Foxes to the Section 1 Class AA title and a run to the state championship game, Hillis reflects on his journey—from giving up his own pro playing dreams as a young man to parlaying that passion into a coaching career t...

On this episode of  Local Matters Westchester , Andrea Della Mura — two-time breast cancer survivor and owner of The DRIPBaR Rye — shares how her health journey inspired her to start the business 15 months ago.  She explains what IV drip therapy is all about, shares success stories from local clients, and answers common questions from skeptics.  Della Murra also previews  Hope Takes Flight , a Sup...

Republican Assemblyman Matt Slater of District 94 — a rising voice in New York’s GOP politics — joins  Local Matters Westchester  this week. We open the conversation by asking him about the looming fallout from President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” particularly its massive impact on the state’s Medicaid funding and patient care. We ask where he stands on the new school cell phone ban, how he squ...

This week on Local Matters Westchester we spoke with Kathleen Reckling, CEO of ArtsWestchester, about the organization’s 60-year journey and what it’s like stepping into a role long held by local legend Janet Langsam. Reckling shares her background—including an early interest in arts journalism—the potential impact of federal cuts, with up to $8 million at risk for Westchester’s arts economy, and...

At 94, Hartsdale resident Hanne Holsten still remembers her childhood under Nazi rule with stunning clarity. In this special episode, she shares the powerful story of her family’s escape from Germany — and the heartbreaking moment, as an 8-year-old girl, when she realized her life was about to change forever. Holsten talks about survival, loss and how teaching helped her heal. We’re also joined by...

Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer joins our  Local Matters Westchester  podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the village’s future. We talk about the uncertain outlook for the Pleasantville Music Festival, his firm opposition to moving local elections to November, and how the village is working to strike a balance between growth and small-town character amid development questions, parking...

Kathy Quinn, founding director of Yorktown-based Support Connection, shares the story behind this nonprofit providing free, confidential support to women and families facing breast, ovarian, and gynecological cancers. We talk about how it started, who it helps, the group’s “Hope Takes Flight” origami crane campaign, the vital annual Support‑A‑Walk in October, and why peer support makes all the dif...

Mount Kisco Mayor Mike Cindrich, a former law enforcement officer, discusses masked federal agents, Medicaid cuts and their impact on his health-focused town, challenges with cell towers and battery storage systems, why he’s back in office, and what’s ahead as the municipality celebrates its 150th birthday.

The Pleasantville Music Festival returns for its 19th year in just a couple of weeks, on Saturday, July 12, with headliner  Dawes . But sustaining this local tradition hasn’t been easy. In this episode, we talk with Executive Director Doug Panero, who discusses the challenges but highlights why he believes the reinvention under his leadership will strengthen the festival’s future. We also explore...

State Senator Pete Harckham joins us to break down the just-completed Albany session, including his push for packaging reduction and other environmental priorities. He also talks about attending Mount Kisco’s “No Kings” protest against President Trump—and how the tone shifted as he broke the news of the deadly political shootings in Minnesota. Plus: Con Ed rate hikes, New York’s mental health and...

Join us this week as we speak with Larry Beilenson, Board Co-Chair of Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO) and son of the late founder, Nick Beilenson. Larry shares the story behind WRO’s founding in 1968, the urgent need for federal investment to address the affordable housing crisis, the growing homelessness problem, and how looming budget cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban...

Chappaqua resident Steven Beschloss – award-winning journalist, professor, and author of the popular Substack  America, America  – joins  Local Matters Westchester  for a wide-ranging conversation. He shares his concerns about threats to American democracy, the looming economic fallout he sees coming to local communities, and what’s driving President Trump’s clash with higher education. Beschloss...

This week on  Local Matters Westchester , we spoke with Noam Bramson, executive director of Sustainable Westchester (and former longtime mayor of New Rochelle), to talk about what the organization is doing locally to address climate challenges. We asked Bramson about Sustainable Westchester’s clean energy efforts, the debate over automatic opt-in policies, concerns around battery storage, the impa...

Westchester County Legislator Margaret Cunzio joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about her role as Minority Leader on the Board of Legislators—one of just two members in the minority—and what bipartisanship looks like in county government. We get into term limits, state mandates, the county budget, affordable housing, and the proposed Con Ed rate hikes. Cunzio also shares how becoming a volu...

Northern Westchester Hospital President Derek Anderson joins us to discuss Northwell Health’s merger with Nuvance, the potential real-world impact of looming Medicaid cuts, and a new mental health initiative for local youth. We also explore how nonprofit culture shapes care at NWH, the hospital’s embrace of holistic health, what becoming a teaching hospital means for patients, Anderson’s unique jo...