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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 26 October 2011

Created: 26 October 2011

Last Updated: 27 October 2011

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No one knows how Jesus Alfaya found his way to the Greenacres School playground or why he paid repeated visits to the school.  Though anyone can easily walk into the park, residents consider it a neighborhood playground and generally assume it is a safe haven for their children. At least they did until Tuesday afternoon 10/25 when a neighborhood mom saw a man, later identified as Jesus Alfaya, sitting on a bench in the playground exposing himself and masturbating.  She called police after she saw Alfaya pull his pants down, sit on a bench and go at it.

At the time soccer practice was going on at the field and there were just a few kids in the playground. Fortunately an alert mom managed to clear the children from the playground before police arrived.  Officer Gaudio found the suspect in the park and when he questioned the man, Alfaya was very slow to respond. His eyes were red and bloodshot and he was evasive, refusing to even give his name. After three tries, he said his name was Jospeh Hernandez, date of birth 3/17/85, but failed to provide an address. Since he was so hesitant, the officer threatened to arrest him for impersonation if he would not give his real identity.

He was placed under arrest and a search revealed his wallet which identified him as Jesus Alfaya of Yonkers, date of birth, 2/12/85.  However Alfaya said he no longer lived in Yonkers and provided 381 Irving Avenue, Portchester as his address.

Turns out Alfaya had been at Greenacres before. One witness, Francesca Erigo of White Plains said that she had seen Alfaya at the park last week, smoking something that smelled like marijuana.

At Police headquarters Alfaya was charged with Public Lewdness and Exposure of Private Parts in a Public Place as well as False Impersonation as a result of giving police a fictitious name. He was booked, processed and brought to Village Hall to appear before Jude Galloway who set bail at $1,000 and sent him to Westchester County Jail.  A police search revealed that Alfaya is not a sex offender and has no prior record.

Lieutenent Altizio spoke to the Greenacres School Principal as well as a representative from the neighborhood association.  According to Altizio,  “It appears to be an isolated incident, although we are investigating to see if the subject was involved in any other incidents in the area.”

Altizio was puzzled that police were not called earlier when Alfaya was acting strangely in the park. He encourages everyone to be vigilant and to feel comfortable calling the police if they see any suspicious behavior.

The incident shocked Greenacres parents who quickly disseminated details of the event to friends around town via email.  School Principal Gerry Young sent an email to Greenacres parents to let them know that teachers and aides will be on heightened alert and asked parents to talk to their children about staying safe in unusual situations.

Why here? Greenacres School's close proximity to White Plains and the Route 22 busline leaves it more vulnerable to big city problems than some of the other elementary schools and perhaps residents have been lulled into a sense of complacency. Whatever the reasons, this incident is a wake-up call and warrants increased vigilance from parents, caregivers, educators and the Greenacres community.

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Published: 02 November 2011

Created: 02 November 2011

Last Updated: 02 November 2011

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The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) will hold an educational event on Sunday, November 6 from 2 - 5 PM to publicize changes in the recycling regulations at three locations: ShopRite at the Midway Shopping Center on Central Avenue, the Stop & Shop in White Plains on Westchester Avenue across from The Container Store, and at the ShopRite in White Plains City Center. The theme for this event is “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle for a Greener Generation”.

A poster contest was held earlier this month among the JLCW service area schools, grades K through 8. The contest allowed the children to get involved in community service while building awareness on caring for our environment. The winning posters will be on display at the event locations. Laptop Lunches has donated prizes for contest winners and are providing some reusable products for sale at the event.

Here are some tips about Westchester’s new recycling law:

• Don't mix your recyclables in with your garbage or they will not be picked up and you'll receive a red Oops! sticker.
• Keep glass, plastics, metal and paper (including newspaper, magazines, catalogs and junk mail) out of your garbage.
• Look for the triangular chasing arrows symbol on your plastics, and recycle all that are coded with any number from 1 through 7 in the center. Make sure to rinse off the containers before putting them in the recycling bin.
• You can now recycle plastic carry out bags along with other acceptable plastic materials at most stores. Check your local stores for details.
• Practice good habits in public as well, and put your recyclables in recycling containers rather than trash cans.

Additional specifics on recycling and latest news can be obtained from the Westchester County Government website at www.westchestergov.com/recycling or at the Westchester County Recycling HelpLine number (914-813-5420).

Make recycling a priority and make a difference in our environment. This event is being planned by the “Let's Save the Earth” committee, and will be staffed by volunteers from JLCW. For further information, call 914.723.6130 or email [email protected].

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Published: 19 October 2011

Created: 19 October 2011

Last Updated: 19 October 2011

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The view from the Tappan Zee Bridge is one of the most beautiful sights on the Hudson. It’s too bad that one is usually in a car, battling traffic and barely able to take it all in. If Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner gets his way, honking horns and toll lanes will be replaced with walkways and bike lanes, turning the Tappan Zee into a suburban High Line.

Last week, the Obama administration approved Governor Cuomo’s request to fast track construction of a new Tappan Zee Bridge to replace the older and deteriorating bridge. On the heels of that news, Feiner unveiled a plan to make the current bridge a recreational expanse for walkers, bikers, residents and tourists to enjoy and to link Westchester and Rockland Counties.

Feiner who says that saving the bridge from demolition would save hundreds of millions of dollars likens this plan to the High Line in New York City where private monies funded this wildly successful project. He envisions a place where millions can enjoy summer events, gardens and sculptures and an attraction that would be a boon to local businesses, home prices and Westchester’s economy.

Feiner has reason to be optimistic. Another converted walkway in the New York Metropolitan area whose success has far outpaced expectations is the Walkway Over the Hudson . This pedestrian walkway converted from old rail tracks, links Poughkeepsie and Highland. According to a report in the New York Times, the Walkway has attracted over 600,000 visitors a year, far exceeding expectations, and is much cheaper to maintain than it would have been to demolish.

Feiner has support from founders of the High Line and the Walkway for the Tappan Zee conversion. On WNYC this week, High Line creators Joshua David and Robert Hammond told radio host Leonard Lopate that they were excited by the prospects of this project.

And Fred Schaeffer, the father of the Walkway Over the Hudson will lend his support to Feiner by speaking at a meeting Feiner is holding on November 16th to help form a committee to press for this project.

Not everyone is as excited by this idea. Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino’s office appears a bit dubious of Feiner’s plan. Astorina spokeswoman Donna Greene explains; “While it’s exciting that we got fast tracked, we don’t have a lot of specifics yet on what’s going to happen. We do know that the new bridge will be north of the current one but will let out at the same point. Feiner can say a walkway will cost less, but less than what? Money is tight and our priority is to get the best new bridge built we can. It is highly unlikely there will be enough money to do both.”

Aside from the economics, there are some practical matters to take into consideration. Parking: Would visitors inundate the towns of Tarrytown and Piermont? How would they get to the bridge from there if the new bridge will have similar access points?

The size and slope: The Tappan Zee differs from the High Line and the Walkway in that is it much longer, over 3 miles, compared to the mile and change of the Walkway Over the Hudson and the mile and a half expanse of the High Line. It’s also steep. The hill leading up to the bridge itself could detract walkers and will only be good for skilled bikers. Feiner says that the length is actually something he sees as a plus. “We can have that much more there. We can have gardens and rest areas and food stands. There are more possibilities with the length of it.”

Feiner adds that keeping this bridge rather than demolishing it adds another layer of security. He says that one police chief he spoke to says that this can provide another way to leave Westchester in case of an emergency and provides more security to this region.

On the other hand, one can’t ignore the Tappan Zee’s grim history of suicides. Some question how the area could be monitored and if a walkway creates an increased risk for more of these.

On a beautiful day, a pedestrian walkway over the Tappan Zee may seem like a great idea. The successes of the High Line and the Walkway Over the Hudson are compelling reasons to be optimistic about this project. However, in this tough financial climate where it is doubtful that government monies will be available, the prospect of funding the overhaul from private donations may be unrealistic. This may be a very cool idea, but one that is too hard to sell.

If you’re interested in learning more, attend the first meeting on the plan at 8 pm on Wednesday, November 16th in the cafeteria at Greenburgh Town Hall 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh.