Preserving the future

Today, I met with Town Historian Barbara Specht from the Charles Dawson History Center and took a trip back in time. I was amazed at all the items she had from Harrison going back centuries. Last week she asked the Town Board to consider moving the Dawson Center to the train station which would put it in a higher traffic area as well as a larger space. The Center is currently located in the basement of the Park Lane Club House in West Harrison. The Town Board did not take action on the request but did ask Barbara to come back with approximately how much more square footage she would need. Members of the Board also considered whether if the new Senior Annex in West Harrison would be a better location for the History Center. Construction on the new Senior Annex is to begin in late March.

Before leaving the center I took some momentos for the office with me. Ever wonder who Feeley Field was named after? How about Ma Riis Park? Want to know how the train station was built in Harrison? Find out by stopping by my office and taking a look at the new photos hanging up. As Town Clerk, I am charged with preserving Harrison's official records. As Town Historian, Barbara is charged with preserving Harrison's past. Togethether, we are working for the betterment of Harrison's future. Join us! I urge all residents to take a trip to the center and be a a part of Harrison's history. For more info call the Dawson Center at (914) 948-2550 or call my office at (914) 670-3030.

Swearing in of Planning Board

This evening, I had the distinct pleasure of swearing in the re-appointed members of the Planning Board. Standing from left to right; Thomas Heaslip Jr, Mark Rinaldi, Eleanor "Nonie" Reid and Marshall Donat. Please join me in congratulating and wishing them well in their new terms.

New counter with a new concept.

I have to thank our town Building Department for the phenomenal job they did on the front counter. I wish I had a picture of it before, but nevertheless the picture on the bottom is what it looks like now. What a difference! When I first arrived in the office I was not a fan of the old counter. I felt it was a large barrier between me and the residents. As I said in the Harrison Report; "I am not running a DMV here". However, I noticed some liked the convenience of walking right up and utilizing it. So, I met with our very talented craftsmen and discussed my concerns with them. I then left them to their imaginations and before I knew it the counter was missing and two days later a new one was presented to me with a whole new look and concept. Visitors are still able to walk up to one side and utilize it if they wish or perhaps you may want to sit down and talk on the desk side. It serves two purposes and makes it easier for residents. Thank guys you really outdid yourselves!

New name, new vision!

Now it's even easier to access my page! Simply go to http://www.harrisonclerk.com/ to check out what's new from my office. Also, I listened to your feedback concerning how to register for my email list so now that's even easier to do! Just click on the email list link on my page and fill in the spaces and you're done! Fast, easy and accessible.

I am working night and day with the Town IT Department and website design specialists to bring you a fresh new look and a whole new vision. Stay tuned and keep sending me feedback on what you want to see.

Westchester Town Clerk's Meeting

Today, I had the priviledge of meeting with many Town Clerk's from all over Westchester County at a roundtable luncheon to discuss mutual interests. Topics varied from the upcoming primary on February 5th to the use of credit card machines in our offices. By attending these discussions, I am able to learn what other Town Clerk's are offering in their towns and determine if their needs are the same as Harrison's. We can also problem solve by learning from eachother as to what works and what doesn't. I definately left with some great ideas for Harrison and look forward to implementing them soon!

WFAS on Channel 75

I am pleased to announce that we will now be playing the WFAS radio station on channel 75. As many of you are aware, 103.9 WFAS is a Westchester station and I decided to make the switch based on the need of our community. The station offers an eclectic mix of music as well as valuable information for Westchester County. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Downtown Harrison Fire Installation

I had the honor of attending the Installation of Officers Ceremony for the Downtown Fire Department. I had the honor of not only attending this event, but the privilege of being a member of the Department since 2003. I want to congratulate Chief Henry Mohr, Assistant Fire Chief Dino Delsignore, Second Assistant Fire Chief David Cox and all of the newly installed officers. I have worked side by side with all of the men and women members of the Department and can say with certainty they truly care about the residents of Harrison. Their tireless efforts to keep Harrison safe and continuous training exercises are an example of their dedication to Harrison. Join me in congratulating them and wishing them safe.

SPAM!

I have noticed that the list serve announcement I sent out may be sent to your spam folder instead of your inbox. If you did not receive the email from me today and you believe you should have please check your spam folder. If it is in the spam folder be sure to mark it as "non spam" for the future. Any questions drop me a line at Clerk@harrison-ny-gov or call my office at (914) 670-3030.

Thursday...

Tonight is the first Town/Village Board meeting of the year. I have sent out the agendas via email to all those who signed up for my listserve If you have not receieved the agenda yet or you would like to in the future please call my office at (914) 670-3030 Monday - Friday between the hours of 9am - 5pm. If it is after hours please call my cell at (914) 760-1961 or visit my homepage at http://www.town.harrison.ny.us/ and click on "Town Clerk". Please be sure you are signing up for the "Town Clerk's" email list to receive agendas and announcements from my office.

Also, I am working day and night with the IT Department in Town Hall to bring you a new and improved Town Clerk website. If you have any suggeestions on what you want to see from my on-line office please email me at Clerk@harrison-ny.gov or call my office at (914) 670-3030.

Purchase Fire Dept & League of Women Voters

Today I had the privilege of attending two events in Harrison.

In the early afternoon I went to the Purchase Fire Department's Installation of Officers. I want to thank Fire Chief Joe Brefere and all the members of the Purchase F.D. for the invitation and for their service to the entire community. It was very well attended and that is a credit to their dedication not just to our community, but to the surrounding towns and cities.

Later in the afternoon I attended a "Meet the Candidates" forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. I had a chance to discuss the new and exciting changes that are taking place in my office with a room full of residents. The one thing I stressed is that I want to be available to all residents from whether it be online, in my office or via house calls I will be there to hear you and connect you. I want to thank Lola Geiger who organized the event. Also, many residents approached me with positive feedback about my plans and new website. I encourage everyone to sign up for my email list. If you have not done so, please visit my homepage and click "Join the email list". Any questions, problems or concerns let me know!
(914) 670-3031.

It's Friday...

Many people are coming in to renew their parking passes for the train station. The 2008 stickers are in so I urge you to renew now. Some have come in with parking tickets because they did not renew yet. Please take the time to visit the office and make sure to bring your current registration with you! Some forget that fact and have to go back out to the car and who wants to be out in the cold? Also, when you do renew your sticker be sure to put it in the rear window behind the drivers side so parking enforcement can see it.

It's been a great first week and I look forward to the next one.

Day One - A New Year's Resolution

Today began day one of my tenure as your Town Clerk and I couldn't be been more happy. At 9am residents began to come into the office for parking pass renewals, dog licenses and marriage certificates. I had a chance to chat with all of them who took the time to sign up for my email list. They were excited that they will now recieve Town Board agendas as well as announcements from my office right in the comfort of their own home. I hope you take the time susbcribe to the list on my webpage. If you did stop by the office today you must have realized the counter is missing and few changes are being made. Please bear with us as we are renovating the office to make it more accessible in person and online!







Today, I also made my new years resolution. While meeting various residents I realized that everyone likes to obtain information differently. Some prefer to do business in person while others prefer over the phone or online. No matter what the custom and no matter where you live in town whether it be downtown, West Harrison or Purchase the Office of the Town Clerk must meet your needs with first class service. That is why my resolution is to "connect one Harrison". Geography or customs will be by main concern when disseminating information to all residents. I want you to be connected to your community whether it be in person, on the phone or online. More to come in the coming days...

Welcome

I would like to welcome you to the Clerk's Corner. You may be asking yourself what is a blog? Or why does the Town Clerk have a blog? Those answers are simple. One, a blog is a diary or a collection of thoughts and ideas. It can be used to advertise links or act as a breaking news source. Simply put, it is anything you want it to be. Two, I have this blog to communcate more effectively with you, the residents of Harrison. There are millions of blogs floating out there in cyberspace and this is one that I hope you find helpful. I will post thoughts on my life as your Town Clerk, important news updates from my office or random pics from events I will be attending. Because the blog will be updated on an ongoing basis all of the new posts will be at the top and dated. Please check back often.