mountkisconews.com

In the fourth installment of a new Thursday series (for as long as I can think of people who moved from Mount Kisco to feature), this week’s spotlight is on college student Galo Trujillo.

In 2005, Galo Trujillo was named Youth of the Year by the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester. The national program, administered by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, recognizes exemplary character, superior leadership skills, academic achievement, outstanding service to Boys and Girls Clubs and community outreach. At the time, Galo was a junior at Fox Lane High School. Later that year, Galo was featured in a New York Times article for a political internship at State Senator Jeffrey Klein’s office in the Bronx. In this article, Galo told the newspaper, “I don’t really know that much about politics and arguing, but I want to help people.”

Five years later, Galo is set to graduate from Susquehana University in Selinsgrove, PA where is majoring in biology. Galo was recently featured in an article about swimmers graduating from Susquehana. Galo swims the freestyle and the breaststroke for the Crusaders. Galo has a promising future.

In the third installment of a new Thursday series (for as long as I can think of people who moved from Mount Kisco to feature), this week’s spotlight is on former resident William F. Williams.

William F. (“Bill”) Williams was Village Manager of Mount Kisco from 2003 to 2006 moving to Mount Kisco from Massachusetts to help care for family members. He left his position of Village Manager in Mount Kisco to assume the duties of Village Manager of Port Chester on June 1, 2006. Bill and his wife, Debby, maintained their residence in Mount Kisco. Bill moved from Mount Kisco after he retired from the Village Manager’s job in Port Chester in 2008 in the middle of a four-year contract. Upon his retirement, Bill received three months’ salary and the Village of Port Chester agreed to provide him with lifetime health benefits. Upon his retirement from Port Chester, Bill signed a contract to be the Town Manager of Billerica, Massachusetts. After a about a year in Billerica, Bill resigned in 2009 after receiving criticism for less than flattering comments he made about Billerica at a chamber of commerce meeting. Bill had strong supporters in each stop in his career. Bill and his wife Debby now live in Florida.

In the second installment of a new Thursday series (for as long as I can think of people who moved from Mount Kisco to feature), this week’s spotlight is on former resident Charles Duffy.

Charlie Duffy grew up in Mount Kisco. He was one of Frank and Margaret Duffy’s five sons. He began his professional career with Coopers & Lybrand and worked as an accounting and finance officer for several investment firms.

Most recently, Charlie was elected as Supervisor of Lewisboro, one of our northern Westchester neighbors with a population of about 12,000. Charlie was elected in November 2009 with approximately 58% of the vote. As Lewisboro supervisor, he will supervise a budget of $10 million and 50 employees.

Charlie’s election was featured in the New York Post in a November 9, 2009 article by Carl Campanile (see link). In a picture above taken by Robert Kalfus, Charlie is having a horse smell his fingers. That is not part of his official duties.

Local film maker Michael Castro recently announced that he created a website for his films. The films, from 7 minutes to 70 minutes long, are on a range of subjects.

MPC Studios, as described on the website, is not a big-time money-making studio or even a small-time independent money-making studio. It is, however, the result of a creative local Mount Kisco resident who has fun making films.

The website is http://www.mpc-studios.com/ and is linked on the right side of this screen.

The Patent Trader, a local institution, is long gone along with its editors and writers. One writer, Eugene Driscoll, covered Mount Kisco and surrounding towns from May 1998 to September 2003. Eugene was a dedicated journalist that would work hard to get to the heart of the story. He also covered difficult stories that required investigation.

After leaving The Patent Trader, Eugene went to work for The News-Times in Danbury. Between 2003 and 2008, he received nine reporting awards from the Connecticut Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for his work at The News-Times of Danbury. He was the first online editor in the history of The News-Times. His most recent reporting awards came in 2008, when he won first place — and honorable mention — for Web-based, breaking news coverage.

Eugene is now the editor for the Valley Independent Sentinel, a non-profit, online-only news site dedicated to Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton in Connecticut. The Valley Independent Sentinel’s website is http://valleyindependentsentinel.org/

Frank M. Duffy, one of Mount Kisco’s finest citizens died on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at the age of 79. He was a veteran, serving in the Army with the 40th Infantry Division as a rifle company platoon leader during the Korean War. For his service, he received the Purple Heart, Combat Infantry Badge and various medals. As a businessman, he was the owner/operator of Frank Duffy and Son Plumbing and Heating in Mount Kisco.

Frank Duffy, however, will be remembered in Mount Kisco for his civic contributions.  He was a trustee of the Board for Northern Westchester Hospital for 33 years and served as its chairman of the board for seven years.  He was also a director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester and served as a trustee for the Village of Mount Kisco.  He also was a member of the Mount Kisco Indenpent Fire Department for over fifty years.

Frank Duffy was a tremendous family man and is survived by Margaret Duffy, his wife of 54 years. He was a father to five sons and grandfather to eleven grandchildren.  In addition to his family, Mr. Duffy will be missed by many who admired him, his service and his friendly demeanor.

Mr. Duffy’s funeral is on Monday, January 18.  Mayor Michael Cindrich has instructed the Village Manager to have all village flags fly at half staff on Monday to honor Mr. Duffy.

Mayor Cindrich recently received a letter from Katherine Giuseffi, a resident of Mount Kisco, praising Mount Kisco Supervisor Liz Dieter. Ms. Dieter supervises Mount Kisco’s recreation programs offered through the J. Edward Fox Senior Center. The programs include general recreations programs, classes, trips and driving programs. The Fox Senior Center is open and offers programs Monday through Friday.

Ms. Giuseffi wrote that Liz is a very warm and caring person that goes above and beyond to reach every one of the seniors that use the recreation programs. The Mayor seconded Ms. Giuseffi’s statements regardinig Liz Dieter.  The Fox Senior Center is another service provided by Mount Kisco and its Recreation Commission. It is successful because of Charlie Pieragostini, Liz Dieter and the senior citizens who are actively involved in the programs offered at the Fox Senior Center.

The Mutual Engine and Hose Company recently decaled one of its trucks in memory of William P. “Whitey” Malsbury, Jr., an 80 year resident of Mount Kisco who died on April 30, 2009 at the age of 86.  Mr. Malsbury served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1946 during World War II and was employed by U.S. Postal Service, retiring after 30 years.

“Whitey” was a 65 year member of the Mt. Kisco Fire Department and served as the president of the Mutual Engine and Hose Co.  He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Concetta Maria Malsbury (his high school sweetheart that he married in 1943), two sons, three daughters, six grandkids, four great grandkids and a lot of friends in Mount Kisco, including his brothers in the Mutual Engine and Hose Company.  He will be remembered in the firehouse for his years of service and love of the New York Yankees.

In recognition of his over 50 years od service to Mount Kisco and its residents, the baseball field in Fox Park was dedicated to Dr. Raymond Wall on May 2, 2009. Dr. Wall was Mount Kisco’s recreation supervisor and had a positive impact on many youths who participated in the innovative programs developed by Dr. Wall.

The field dedicated to Dr. Wall was built under the direction of Mayor Michael Cindrich and the Mount Kisco Village Board. Approximately half of the funding for the field and the adjacent basketball court and playground was provided by Westchester County through a Community Development Block Grant.

In addition to Dr. Wall, his wife Joyce and their family, the ceremony was attended by many Mount Kisco residents and the players who participated in the first game played on Dr. Raymond Wall Field. Special thnaks to Westchester County Legislators Peter Harckham and Michael Kaplowitz for making the funding and construction of the field possible.

Monsignor Edward James Donovan passed from this earth and entered eternal life on October 23, 2008.  Monsignor Donovan was a son of Mount Kisco.  At his masses he often spoke about growing up in Mount Kisco and having graduated from St. Francis Grammar School. 

He was ordained to the priesthood May 1954 and served as a priest for over 54 years.  Monsignor Donovan’s assignments included Holy Name Mission in Manhattan, St. Frances of Rome in the Bronx, and 38 years as Catholic Chaplain at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville, NY.  During his years at Green Haven, he undertook the building of a Catholic Chapel, St. Paul in Chains, with the help of the inmates under the direction of professional contractors.  He told a story that the warden would not let him build the chapel until he walked on water.  Monsignor Donovan called him out in the winter to show the warden how he could walk on water . . . ice!

In his sermons, he often spoke about his service at Green Haven.  When he would tell a story about his service at Green Haven, he would start the story with the phrase, “when I was in prison”.  In his “retirement” he returned to Mt. Kisco where he offered mass at the parish of St. Francis of Assisi.  My children, Lauren and Jennifer, would enjoy serving mass as altar servers with Monsignor Donovan, even though he would always call on them using an incorrect name.

I always enjoyed Monsignor Donovan’s sermons.  Each week, he reminded me how I could become a better person and a better Catholic.  I would also enjoy his jokes and stories.  He had an incredible sense of humor.  I will occasionally retell the following joke that Monsignor Donovan told at one mass:

A woman goes to enter a convent. The Mother Superior says to her, “My child, you understand that if you join our order, you will live under a vow of silence. Every 10 years you will get to speak two words.” The woman says, “Yes Mother Superior, I understand.” And she enters the convent.

Ten years pass, and she meets with the Mother Superior. “You’ve kept your vow for ten years; now, you may speak your two words.”  The nun says, “Cold food.”

“Well, my child, I’m very sorry your meals have been cold all these years. We will try to do something about that.”

Another ten years go by, and the nun again meets with the Mother Superior. “You’ve lived among us silently all these years; you may now have another chance to speak.”  “Hard bed,” the nun says.

“I’m very sorry you’ve been uncomfortable; we will try and get you a softer bed.”

Ten more years go by, and the nun meets a third time with the Mother Superior.  “I quit,” she says.

“Well,” says the Mother Superior, “I’m not surprised. You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here!”

*****

Monsignor Donovan was an exceptional priest and he will be fondly remembered in Mount Kisco and in Saint Francis Church.

I would be thankful to anyone who could add a comment and share a story or memory provided by Monsignor Donovan.

The Ancient Order of Hibernians have an excellent biography at http://www.aohdiv16.org/news/13-monsignor-edward-james-donovan-passes-away.html