Westchester Now

Two Hudson Valley school districts are among just six statewide that have not submitted teacher and principal evaluation plans to the state Education Department, according to a news release Friday.

School districts have until Thursday to receive state approval for their plans and secure their state school aid increases for 2012-13.

Just six of 691 school districts statewide -- including...

What's a Jewish Christmas?

Urban Dictionary puts it concisely: "Chinese food and a movie. That's it."

For Jews, it long since has transitioned from a tradition to a cliche, and for good reason: For a long time, Chinese restaurants and movie theaters were among the very few places to remain open on Christmas day.

Here are some of the best local picks for Christmas Day:

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A handful of Hudson Valley school districts are among about two dozen statewide that have yet to submit teacher evaluation plans to the state for approval.

School districts have until Jan. 17 to get state Education Department approval for the plans to receive state aid increases for the 2012-13 school year. Gov. Andrew Cuomo underlined last week that there will be no leniency for districts...

Catherine Marsh has just finished the complicated process of giving away $1.5 million to 68 groups that serve low-income communities throughout Westchester. And while she feels good about that, her mood is far from happy.

While Westchester is a wealthy county, it relies on its working poor folks to keep the suburban economic engine running as they fill low-paying jobs at stores, restaurants,...

Superstorm Sandy left an overabundance of felled trees. Tim Downey of Hastings-on-Hudson soon came up with an enchanting second life for them. He is a landscape contractor who has turned unkempt Dan Rile Memorial Park into a whimsical space filled with rustic log benches, wood-chipped trails and even a stump table-and-chairs set fit for a royal gathering of elves.

Tim made everything from...

Nothing ruins a good shopping spree like the lack of a parking space. The Larchmont Chamber of Commerce hopes to lessen the stress, at least for one day.

The Chamber is providing a trolley to shuttle holiday shoppers between two business districts on Dec. 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shoppers are encouraged to park at the Larchmont train station where there is plenty of parking and catch...

Jiayi Peng has been drilled by doctors of physics and molecular biology. The Horace Greeley High School senior has presented her research to her teachers and her parents so many times that she can tell when their eyes are glazing over a little. 

Her science research teacher, Trudy Gessler, is firm in her belief that Peng, of Chappaqua, has what it takes to win the $100,000 grand...

A class of fifth-graders at a Dobbs Ferry elementary school will be the youngest choir invited to sing in the Bernard Kaplan Memorial Holiday Concert in Manhattan on Friday.

The Springhurst Elementary School students will perform five original songs written by their music teacher, George Sweitlicki. The lyrics to the program, titled "We Are All America," were written by Dobbs Ferry...

With so many people facing hardship because of both superstorm Sandy and the economy, Furniture Sharehouse is soliciting help to give a fresh start to Westchester County’s homeless residents.

During a typical week, eight to 10 Westchester families go to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, where the organization’s 6,500-square-foot warehouse is filled with a revolving stockpile of used,...

The Westchester County Board of Legislators unanimously approved a new law that establishes a county-wide, public registry for animal abuse offenders.The legislation’s fate now rests on County Executive Rob Astorino’s signature.

The law will prohibit registered offenders from possessing, owning, adopting, purchasing, or exercising control over any animal. Lawbreakers will face fines.

“This...