Local Matters Westchester

Located in Valhalla on the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital campus, Ronald McDonald House Westchester offers 12 rooms, free accommodations, meals and a welcoming community for families whose children are receiving medical care. On this episode of Local Matters Westchester, new CEO Colleen Magliari Borrelli, mother Michelle Neville and Municipal Credit Union Foundation leader George Chacon discuss the house’s mission and impact.

Just weeks before the Nov. 3 election, District 17 Democratic candidate Cait Conley joins us for a fast-paced half-hour episode to discuss her challenge to incumbent Republican Mike Lawler. She answers our questions about why she left the military, which congressional committees she hopes to join, and whether she expects tensions between moderates and progressives in the Democratic Party.

Conley also responds to our inquiries about cost-of-living, Flock surveillance, investigations into President Trump, impeachment, how to wind down the Iran war, and much more.

Composer, conductor, author, and attorney Michael Shapiro, a Chappaqua resident, joins us for a conversation about creativity and his extraordinary life in music.

Shapiro discusses his 16 years leading the Chappaqua Orchestra, his score for Frankenstein, and his orchestral work “Zoomies!,” inspired by his granddogs and entered for consideration for the 2027 Grammy Awards. 

He also shares stories about his musical roots, his work with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and describes his bestselling book The Jewish 100, explaining why Moses earned the top spot over Jesus of Nazareth. 

Clare Murray, executive director of the Community Center of Northern Westchester, joins Local Matters Westchester to discuss the growing need for food, clothing, and services across the area. Murray details the center’s history, its recently completed expansion, and the serious challenges facing seniors and working families. She also shares about the center’s upcoming October 2 fundraiser, and much more.

More than 15 years after Westchester County’s affordable housing settlement, how much progress has been made? Former Legislator Michael Smith, who helped oversee the original settlement, and Andrew Smith of Westchester Residential Opportunities join the podcast to look at what’s worked, what hasn’t, and why housing remains such a challenge. They talk about zoning, development, local politics, rising costs, and what it will take to build more affordable housing across the county.

A quarter century after 9/11, Pleasantville filmmaker Andrea Garbarini discusses the loss of her husband, firefighter Charles Garbarini, and the making of From the Ground Up, her film about five New York firefighters’ widows. 

Garbarini also explains what led her from nursing to filmmaking and bringing socially conscious films to the area through her organization, Films On Purpose.

Republican Town Board candidate Gail Wind discusses her campaign, senior housing, development, town finances and transparency. She explains why she would support a temporary moratorium, says she believes the town is already taking steps to address flooding, and disagrees with critics who say the town needs to be more transparent, including calls to record Town Board work sessions.

Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson has lived several lives: beauty queen, media executive, entrepreneur, cancer survivor and Westchester community leader. In her new book, More Than a Crown: From Pageants to Purpose, she shares the highs and lows: surviving cancer twice, going through two divorces from the same man, and confronting workplace harassment.

In her interview with Jill Grossman and Adam Stone, she also details her experiences with Donald Trump, her friendship with Jeanine Pirro, the changing world of communications, and much more.

Anna Nelson, a Democrat, discusses her campaign for Mount Pleasant Town Board. She shares her thoughts on development, environmental concerns, affordable housing, transparency, and much more. She’s running against Gail Wind, the Republican nominee and recently appointed councilmember, in the November election. Wind will be our guest in an upcoming episode next month.

Below are links to further information about some of the issues discussed in this podcast:

• The Mount Pleasant Town Board's employee vehicle usage policy 
• An Examiner story about Clay Bird Lane and a recent statement from town Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi on the contractor and plans to seek new vendors at that site.

WARNING: This episode contains sensitive subject matter and some sexually explicit language. Listener discretion is advised.

Human trafficking isn't just a problem in distant places: it's happening right here in Westchester, and across the country.

This week on Local Matters Westchester, we share our interview with human trafficking survivor and advocate Treya Bouzier, who details her harrowing story of being groomed online and trafficked at just 16 years old. Bouzier, who grew up in Westchester, discusses how traffickers exploit vulnerability and how she transformed her experience into a career helping other survivors.

Also joining the conversation is Ali Boak, executive director of LifeWay Network, a Tarrytown-based organization. Boak explains the realities of labor and sex trafficking and how parents can help protect their children.