By John A. Corry

Editor's note:  John A. Corry's column features events that happened in Bronxville 25 years ago. He selects newsworthy items to include in his column from historical sources, including the Review Press-Reporter (which is no longer published). Many of the people involved in these happenings still live in Bronxville. Many do not but have left their mark on Bronxville.

Kensington Road Housing:  At a contentious meeting, the planning board rejected the proposal to construct senior citizen housing apartments next to the railroad tracks on the west side of Kensington Road, out-voting Chairman A. Corwin Frost, who supported the proposal. In separate comments, village trustee Robert Riggs questioned whether the housing would meet zoning requirements. A newspaper editorial praised the decision:  "For a similar fee, residents over 55 could enjoy similar benefits in assisted living throughout the county." (As I write, construction is actively proceeding on the same spot: a two-building condominium complex, with units priced at $1,376,000 and higher.) 

School Track:  The school board's decision to limit to village residents the free use of the school track appeared to be creating a publicity backlash. A July 3 New York Times article headlined "Jogging Track Becomes an Arena for a Class-War Debate" described the decision by the board of education to prevent the track's overuse as "a debate where those who want to restrict use of the track talk about quality of life, and where their critics say the issue is elitism."

Whether because of the criticism or the general summer slowdown, no action was being taken to enforce the ban except the placing of a large sign at the track describing the new rules and the sale of 51 nonresident permits. Newly appointed school superintendent John Chambers suggested monthly re-evaluation, and a newspaper editorial called for repeal. Meanwhile, local merchants reported no falloff in business despite appeals from several irate nonresidents for a ban of shopping in the village.

Long-Range Planning Committee: Headed by Donald Gray, it reported that although village property values were not expected to increase as much in the next ten years as in the past ten, taxes could double in the next ten years. It could find few options to slow the increase.

Reported Rape:  A 33-year-old woman was reported raped on a footpath near Midland Avenue and taken to Lawrence Hospital and released the next day. The path connects the rear of Midland Gardens to Parkway Road. The last reported village rape had been at Concordia College in the mid-1980s. Police Chief Steinmuller announced that the area would be patrolled.

Hospital News:  Grace Schmiedl, for 48 years a Lawrence Hospital nurse, died at age 91. She first worked in its original two-story building during the leadership of William Van Duzer Lawrence. After retirement, she continued working at the hospital until she reached age 89. She was widely popular with both patients and staff, who referred to her as "Miss Lawrence Hospital."