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.

By John A. Corry 

Bronxville School:  School board president Mary Anne O’Callahan announced that Katonah High School principal John Chambers would be the new school superintendent, succeeding William Greenham, who would be retiring in September. Chambers, who was 42 years old and divorced with two children, was considering moving from Northern Westchester to the Bronxville area.

In other news, the US Department of Education announced that the [Bronxville] High School is one of 320 American "high schools of excellence." It was only one of eight New York State high schools – three public and five private – so honored.

Anti-Semitic graffiti including the names of three Jewish teachers was discovered on the railroad underpass wall by an early-morning walker, who immediately notified the police. Without waiting to have it removed by Metro-North, Mayor Stein had it done by the village, stating that she was "appalled" that something like this would happen in Bronxville. The discovery immediately prompted a schoolwide effort to combat bigotry, including a large newspaper ad signed and paid for by more than 250 high school students and teachers.

Budget Deficit:  Village Administrator Galloway reported an unexpected budget deficit of $320,000, resulting from a large drop in parking revenues, a decline in state-aid, and uncollected taxes. To close the gap, the village would issue $500,000 in tax anticipation notes. In more positive news, it was announced that Galloway would be the marshal of the upcoming Memorial Day parade.

Parkway Road Development:  The planning board approved a proposed project providing for up to 100 dwelling units and a single large penthouse. There would also be a garage for up to 200 vehicles. The plan then had to be approved or rejected by the trustees.

School Track:  Complaints about nonresidents using the school track had reached the point where the school board proposed charging a $100 annual fee. School board president O’Callahan conceded that such a fee would be "draconian" but contended that the situation had gotten "out of hand." Bronxville residents using the track would be issued village ID cards.

Penn Relays:  The Bronxville-Tuckahoe 1600 meter girls' relay team won the group title. Tricia Lyons won the shot put at 41 feet 5 ½ inches, setting a school record.

Twila Cavert, one of the first members of the Sarah Lawrence faculty in 1928, died at age 96. With her husband, who had been secretary of the National Council of Churches and founder of the World Council of Churches, she had lived at different places throughout the world before becoming a resident of Yonkers. She was a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt's, who had spoken at one of her classes. She took a class on a field trip to the New York Stock Exchange on a day during the 1929 market crash where they witnessed a man leap to his death from an upper story window. Mayor Stein had proclaimed her 95th birthday as Twila Cavert Day in Bronxville.

Pictured here:  John Corry.

Photo by A. Warner