By John A. Corry

Dec. 9, 2015:  Trustee Elections:  The Republicans announced that zoning board member William Primps would be the GOP candidate in the March election to fill the seat then occupied by Democrat Donald Sharp, who would be deferring until the following month his decision whether or not to seek reelection. The 41-year- old Primps, then a five-year village resident, was a litigation partner in a New York City law firm.

Eastchester Election:  By a 4-to-1 vote, Eastchester voters re-elected Bronxville resident Joe Kelly to another term as fire commissioner. They also decisively rejected a proposed pension plan for volunteer firemen.

School Foundation:  After a year of study by a subcommittee, the Bronxville Board of Education voted to accept its recommendation and establish The Bronxville School Foundation to raise funds for special and often innovative programs. It would thus provide especially interested parties, such as parents and alumni, an opportunity to support the school with funds in addition to taxes. In reaching its decision, the board undoubtedly took into account the then-recent 15.7 percent reduction in state aid to education. (In 2014, the foundation's grants exceeded $500,000.)

Property Taxes:  Eastchester announced that it would be raising Bronxville property taxes by 1.48 percent for each $1,000 of assessed value. The only good news for Bronxville residents was that the increase covered only a small part of their total tax bill, most of which they paid to the village.

Commuter Parking:   As predicted, the recent parking commission recommendation to move commuter parking to the Kensington Road lot was meeting strong protest. A letter to the editor questioned the safety from vandals of cars parked in the proposed enclosed space and of their drivers. There was also a warning of increased congestion around the traffic circle at Kensington's foot. In short, there seemed to be strong sympathy for the interests of taxpaying residents as opposed to merchants and visitors.

Explosive Detonation:  A highly explosive substance in crystallized form was removed from the high school by a county bomb squad and detonated. It had been discovered in a storage room by a science teacher. It could have exploded if dropped from a height of more than seven feet. A police sergeant estimated that an explosion might have caused more destruction than a large firecracker.

Christmas Pageant:  On the eve of the pageant, the death of Margaret Langdon, one of the five angels in the original1915 production, which had been created by her father, was announced. Her role was to walk down the hill carrying a 36-inch trumpet, meet Mary and Joseph, and lead them offstage. She participated in the pageant for many years and eventually became its director.