The meeting was held at the home of Barbara Brian.

Present: Mattie Bialer, Theresa Boin, Barbara Brian, Kathryn Buckley, Lidia Fouto, Toby McAfee, Marge McLoughlin, Martha Mercedes, Nancy Sarmast, Steve Savard

Absent: Don Cioppa, Mary Jerome, Joey Parnes

Invited Guest: Bill Kanner

The meeting was opened and chaired by Toby McAfee and the minutes recorded by Mattie Bialer. The minutes of the Board meeting held on November16, 2009 were approved as written.

Website Development: The website committee met with the programmer hired to convert the current PHRA website to a format that would be easier to maintain and keep current. Steve Savard is temporarily hosting the site as it is converted. Steve and John Boudreau will move the data from the original site to the upgraded version. They expect to have a demo ready to show to the board at the March meeting, and a 15 minute demo to present at the Annual Meeting in June. Their goal is to make the upgraded site feel like the current one, but be more functional. One welcome improvement would enable an administrator to manage the member list through the site. It appears that the project may come in under budget.

Member Dues Confirmation: Currently, Mattie collects the dues payments at the PH PO box and gives the dues checks to Martha and the reply forms to Toby to record on the PH database. Because some of the dues checks that Mattie forwards to Martha do not have identifying names or addresses and their signatures are illegible, it is difficult for Toby to reconcile the member list with Martha when there is a discrepancy.  To make this process more accurate, Mattie will now copy the names and addresses onto the checks as necessary before she gives them to Martha.

Newsletter: Bill announced that, because of time constraints, he will step down as Editor after completing the next issue. He will be available to assist his successor during the transition. The articles that have been submitted include a review of Jalapeno restaurant, and articles on the tree lighting, gardening, the Racquet Club, and the Yonkers Land Conservancy. In addition to the High School article (which has not yet been submitted), one or two more articles are needed by January 22. Marge offered to ask the manager of the Wayside Thrift Shop on South Broadway to write an article about the shop. Steve suggested having an article on Jon Wallen’s recent Manhattan gallery exhibition of photos from Rwanda. Steve will propose the idea to Jon, and will write the article. Toby will provide the two-page member list to be included in this issue. A teaser announcing the newly upgraded Website was suggested. 

We need to find an advertising salesperson to assist Silvia Black.

Suggestions for future articles include:

• Highlight local businesses -- Wayne Silversmith, for example
• Advertiser Spotlight
• Construction of a new Walgreens drugstore on the former site of Key Food (McLean at South Broadway)
• Beginning of construction of the artificial turf soccer field at Pelton Park
• Recent high academic ratings for the High School
• Availability of Sanborn Maps online at the Westchester library’s website
• The VP Tire Company building next to the Pizza Barn was once a doll factory. Marge will try to sell an ad to VP Tire and also write an article about the building.

Suggested Columns

• Did you Know? (local history)
• Senior Moments (bios of our senior residents)
• Animal House (pets in PH)
• Our Neighbors
• What’s Cookin’ (at City Hall)?

Fund Raiser for the New Yonkers Animal Shelter 

Our original concept for this project was daunting and too big to handle alone. We decided to reach out to other community groups to join us. Steve will contact Council President Lesnick to find out who the liaison is for community affairs. Marge will request a mailing/email list of other neighborhood associations from that liason, contact those associations, and present the idea of organizing a fund raiser for the Shelter. We will invite interested groups to meet at Beczak at the end of March to plan the event, assign responsibilities, and get the ball rolling. The event may be scheduled for the fall.

We will need the support and involvement of the City as well, including Parks Commissioner Augie Cambria, Beczak director Cliff Schneider and Bob Walters, director of the Science Barge. Theresa will speak with Steve Sansone of the BID. 

Toby will contact PH Board member candidates to set up interviews.

The next Board Meeting will be held at the home of Steve Savard on February 22.

Submitted by Mattie Bialer