Andrea Stewart-Cousins

Senator Stewart-Cousins passed a resolution in honor of Mt. Pleasant Town Historian George Waterbury for his many years of service to the community. Mr. Waterbury, who will turn 90 this August, has served as Town Historian for 13 years.

Senator Stewart-Cousins presented a proclamation to the 2012 Irvington High School Varsity Girls basketball team, honoring their many accomplishments over the past season. For the third year in a row, the team was crowned New York State Class B Champion, and this year, they went on to win the Class B Federation Title.

Senator Stewart-Cousins passed a resolution in honor of the Yonkers Gladiators Junior Midget Football Team from Yonkers. The team won the 2011 United Youth Football League National Championship in Florida. The program is run by the Nepperhan Community Center.

Senator Stewart-Cousins introduced Governor Andrew Cuomo at a ceremonial signing of the 2012 New York State Budget at Manhattanville College in Purchase. The Governor visited Westchester as part of a statewide tour and asked Senator Stewart-Cousins to introduce him before he signed the Budget into law.

February 27th marked the 168th anniversary of the Dominican Republic’s independence from Haiti, and Senator Stewart-Cousins celebrated the occasion at two events in Yonkers. First at a flag- raising and reception at City Hall where she presented a proclamation honoring the Dominican Community’s many contributions to the City of Yonkers, and later at the Dominican Independence Day Celebration at the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

Senator Stewart-Cousins invited representatives from the Department of Transportation to her district for a tour of flood zones along the Saw Mill Parkway. On the tour, DOT gave the Senator on-site progress reports of their debris clean- up efforts along the Saw Mill River. In many communities throughout the region, debris build-up has worsened flooding problems. To provide some relief, DOT workers have pulled several tons of downed trees, garbage and rubble from the Saw Mill in Mt. Pleasant and Greenburgh, and they just began clean- up efforts in Yonkers. This project was initiated in January at the request of the Saw Mill River Watershed Advisory Board (SWAB), which works to alleviate the regional flooding problems in Westchester. Senator Stewart-Cousins, who is represented on SWAB by her Director of Constituent Affairs Janis Morris, was instrumental in placing a representative from DOT on the board.

Senator Stewart-Cousins presented a Proclamation to the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company at the grand opening of their brand new facility in Elmsford. The craft beer brewing company re-located from Pleasantville to the larger facility late last month. Owner Scott Vacarro says the new facility will help him ramp up production, sell new products and provide better accommodations to customers. Senator Stewart-Cousins, one of several elected officials and community leaders in attendance, congratulated the company on its continued success and briefly discussed legislation passed by the Senate this year (S.1315) which provides small brewers with greater contract flexibility with wholesalers.