New Political Party Launches in Sleepy Hollow

Democratic Mayor Ken Wray will head up a new non-partisan political party in Sleepy Hollow aimed at bringing together residents and politicians to help move the village forward.

Currently, the Unite Sleepy Hollow party has both Democrats and Republicans running for office in the upcoming March 18 election for mayor and Board of Trustees.

“For a number of election cycles, a caucus system for selecting candidates for the Board of Trustees has effectively disenfranchised a great number of residents in the Village,” said Wray in a statement. “In the case of my party, the Democrats, cacuses have only attracted a handful of people. I asked the local party to hold a primary this year instead, but was turned down.”

Below is the press release from Unite Sleepy Hollow about the new party:

Mayor Ken Wray of Sleepy Hollow NY announced that he would be heading the ticket for Unite Sleepy Hollow, a new non-partisan political party for the Village.

Unite Sleepy Hollow was established to provide voters with the best slate of candidates without regard to political party affiliation. “For a number of election cycles, a caucus system for selecting candidates for the Board of Trustees has effectively disenfranchised a great number of residents in the Village,” Wray explained. “In the case of my party, the Democrats, cacuses have only attracted a handful of people. I asked the local party to hold a primary this year instead, but was turned down.”

“I was also interested in identifying the best candidates possible, be they Republicans, Independents, or Democrats. Needless to say, that did not sit well with the Democratic Party,” Wray added.

Running with Wray is Trustee incumbent Glenn Rosenbloom and two new candidates, Denise Scaglione and John Leavy. Leavy replaces Billy Ryan who was recently promoted by FDNY to Rescue Squad #1 and could not commit to the time required to serve as Trustee given the nature of his work.

David Schroedel of Philpse Manor and Lisa Santo of Sleepy Hollow Manor are co-chairs of the new party.

In order to be placed on the ballot, Unite Sleepy Hollow must obtain 100 valid signatures by February 10. A petition drive is currently underway. The General Election is March 18.

Last month, the 99-acre riverfront site owned by the General Motors Corporation was sold to a team of national real estate developers after 16 years of at times contentious negotiations between GM and the Village. The planned real estate development will have an enormous impact on the community, increasing the population of the Viilage, now just under 10,000, by approximately 15%. Unite Sleepy Hollow will focus on how best to incorporate the new development and other major issues that affect the Village’s future, including property taxes, infrastructure, shared services, parks and public safety. “This Village has an extraordinary opportunity to move beyond its industrial past, to open up its riverfront to the public, and to present itself as a jewel in the Hudson Valley,” Wray said. “Where else in this country do all these elements come together? We have only one opportunity to get it right. It requires that our Village government be smart and strategic, to be creative and imaginative, to be open to public discussion and with strong leadership that is inclusive. This slate of candidates understands all that and I am proud to head the ticket.”

Ken Wray

Ken Wray was first elected to Village government in 2007 and has served as Mayor since 2009. The Village has made marked progress during his tenure. Ken’s leadership in crafting the Special Permit for the GM site and his negotiations to resolve the lawsuit with Tarrytown are significant reasons why the GM property was returned to the Village tax rolls. He has worked to upgrade the professionalism of the Village staff and police department, kept property tax increases to a minumum, secured a site with the help of the Rockefeller family for a new Village reservoir, and he has supported key institutions such as Warner Library and the Galgano Senior Center.

Ken is the Executive Director of the Parodneck Foundation, a New York City non-profit providing affordable housing and services for people of low- and moderate-income. He has also worked on programs for disabled veterans, seniors, victims of domestic violence, and populations in need.

Ken lives in Webber Park with his wife Lynn Moffat where they raised their three children, all of whom graduated from Sleepy Hollow High School. Ken received his BA from Columbia University and his MS from Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

Glenn Rosenbloom

Glenn Rosenbloom has been a resident of Sleepy Hollow since 1990, raising his children here with his wife Janice Ditchek. He was elected Trustee in March 2013. During his first term on the Village Board, Glenn served on the GM Negotiating Committee and as Chair of the Parks and Recreation Department where he worked closely with Tarrytown to develop a plan for shared services. Through a major grant from NY State that Glenn helped to secure, Sykes Park will be extensively renovated. This capital project, which will include a new, fully accessible comfort station, is long overdue for the popular Sykes Park. Glenn was also instrumental in driving Sleepy Hollow’s first tax lien sale in nearly two decades, netting the Village hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

Glenn has extensive management experience in the media and communications industry. He spent fifteen years at the Walt Disney Company where he served as Senior Vice President, Group Publisher of consumer magazines. He also led ESPN’s High School Sports Group as Vice President and General Manager. Glenn has been a youth sports coach in the community for nearly 20 years. Prior to becoming a Trustee, Glenn served on the Sleepy Hollow Planning Board and was appointed Chairman in 2012.

John Leavy

John Leavy has been a resident of Sleepy Hollow since 2001, first living in Sleepy Hollow Manor then moving to Philipse Manor in 2003. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two children, a freshman and junior, both attending Sleepy Hollow High School.

John was raised in Queens NY and graduated from The Rochester Institute of Technology with a BS degree. John worked in commercial photography as both a photographer and a production manager in NYC and Long island.

In 1994 John had the opportunity to become a New York City Firefighter. He was assigned to a firehouse in Brooklyn and was promoted to Lieutenant in 2002. John put his newfound responsibility as a Lieutenant to use in the Bronx, responsible for the safety and welfare of the firefighters he commanded. He received extensive Hazardous Material training in the last few years with the fire department as he finished his career in Special Operations in Manhattan. John retired from the New York City Fire Department in June 2014 after twenty years of service. He continues to be active with his union, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, in political action and fighting for the rights of Firefighters injured as a result of exposures from WTC on September 11th.

John is an active volunteer in the community. He is involved in fund raising to support the arts in our schools and the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra of which both of his children are members. John is currently the Treasurer of the Philips Manor Beach Club. This year he will move to the role of VP of Beach operations managing 20 lifeguards.

Denise Scaglione

Denise Scaglione hails from Westchester, graduating from Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford and from Concordia College in Bronxville where she received her BA in Business Administration. She and her husband moved to Webber Park in 1999 and now live in Philipse Manor. They have two boys, one a freshman at Sleepy Hollow High School and the other is in 5th Grade at Washington Irving. Denise is currently the Office Manager at Scarborough Presbyterian Children’s Center. She is also extremely active in the Sleepy Hollow community. She serves as VP of Membership for the Philpse Manor Beach Club, volunteered with the EPTA of the Tarrytowns, and works with both Wolfpack Youth Football and CYO. Denise is a Eucharistic Minister at the Church of the Magdalene.

Mission

UNITE SLEEPY HOLLOW was established as an inclusive, non-partisan political party in order to provide the Village of Sleepy Hollow with local election candidates who are committed:

• To hold themselves to the highest ethical standards
• To champion an open and transparent Village government
• To encourage public debate on issues through civil discourse
• To judge issues based on the best interests of the entire Village

The UNITE SLEEPY HOLLOW Party is committed to accomplishing our mission by bringing people together from our entire community, without regard to national party.

Subscribe to a free email newsletter and news alerts:

BEDFORD-KATONAH • BRONXVILLE-EASTCHESTER-TUCKAHOE • CHAPPAQUA-MOUNT KISCO • HARRISON • LARCHMONT-MAMARONECK • NANUET • NEW CITY • NEW ROCHELLE • NYACK-PIERMONT • OSSINING-CROTON • PEARL RIVER • PEEKSKILL-CORTLANDT • PELHAM • PORT CHESTER • PLEASANTVILLE-BRIARCLIFF • RIVERTOWNS •RYE • SCARSDALE • SOUTHEST-BREWSTER • TARRYTOWN-SLEEPY HOLLOW • WHITE PLAINS • YORKTOWN-SOMERS