Rednick and Marrow win trustee seats

Rye Brook Together Chairman Ken Berman is on the phone getting election results and Rick Buzin filling in a chart with the numbers while candidates Toby Marrow and Jeffrey Rednick look on in anxious anticipation Tuesday night at Rye Brook Together Election Night headquarters on Mohegan Lane.

Feinstein re-elected as mayor

By Jananne Abel

In the first contested election in six years in Rye Brook, the two candidates running for trustee on the Rye Brook Together line were easily elected Tuesday over the candidate running by herself on the We the People of Rye Brook line. In addition, incumbent Mayor Joan Feinstein, running unopposed on the same line, was obviously re-elected.

Jeffrey Rednick and Toby Marrow garnered 734 and 619 votes respectively while Moge Agahian trailed with 515 votes. Feinstein had 805 votes.

All three will serve three-year terms after a successful referendum two years ago to change the terms of mayor and trustees from two years to three. They serve without compensation.

Agahian, a non-practicing attorney, was the big winner in the district where she lives which includes The Arbors townhouse development where she received 179 votes to Rednick’s 96 and Marrow’s 89. She and Marrow both live at The Arbors and have both been president of the Arbors Homeowners Association Board.

One of the issues in the election was the Planned Unit Development update and revised site plan the Arbors has been required to do by the village, Agahian feeling it was onerous and an unfair burden on the homeowners while her opponents felt it was required by the village code.

Agahian also touted her independence and said she would be a voice for residents who feel they haven’t been heard in the past.

“I’m ready to hit the ground running,” said Rednick upon realizing that he was the big winner. “It is an important part of the season coming up, the budget. I’m ready to listen to the residents of Rye Brook.” He is a self-employed attorney currently serving on the Rye Brook Zoning Board of Appeals and previously having served on the Traffic Commission.

“Politics isn’t my thing,” said Marrow once the votes had been tallied on Election Night. “I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work and doing the best I can.”

“I understand it is an elected position,” added Marrow, who works full-time in finance at Temple Israel of New Rochelle, “but I look at it as a voluntary position— community service. I want to earn the trust that has been put in me this evening.”

“Toby is not a show horse, she’s a workhorse,” said Rye Brook Together campaign manager Gary Zuckerman. As Arbors Board president, Marrow worked with the village to negotiate the sale of some Arbors property and an intermunicipal agreement which made the King Street athletic field project work. She then served on the Rye Brook Advisory Council for development of that field which saw it through to fruition.

Agahian did not return phone calls seeking comment about the election results and Agahian’s campaign manager, Hillary Silver, deferred comments to her.

A total of 1,095 people voted including 20 by absentee ballot. With 6,328 registered voters in Rye Brook, according to the village clerk’s office, there was a 17.3% voter turnout.

“I think the election was definitely impacted by the storm,” said Mayor Feinstein. “People weren’t as focused, were dealing with their own personal situations. Many didn’t have phone service so candidates couldn’t reach out to them.” The mayor said she thought the turnout would have definitely been higher without the storm although it might not have approached what it was six years ago when there was a contested mayoral election and 2,100 people voted for mayor.

Feinstein felt that having a contested election was a good ting. “It brings out the issues, gives everyone an opportunity to walk the village, learn the issues and get the pulse of the community,” she said. “It also energizes the community.”

“I personally am happy with the result because both Toby and Jeff were running on the ticket with me,” said Feinstein. “I think they will be wonderful trustees. They are very knowledgeable about the issues the village confronts. I am very impressed with their due diligence to get to know the issues we deal with on a day-to-day basis.”

With this election, the entire village board will continue to be made up of members of the Rye Brook Together community action group.

This is part of the March 19, 2010 online edition of Rye Brook Westmore News.

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