Please see the attached document containing a statement from Roxie Stowe and a joint statement by the three Democrats on the New Rochelle City Council. These statements are offered in response to requests from the media for reaction to the Council Republican press release issued earlier today.

The attachment:

Statement of Roxie Stowe:

At the suggestion of many neighbors, community leaders and Democratic officials, I am prepared to provide the people of District Three with the continuous representation they deserve and to uphold the principles and goals for which my husband fought for the past seven years. I cannot be manipulated or bullied by anyone – and reject entirely the statement that I am being “exploited for political gain.”

Statement of Mayor Noam Bramson, Council Member Barry Fertel and Council Member Marianne Sussman:
The important matter of choosing a new representative for the Third Council District should not be permitted to degenerate into an ugly, partisan fight. The people of District Three expect and deserve better than that. For this reason, we are tempted to withhold comment entirely on the latest press release from our Republican colleagues.

NEW YORK – Con Edison continues to closely monitor Hurricane Earl as it moves up the East Coast. Currently, the company is focusing on pre-storm activities designed to prepare for this storm event.

As the hurricane moves closer to the New York area, the company advises its customers to pay close attention to city and municipal officials. Storm preparation tips are available on the company’s Website, www.conEd.com.

Customers should report power interruptions or service problems, as well as view service restoration information online at www.conEd.com, and on their cell phones and PDAs.
They also may call 1-800-75-CONED promptly if they are experiencing any service difficulties.

September is the center of the hurricane season. Hurricane Earl is the first major storm to approach our area, but Con Edison also is monitoring other storms that are developing over the Atlantic Ocean.

In the event that the hurricane impacts our area, Con Edison offers the following safety tips:

· If you see downed electrical wires, do not go near them. Treat all downed wires as if they are live. Never attempt to move or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water. Report all downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department immediately.

New Rochelle GOP Press Release:

New Rochelle, NY- A coalition of New Rochelle City Council members have expressed their shock and dismay at the actions of a group of their politically motivated colleagues who have decided to deny the voters of District 3 the right to choose their own representative through the Nov. 2nd special election process.

“These Council members, led by Mayor Noam Branson, are exploiting a tragic situation for their own political benefit to the detriment of city residents" said Councilman Richard St. Paul. "Our hearts go out to Mrs. Stowe for her tragic loss, and have no doubt she is being exploited for political gain.

As the only African-American member of the Council, I feel strongly that the minority voters who comprise most of District 3 should not be disenfranchised and treated as second-class citizens.

Frankly speaking, I suspect these political opportunists would not have attempted this in another council district.”

“The business of the people is serious. There is no place for political games in these challenging times,” said Councilman Lou Trangucci.

In a deliberate political maneuver, Mayor Noam Bramson plotted with his fellow council democrats to deny Council District 3 qualified representation for five months. This flies in the face of the democrat’s long standing policy of appointing a provisional council representative in a timely fashion. Council minutes reflect council representative Bramson was appointed provisional mayor three days after Mayor Idoni was sworn in as county clerk at the January 3, 2006 special council meeting. Seven days later, January 10, 2006, Barry Fertel was appointed provisional representative for council district 5 to replace Bramson. Later that year Councilman Jack Quinlan moved away from New Rochelle leaving Council District 2 unrepresented. Quinlan’s farewell council meeting was on June 29, 2006 and twelve days later on July 11, 2006 former councilwoman Chris Selin was appointed provisional representative for Council District 2.

GOP Announcement

As you are probably aware, New Rochelle City Councilman James Stowe passed away earlier this month. I greatly admired Councilman Stowe for his dedication to the residents of the City of New Rochelle, and ask that you extend your thoughts and prayers to his family during this difficult time. Councilman Stowe will certainly be missed.

Because there is now a vacancy in Council District 3, we will interview candidates both on Thursday, September 2nd and Thursday, September 9th starting at 7:00 p.m. at The Old Police Court Facility, 90 Beaufort Place, New Rochelle, NY. We will also be holding a New Rochelle Republican City Committee Convention on Thursday, September 9, 2010, 8:15 p.m., at the same location to endorse a candidate to run this November to serve the final year in Councilman Stowe’s term.

I am pleased that several interested individuals have already contacted me to be considered to run for this seat.