New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson will deliver his 2012 State of the City address on Thursday, March 1 at 7:45 p.m. at the Davenport Club, 400 Davenport Avenue, New Rochelle, NY. This annual event is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of New Rochelle. Limited seating for the speech is open free of charge on a first-come first-served basis; however, tickets are required for the accompanying dinner.

For further information including event sponsorship and ticket purchase, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 632-5700 or email Executive Director Eli Gordon at egordon@newrochellechamber.org.

New Rochelle, NY, January 2012 – Judith Huntington, President of The College of New Rochelle, has been elected to the Board of Directors of The Westchester County Association, the highly regarded business membership organization in Westchester County.

“I am honored to have been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of such a distinguished business organization. With its strong commitment to advocacy and economic vitality, The Westchester County Association plays a vital role in addressing the critical issues facing Westchester’s business community,” said Ms. Huntington. In 2008, she received the Apex Advocacy Award from The Westchester County Association for her participation on the County Association’s Property Tax Alliance.

NYS Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for multiple armed robberies that have occurred in the City of New Rochelle, the Village of Pelham and the Town of Mamaroneck over the past few weeks.

On January 12th a Pelham commuter was approached from behind while walking home form the train on Cliff Avenue at 12:10 a.m. On January 17th a Mamaroneck commuter was approached from behind on Glenn Road near Chatsworth Avenue at 10:20 p.m. On January 29th, two females, one a student at Iona College was followed into a building on Eastchester Road and White Oak Street at 4:45 a.m. On January 31st a commuter was approached while walking home from the train on Monterey Avenue in Pelham at 8:20 p.m

In each incident the victim was approached and robbed at gunpoint by someone described as a black male, 5’10 to 6″0″ with a medium build wearing a black ski mask and dark clothing who was brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded the victims personal property and money.

Accompanied by a young, vibrant, and outgoing staff Blackboard Pizza Shop has opened in a great location at 628 North Avenue in New Rochelle across from the CVS Pharmacy and just south of Iona College and will have its Grand Opening Ceremony on Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM.

The chefs from the French Culinary Institute in NYC have developed an eclectic mouth watering menu in a well designed layout. You can see the staff preparing the dishes in an open atmosphere that’s fun to watch.

Blackboard is an attempt to keep the real purpose in eating. The title Blackboard comes from their theory that an eatery should be a living, breathing, and ever changing entity. Staging the menu on blackboards grants great culinary flexibility, and keeps the customer excited while providing the best fresh and seasonal dishes.

They take a typical off-campus eatery, and apply a fresh angle and mindset to completely mesh with the young market and surrounding neighborhoods. Blackboard has woven a twist on an outdated formula for the “college town” pizzeria, accompanied by a young, vibrant, and outgoing staff.

Recently, when the host of WNYC's "New Sounds" radio show made casual reference to Derek Bermel, a world-class composer, clarinetist, conductor and New Rochelle native, my fond memories of the Glenwood Lake neighborhood in New Rochelle, where Bermel grew up and where I lived for a decade, got me reminiscing.

Glenwood Lake is one of the best neighborhoods in New Rochelle in which to live. It is conveniently located in the heart of the city yet on the border of Pelham, making it a very easy and pleasant walk to the Pelham train station. It also has easy access to the Hutch and I-95.

Glenwood Lake is a mini-nature preserve. The lake from which the neighborhood derives its name is a magnet for a wide-assortment of ducks, herons, the occasional swan or two, and many other birds.

The Save Our Armory Committee has nominated the New Rochelle Armory for consideration of the prestigious Heritage Award Program administered by City Hall. A detailed application has been submitted for review in an effort spotlight the historic significance of this unique New Rochelle treasure.

We wholeheartedly concur with Mayor Bramson's statement of " By raising public awareness about our past, we help ensure that hiostoric charmremains a vital part of our future". In Fact, we couldn't have said it better.

The application does request the owner to be the one submitting. We hold that, by extension, the residents of New Rochelle are the owners. The taxpaying citizenry, who foot the bills for the city, who essentially buy all the product the city uses. If one were to look at the ownership of city hall, or the fire houses or police station, I doubt the mayor's or councilmember's would be on the paperwork. Good or bad, without the residents, there would be no New Rochelle.

Westchester County Board of Legislators Minority Leader Jim Maisano held his annual Toys for Tots Drive at the On The Waterfront Restaurant in New Rochelle. Hundreds of toys were donated. The United States Marine Corps Reserves recognized Jim, his wife Jean and their son for their outstanding achievement in support of the 2011 Toys for Tots Drive.