Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner has organized a rally planned for tonight outside  Town Hall during which he plans to call on the County Board of Legislators to reverse a decision to shutter Westhelp-Greenburgh in September. 

The race to fill the 12th District seat formerly held by Westchester County Legislator Tom Abinanti is coming to a head as voters head to the polls tomorrow to decide a successor.

The winner will serve out the remainder of Abinanti's term, until the end of December 2011.

The election in November is for the next full two year term.

Vying for the seat is Mary Jane Shimsky, who's running on the Democratic, Independence and Working Family lines and Nick DeCicco, who's running on the Republican line.

Shimsky is an attorney. She served as Community Relations Director for former State Assemblyman Richard Brodsky. She has also served on the Hastings Democratic Committee as chair and vice chair. She is currently a vice chair of the Westchester County Democratic Committee.

DeCicco  is a prosecutor for the Westchester County District Attorney's office and is assigned to Family Court in Yonkers. He has also served on the Greenburgh Police Advisory Commission as well as the Greenburgh Zoning Board of Appeals.

Westchesternewsonline.com spoke with both candidates at length about a number of key issues facing Westchester. DeCicco says the key issue is job creation and economic development in the County. He says campaigning and going door-to-door in recent weeks to over 2,000 homes in the District has been an eye-opener for him. "People say to me,' help me stay in my home. Working families and seniors  tell me this is a real concern of theirs, that they may have to move, that they don't know how much longer they can stay.'I myself understand what it's like to struggle to stay in my home, where I live."

Shimsky says the issue is one that hits close to home for her and that she and her husband are among the many who are facing an "economic crisis." The key, she says is "Striking the right balance in the County budget, to continue to pay for services for those who need them, and at the same time keep costs low enough for those who can't afford to pay more."

The Town of Greenburgh has announced the launch of a new "green" website, designed to

help residents and businesses lower energy use and utility bills. 

RenewGreenburgh.Org provides educational resources, interactive tools and tips to manage energy consumption as well as a calendar to provide coverage of Town news and events related to energy conservation.

We've all heard of CNN. But now, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is hoping to create a news network of his own. Only it's not a money-making venture or even a news operation as we know it.

Starting on Tuesday Feiner plans to meet with dozens of middle and high school students from throughout Westchester County who have expressed interest in taking part in his program, which he is dubbing SNN, or Student News Network.

The Supervisor envisions the program as a way students can learn about government and journalism and have a hands-on opportunity to become a news anchor, writer, producer,reporter or even a camera person. Said Feiner, "They could do as much or as little and be as creative as they like. It's my hope that some of the students will gain experience and eventually become the next Katie Couric or Matt Lauer."

Feiner  says he's had a tremendous response to the program already, with more than 30 students signing up over the past week.  The program, he says, will be run on cable access television and will be mentored by some top journalists and tv and radio news reporters.

As of now, he says, he received offers of mentoring support from a reporter from the New York Times and a former reporter from NBC TV, among others.

Westchester County is bracing for another round of snow. A Winter Storm Watch has been posted by the National weather service from Friday morning through late Friday night.

Forecasters say light snow is expected to develop early Friday morning, picking up in intensity into late Friday morning through the evening.

Total accumulation of 2-4 inches is possible.

Friday night, snow is expected, mainly before 3 a.m. and a lo around 21. An additional 3-5 inches of snowfall is possible.

Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner says he plans to meet with the Greenburgh Library Board on Tuesday to discuss a proposal that would create an Independent Library District, making the Greenburgh Public Library separate  from Town Government.

The Greenburgh Town Board is considering a measure that would require homeowners to compost or shred their leaves and do away with curbside leaf pickup. It's a move Supervisor Paul Feiner says could possibly save the Town up to $350,000 a year.

Feiner says such a move would not be immediate, but if approved, be phased in over time. He is planning to embark on a one to two year  educational campaign for the community designed to spotlight the advantages of composing leaves, or simply shredding them and leaving them on the grass to break down and enrich the soil.