The LPWA Board of Directors met by conference call on January 28. The LPWA communication activity among members, Sarah Lawrence College and the City of Yonkers has significantly increased this year having been greatly facilitated by the LPWA website. Topics have included trash and litter on certain streets, reports of various trespassing incidents, island maintenance and coyote sightings. Serious trespassing incidents should be reported directly to the Yonkers Police Department as they can use the information to establish patterns which can lead to apprehension of the perpetrators.

In 2020, total membership was slightly over 100 homeowners, a high for recent years, which the board believes is largely due to the implementation of the LPWA website. Because of reduced expenses, LPWA had a very solid financial year in 2020 which sets us up well for funding various neighborhood projects in 2021. Upcoming projects under consideration by the LPWA board include curbing of the Hampshire/Hereford Road island, additional LPW signs at entrances to the neighborhood and maintenance of the stone pillars. Maintenance of the stone pillars is a larger project and will require the cooperation of the homeowners near the pillars and the City.

The LPWA Landscape Committee made significant progress in 2020 re landscaping and maintaining the islands despite downed trees due to storms. While continued maintenance is needed, major island landscaping projects are now largely completed. Adding more landscape rocks and curbing will help keep trucks from driving over and damaging the islands. LPWA plans to work with the City of Yonkers to add curbing to the Hampshire/Hereford Road island in 2021.

While LPWA’s 2020 year end membership of 104 homeowners is the highest it has been in recent years, our goal is a minimum of 150 homeowners which represents approximately 50% of the 300 homes in LPW. The LPWA Membership Committee will be working with local realtors to obtain new resident contact information for sending special mailings to introduce them to the neighborhood and the LPWA. LPWA was not able to have its 2020 annual fall gathering and the 2021 fall gathering is unlikely until the pandemic subsides. The 2021 in person annual meeting will likely be conducted by Zoom, as was the 2020 annual meeting.

Responding to increasing sightings and heightened concerns of coyotes in our neighborhood over the past few weeks, two LPWA board members met on Feb 26th with Yonkers Police Department officials, including Captain Patrick Rooney. Rooney is commanding officer of the Yonkers Emergency Services Unit and has both formal education and professional experience in dealing with problem wildlife and coyotes in particular. Please know that Councilman Mike Breen and Yonkers 2nd Precinct CO Captain Andrew McLaughlin helped to make this meeting happen, and we were told that Mayor Mike Spano’s office is also aware of the problem.

To summarize, coyotes, like fox and deer, over the past few decades have increasingly been moving closer into lower Westchester County neighborhoods as their natural wooded habitat has been shrinking and surrounded by residential neighborhoods. The Yonkers officials understand that coyotes are the more aggressive of these species, but under most circumstances they pose little threat to people. Nevertheless, while foraging for scarce food supplies in the winter months, coyotes may become more assertive than is their common behavior.

The following link from the Humane Society will provide members with how to more effective in coping with coyotes in our neighborhood. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/coyote-hazing

At a recent 2nd Precinct Community Council meeting there was significant discussion on the coyote problem in LPW as well as near the racetrack, St. Joseph’s Seminary, Tibbetts Brook Park and Dunwoodie Golf Course. LPWA is not alone in getting the authorities aware of our concern. This issue is gaining attention across the region and the LPWA board’s next step is for a zoom meeting with the NYS DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) regional director for wildlife control to gain clarity on the process and policy of solving the coyote problem, in the short- and long- term.

In the meantime, if members have an encounter with an aggressive coyote, please call 914-377-7900. If it is a more immediate threat and you are feeling in danger, call 911. Both numbers are aware of the LPW area coyote issues and they will be responsive to your call.