Who They Are: Profiles of Our Elected Officials

This week: Town of Mamaroneck Councilman Ernest Odierna
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Town of Mamaroneck Councilman Ernest Odierna

(December 3, 2002) "If you want to get something done, ask a busy person."

That old saw could be Ernie Odierna's personal slogan. President of a high-tech company, certified SCUBA rescue diver, member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, avid boater and sometime-inventor, Odierna wasn't busy enough in 1999. So when the Democrats approached him to run for a seat on the Mamaroneck Town Board, he said yes. Naturally.

Growing up in the Bronx, Odierna was busy even as a child. Not content with the usual schoolboy life, he skipped several grades in elementary school, entered high school (the prestigious Stuyvesant High in lower Manhattan) at age 11, and by the time he was 15, he was attending City College. Several years of night school and three jobs later, he graduated with a degree in physics. Active in Bronx Democratic politics, he was a delegate to the 1972 and 1976 national conventions.

"When I was a kid," he said, "Westchester was 'upstate' as far as we were concerned. So it felt a little strange to move all the way up here." He and his family moved to Larchmont Gardens in 1986, and Odierna promply became involved in local community work as part of the Larchmont Gardens Civic Association. Back then, the biggest issue facing his neighborhood was the proposed residential development of Bonnie Briar Country Club, a plan Odierna called "the Ikea of that time." For 10 years, he attended meetings and work sessions of the Town Board, acting as liaison between the Board and the Civic Association.

"I'd been in the audience all those years," he said, "After a while, I wanted to have a stronger impact on what was happening. I felt I knew as much as anyone about the issues, and I thought I could come up with some innovative solutions. So when the Democrats asked me if might want to be a candidate, I said yes." He ran against Warren Goodman in 1998 to serve out a two-year unexpired term, and he was re-elected in November, 2001 to a full four-year term.

Odierna wants to get more residents involved in Town government. "We have a very intelligent constituency," he told the Gazette, "And they would like to be more involved. But we need better communication. Technology is our friend, and we need a better website. A new one is in the offing, in fact, and it'll be more informative and interactive. I'd even like to see streaming video of our Town meetings on the site." Odierna is serious about getting more feedback from citizens. He invites people to email him with their concerns, at ernieo1@optonline.net.

With three years to go in his current term, Odierna is busy working on many issues. Among them is his concern about recreational opportunities for seniors and retired people in the Town. "Most of the recreational energy goes toward younger people," he said. "That's fine, but older folks need things to do in their free time, too." To that end, he has helped get shuffleboard courts installed at Memorial Park, and he'd like to get seniors involved with computing.

Dealing with sanitation issues may not be as much fun as shuffleboard, but Odierna hasn't shied away from the problems of missed pick-ups, confusing recycling rules, and even the over-supply of goose droppings at the Duck Pond in Larchmont Gardens. (Last summer, he invented a vacuum scooper to deal with that problem.) "The Board recognizes the organic waste recycling program didn't work too well last summer," he said. "We're working on new procedures for next summer, and we'd like to hear from the people. Any ideas are welcome."

Quality of life issues may not be glamorous, but to Odierna, they're the meat-and-potatoes of local political life. And he thinks more citizen involvement is the solution. "Let's get more people involved in brainstorming about these problems. Everybody here is a genius, right? Let's get them talking, put that brain-power to work. Who knows, maybe we can even do something about traffic safety."

One thing that surprises him, Odierna said, is how few local residents express outrage at high taxes. "We pay a lot in taxes!" he fumed. "Nobody seems to care. Spending on the schools is, in my mind, out of control. Nobody ever says 'no' to the school board." He is especially concerned about the continuing problems at the Hommocks Pool. "Why should Rye and Scarsdale have beautiful pools, but we can't?" He would also like to see more use of the Hommocks ice rink, for light shows and concerts. And people should be able to rent skating helmets, as well as skates.

Will he run again when his term expires? "I'm leaning in that direction," he said. "Some people are still active and vibrant into their 80's and 90's, and some thirty-year-olds are already tired and worn-out and unenthusiastic. I'm 65, and I feel good. Why shouldn't I keep on doing what I love to do?" Stay tuned.

We have contacted all of the elected leaders in the Village and the Town, and the profiles will appear in the order in which the interviews were conducted. Check back frequently for more profiles.