Rob Scott's petitions, Mondaire Jones' fundraising haul, and 4/20 in Mount Vernon

When I stopped by PK Blendz Juice Bar last July in Peekskill to visit with Common Councilman Rob Scott, I inquired about his nominating petitions for Westchester County Board of Legislators.

How could the names of three dead men appear on his petitions?

What about the names of several Peekskill Democrats who said they didn't sign?

By then, the petitions had been tossed out by the county Board of Elections for failing to have enough good signatures. The office of District Attorney Mimi Rocah had launched an investigation after James and Debby Mickelson had filed a complaint, declaring that they had not signed the petition.

They said their signatures were forged. They wanted answers.

So did seven others, including two contacted by Tax Watch, who told investigators for the DA’s office that they did not sign their signatures to Scott’s petition.

Ten months later, they got their answer.

Rocah's office arrested Scott for filing a false instrument, a felony charge.

Scott, who will be arraigned in White Plains City Court on April 30, remains on the Peekskill council.

4/20 in Mount Vernon

I drove south to my old neighborhood in Mount Vernon on Saturday to attend the celebration of the cannabis holiday of 4/20 – the date that became the unofficial day of celebration for the cannabis culture during prohibition.

For decades, at 4:20 p.m. on 4/20, pot lovers would toke up in defiance of state and federal criminal laws that prohibited the possession of the flower that can provide a mind-altering experience when smoked or consumed.

In Mount Vernon, the folks at Elevate Cannabis Dispensary, which opened in December without a building permit, certificate of occupancy and Planning Board approval, celebrated 4/20 in the spirit of the day.

While the City Council failed to act on the dispensary’s request to close off South Terrace Avenue for a block party, they held a private party in their parking lot, with food trucks, cognac and beer for sale, as well as vendors with various cannabis paraphernalia for view.

At 4:20 p.m., former Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas did a count down, and one of the Elevate budtenders lit up a fat joint.

While Mount Vernon’s cannabis ordinance prohibits smoking weed onsite, it’s uncertain whether Mount Vernon’s law would hold up if the Mount Vernon police tried to enforce it. State cannabis laws says that you can smoke weed anywhere you can smoke tobacco. And there’s no prohibition to tobacco smoking at 127 South Terrace Ave.

Adding to the 4/20 drama was the arrival of five Mount Vernon police officers at around 4:20 p.m. They’d received complaints of double-parked cars on South Terrace. The cars were moved. The police hung around for a bit, speaking with Thomas and Elevate owner John Ruggiero. Then they left, and the celebration continued.

Jones bests Lawler in Q1 fundraising

Former U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones flexed his fundraising muscle in April, reporting the receipt of $1.8 million in contributions, twice the amount raised by his opponent, Rep. Mike Lawler.

Jones did it with fundraising events from California to New York, with his biggest contributors being in New York and California. Among Jones' donors who reached the $6,600 maximum contribution limit in the first quarter were former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin.

Lawler, meanwhile scored big from Kathleen Crow, the wife of developer Harlan Crow, who beneficence to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has come under scrutiny.

In another NY-17 update, former Bedford Supervisor MaryAnn Carr is no longer in the race. She failed to gather enough signatures to appear on the ballot, clearing the way for the Lawler-Jones race in November.

Reach out

I always enjoy hearing from readers. You can contact me at dwilson3@lohud.com

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rob Scott's petitions, Mondaire Jones' fundraising haul, and 4/20 in Mount Vernon