Cancer Center Opens, Great American Smokeout, Welcome Rabbi Paskind

1. Hudson Valley Cancer Center Grand Opening

The new will have its grand opening at 11 a.m.

2. Great American Smoke Out

Today is the American Cancer Society’s 36^th Annual Great American Smokeout, a day dedicated encouraging smokers make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. For more information on the Smokeout or on how to quit, click here.

3.    FBI Released Hate Crime Statistics
The FBI reported that there was one hate crime in Peekskill-Cortlandt in 2010, which occurred in the Village of Buchanan. Buchanan Police Sargent Mike Guida said that the hate crime cited by the FBI was an incident where one young man used a racial epithet in an intimidating way toward another man.

Most of the hate crimes in the country, 81 percent, involved destruction or vandalism of property.

Of the 6,624 single bias incidents in the country, 47.3 percent were motivated by a racial bias, 20.0 percent were motivated by a religious bias, 19.3 percent were motivated by a sexual orientation bias, and 12.8 percent were motivated by an ethnicity/national origin bias. Bias against a disability accounted for 0.6 percent of single-bias incidents.

4. Black Friday

Are you already strategizing for Black Friday on Nov. 25? Do you shop the best deals on Black Friday every year? Let us know how you shop smart, email Elizabeth.giegerich@patch.com with your strategy, horror story or plan.

5. Welcome Rabbi Paskind

Patch is excited to welcome Rabbi Lee Paskind of First Hebrew Congregation to our official Peekskill-Cortlandt Patch bloggers. Please read about the exciting discussions being held at First Hebrew this weekend.