Brian Harrod: HYPER LOCAL NEWS: Valhalla Roundup.

HYPER LOCAL NEWS: Valhalla Roundup #ValhallaNY is located in in #WestchesterCounty,in the #NewYorkCity metropolitan area. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Valhalla has a large #ItalianAmerican population. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, 34.2% of residents were of Italian ancestry, the 28th highest number of Italian-Americans per capita of all communities in the United States. Valhalla—also the name of a heavenly paradise for slain warriors in #NorseMythology—is a hamlet within the town of #MountPleasant. Valhalla gained its name when it was necessary to name a new U.S. post office in the 19th century, due to the flooding of a pre-existing town and post office, #Kensico, which is now underneath the lake created by the Kensico Dam (a part of the New York city water supply system. According to local historians and published works, the wife of a postmaster was a devoted fan of the works of the composer #RichardWagner, and she shared that composer’s interest in Norse mythology. Her preference led to the choice of the name Valhalla, after the heavenly paradise of slain warriors in that mythology. The origins of Valhalla’s namesake are quite fitting, given that the village is home to the Kensico Cemetery, which serves as the resting place for many notable figures such as #LouGehrig. The Kensico Cemetery was founded in 1889 in Valhalla at a time when many of the cemeteries in the city of New York were filling up, and several rural cemeteries were founded near the railroads that served the metropolis. The village area of Valhalla is relatively small in area, with a strip of restaurants and stores, but on the outskirts are some of #WestchesterCounty’s largest destinations. The county’s park-goers flock to the beloved Kensico Dam Plaza, which often hosts outdoor movie screenings and cultural heritage festivals. On September 11, 2006, The Rising memorial to September 11 victims was dedicated at the Kensico Dam by the Westchester County September 11 Memorial Committee. The Rising honors the 109 county residents who were killed in the terrorist attacks. Other major county institutions include the Westchester Medical Center and Westchester Community College’s main campus. The #JohnAHartfordHouse, now known as Hartford hall, is a historic house on the campus of Westchester Community College. It was built in 1930-32 by John A. Hartford (1872-1951), company president of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) Valhalla is the location of the #MountPleasantTownHall as well as the Mount Pleasant Town Pool and Community Center. Valhalla is also the location of the #WestchesterCountyjail. A central dining spot is the Valhalla Crossing Restaurant, which is located within the historic train-station building adjacent to the village’s Metro North station. With close access to the Taconic State Parkway, Valhalla residents can easily visit some of the county’s acclaimed cultural and artistic hotspots, such as the Neuberger Museum of Art in nearby #Purchase. Zip code: 10595 https://www.facebook.com/ValhallaRoundup/ ### Brian Harrod is the publisher and editor of the RoundupNewswires.com news website, which powers the hyper local Yonkers Newswire news and social media pages. You can learn more about Mr. Harrod at BrianHarrod.com and Here: