One of the school districts in Greenburgh serving unincorporated Greenburgh is Hastings on Hudson. There was a controversial school referendum question on Tuesday --asking voters if they want to borrow $8.1 million for school repairs and an overhaul of athletic facilities.

The turnout was amazing for a small village. Over 2,500 votes. 1,543 voters said no. 1,027 said yes. Absentee ballots have not been counted but are not significant enough to change the outcome.

Most of the controversy concerned a proposal to redo the High School's Reynolds Field. The field is now natural grass. The proposal: replace grass with synthetic surface.

During much of the summer and fall residents of the Hastings school district watched an aggressive campaign. Both sides had websites, colorful lawn signs. One thing for certain (if you agree or disagree with the voter outcome): Hastings residents are not apathetic. They participate in the decision making processes of government. I will never forget a school election in Hastings when I lived in the village of Hastings. A candidate running for election ran unopposed ----and lost! the write in candidate won. On election day I went to the polls around 8:30 PM and didn't get to vote until after 9:45 PM (the polls officially closed at 9 but the line to vote was so long they kept the polls open until the last person who was waiting on line before the 9 pm hour got to vote).

PAUL FEINER