We Urge Our Readers to visit the Homestyle Bakery, on 23 South Water Street on the Peekskill Waterfront, and buy some Presidential cookies
By Dan Murphy
When Dan Scavino, Senior Advisor to former President Donald Trump, (and a Yorktown native), and State Senator Pete Harckham agree on anything, take notice. Both are coming out to support the Homestyle Bakery in Peekskill, and urging their supporters, friends and voters, to purchase some of the bakery’s Presidential cookies. The bakery has come under fire from the “Facebook Freaks,” who are so hostile that they attacked the bakery for what has been a 50-year tradition.
I decided to visit the bakery and lend our support to their bi-partisan election treats. The problems began when the bakery posted sales of their Presidential cookies on social media. Both Vice-President Harris and former President Trump cookies are available, same price-$3 a piece.
This is a 30-year + business that started when George Pataki was Mayor of Peekskill and then a State Senator. There’s a photo on the wall of Pataki at the bakery.
For more than two decades, the bakery has been selling its butter cookies with photos of the Presidential candidates. In 2016 it was Trump and Hillary; in 2020 it was Biden and Trump.
And this year its Harris and Trump. But for the first time, Homestyle Bakery began to receive hateful threats against them for their cookies. Some called the bakery horrible for selling cookies, and called for a boycott.
Most of the nastiness back and forth were against the Trump cookies, but then Harris cookie negative comments appeared. Over the top phone calls and emails also came in.
As has been the case in instances where a boycott is proposed for a business that is unwarranted, a movement has begun to support the bakery and buy the Presidential cookies.
A recent LoHud.com story piqued our interest, and that of many others, so we decided to go the bakery and lend our support.
And others lent their support. State Senator Pete Harckham posted an X video where he comments “Proud to stand with my friends at Homestyle Bakery. Sometimes a cookie is just a cookie!
“For the past couple of decades, they have been making these wonderful Presidential cookies, and now some have taken exception to that. I know that we are divided and polarized, but cookies? Really?
If you are passionate about your candidate, threatening your candidate is not a productive way to help your candidate. Get involved and volunteer with your candidate, but don’t threaten a bakery,” said Harckham.
Dan Scavino, a Yorktown High School graduate and advisor to former President Trump, posted on X, “Westchester bakery faces threats for selling presidential cookies (mostly from one side)” HEY MAGA! YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, IF ABLE! THEY SHIP NATIONWIDE-HATS OFF TO THIS BUSINESS FOR NOT GIVING IN.
And co-owner Laura Timmons is not giving in. ““This is America, where everyone has the right to freedom of speech. It’s not good business to favor one side, and our family has always been politically neutral. Our employees and friends hold different political views, but they do it without spreading hate or making threats. We’re not favoring anyone. We never have. We’re just doing what we always do.”
The Bakery posted the following message. “Over the past few days, we’ve received hateful messages, posts, and phone calls about one candidate’s photos,” read the post. “We have made these cookies in the past, and we will not stop now. Anyone who threatens our employees or family members because they believe we should only print a specific type of cookie will be reported to the police. We do not condone hate or violence. Homestyle Desserts will continue to represent a diverse and welcoming environment for all people from all walks of life. Thank you to the community we so humbly serve. We appreciate you.”
For now, the social media haters appear to have moved on to something else. Some of the recent positive posts include, “I love how much business you’ve drummed up from the haters, in all honesty they did you a favor,” and “It shouldn’t be this way—I hope this family-owned bakery, in business for more than 50 years, needs bigger ovens now! “
Kudos to Senator Harckham for buying a box of cookies with both candidates. And to others who have bought a dozen Harris cookies. Despite the unhealthy social media rage, the cookies are a fun way to have a treat and laugh about the upcoming election.
And the cookies are good!
