PEEKSKILL — Mayor Mary Foster invited the writers of "Saturday Night Live" to catch a free show at the Paramount Center for the Arts after a recent episode that characterized the city as a "hellhole" where residents are "freaks" and "rock eaters."


The offers came Monday afternoon after Foster said she received a series of complaints from residents concerning the Feb. 27 episode of "Saturday Night Live," in which Gov. David Paterson, played by Fred Armisen, answers questions from Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers.

Halfway through the four-minute skit, which takes shots at New Jersey, Albany and Paterson himself, Meyers asks, "Governor, how are you going to fill out your remaining year of office?"

"Well, I'm going to do a farewell tour of upstate New York — hellholes like Plattsburgh and Peekskill," Armisen says. "I'm going to go speak at their town halls or whatever abandoned Shoney's they huddle in. I'm going to give those rock eaters something to cheer about. Those freaks love me up there, Seth. They find me refreshingly off."

Foster said that while it was flattering to have had Peekskill mentioned on the popular show, references made about the city and its residents were insulting and "may have hit a little bit hard on the heart." She said she received six e-mails from residents about the show, some of which were asking her to "defend the city's honor."

George Ondek, a 20-year Peekskill resident, said he was "very hurt" by the skit.

"I take very big offense" at what was said on the show, said Ondek, 68. "They should apologize to the people of Peekskill. After all, it is a very historic city."

http://www.lohud.com/article/20103090351

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/update-gov-paterson/1205310/

My sister has been to Peekskill. She said it was nice.