May 23, 2010

RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town" -- May 23, 2010

May 23, 2010

"TALK OF THE TOWN"
By Bonni Brodnick


The vice president of the United States of America is coming to town. Say what? All are invited to join Vice President Joe Biden at a special luncheon reception in support of Congressman John Hall on Tuesday, June 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at The Bedford Post Inn (954 Old Post Road, Bedford). Hosts for the event are Richard Gere and Carey Lowell, Stevie Van Zandt, Rob and Emilie Dyson, Jerry and Nancy Kohlberg, Jim Atwood and Leslie Williams, Jonathan Wiesner and Mary Ann Petrilena, Frank Selvaggi and Bill Shea, Roslyn Stone-Pollock, Stephen and Stephanie Axinn, Eric Bergman and Cynthia Jerome, Thomas and Cindy Secunda, and Charles Myers. "We are so excited to be hosting Vice President Biden who is coming to honor our Congressman, John Hall,” said Roslyn Stone-Pollock, chair of the Pound Ridge Democratic Committee. “The enthusiastic response from the community has been extraordinary. We're looking forward to this very special day." For security purposes, attendees will need to provide their social security numbers and dates of birth. To reserve your place, please contact Michael-Ann Haders at 440-666-1753 or Michael@johnhallforcongress.com.

Bar none, every single year when Girl Scout cookies abound, we think, “Why don’t they just sell them in stores all year long?” Why? Because then we wouldn’t feverishly look forward to them being on sale every springtime. Pound Ridge Daisy Troop 2121 will be out in force in front of Scotts Corner Market on Sunday, May 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. selling the way-too-delicious selection of this year’s round-up: Lemon Chalet Crème, Thin Mints, Dulce De Leche, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils, Tag-Alongs, and Shortbread. Just give me Samoas. When we asked the Pound Ridge Elementary School first grader troupers what they thought of their brand, they responded, “I can gobble these right down,” said Naomi Peck. “These are the greatest cookies I’ve ever had because they are yummy,” chimed in Mackenzie Brent. Grace Dow couldn’t have agreed more. Stock up on Girl Scout cookies this weekend. It could well be your last chance until May 2011.

Last Sunday afternoon, many were in attendance at “Toast to Pound Ridge,” a fundraiser for the Pound Ridge Democratic Committee to showcase businesses in Scotts Corners. L.H. Green Florist, Antiques and Objects provided his beautiful location on Westchester Avenue. Classical guitarist Nolan Ericsson (www.NolanEricsson.com), played a fusion of jazz, Nu Jazz, and classical and Flamenco in an understated virtuosity that added a wonderful lilt to the setting. Prospero Winery, who harvests California wine grapes only half-an-hour down the road in Pleasantville, provided libations. Lemonade with real sliced lemons was provided by Ella Weinstein, 7, and her big helper/little sister, Alexandra, 3, who set up a stand with a homemade sign, “Lemon Aide for Haiti”. All proceeds benefited the Youth for Haiti Project, sponsored by The International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA). “We’re selling lemonade to help lots of kids and families rebuild a school that is used for a shelter and was knocked down in the earthquake,” said Ella. “It’s sad when people have houses and other people don’t and it makes me feel happy to help people so they can have houses and shelter.” IOFA and Share Joy International will spearhead another Haiti relief effort, Wine & Tapas, on Saturday, June 12, from 7-10 p.m. at Near & Natural Café in Bedford Village. Tickets are $75 in advance/$80 at the door. Ali Boak, Sherene DePalma, Lara Keidel, Wendy Mele, Eileen Pontrello and Helene Romeo are the host committee for the evening. For more info or to RSVP, email westchesterforhaiti@gmail.com.

When thinking of Pound Ridge Community Church Play School the words nurturing and cozy come to mind. The program, founded in 1963, also consists of carefully selected and integrated activities designed to encourage growth in the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of young children. The teacher to student ratio is 4:1 with the 2’s, and 6/7:1 with the 3’s and 4’s Applications are still being accepted for the morning 2’s class and afternoon 3’s and 4’s. Check out www.prccplayschool.com for tuition fees and 2010-2011 calendar events. Contact director Kirstin Zarras at 764-4360 or director@prccplayschool.com to register your little darling/s and to schedule a tour of the play school.

May 15, 2010

RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town"

By BONNI BRODNICK

With mid-May on the calendar, summer is fast approaching. Why not splash out with a big fashion statement? According to Sue De Chiara, AKA The Zhush, big whoop-dee-do earrings are hot for spring/summer 2010. Put away all the demure pearls and posts, and think B-I-G! “American Indian and exotic inspired collections are still on trend, especially in gold, with summery stones such as coral and this year's major player, turquoise,” Sue said. “Whether you are invoking the Boho Chic vibe, going for Seventies Glam or embracing this season's Tribal Trends, large dangling earrings are looking so right, right now. And a great thing about statement earrings is that we have seen this look before. In fact, this is an accessory you may even already own.” Look around your jewelry box. You might find something from seasons past that are completely fresh for today. If you can’t find them (or never had any), now is the time to add this fun and affordable accessory to your collection. For more tips on trends and style for your home, as well as your closet, you’ve just got to visit The Zhush @ www.thezhush.com. Daily style wisdom, Mondays through Friday, directly from Pound Ridge, New York. Check it out. (Or is it more seasonal to say, “Madras it out?” We’ll ask The Zhush.)

The evening was pure generosity from A-Z. Many thanks to Albano Appliance & Service in Scotts Corners for hosting “The Second Annual Taste of Pound Ridge.” Their showroom was packed with guests delighting in the samplings of Jehan Denoüe (Albano’s resident chef), Blind Charlie’s Café, DiNardo’s Ristorante Italiano, and My Goodness! Deli & Café, North Star Restaurant, Pinocchio Pizza, Plum Plums, and Tokyo Hamachi Restaurant. Then step aside, folks. Next door at Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate there was a silent auction with great items like consultations from Abitare Design and Carol Cioppa Architects, a membership to Curves Pound Ridge, a monthly delivery of cookies from the kitchen of Janet Schloat, lunch at Waccabuc Country Club, a weekly supply of fresh eggs delivered by Liz Sinnott, photography prints by Sally Green, computer services by Richard Mendes, a fun bucket of summery things from A.C. & S. Excavating Contractors, oil paintings by Elyssa Benabab, beautiful decorative mirrors from Laurance Baskin and Melanie Urick, a haircut by Philips’s Men’s Hair Design, a stay at Bedford Post Inn, a gift card to Salon Perri, a few pizzas from Pinocchio’s, an oil change at Pound Ridge Sunoco (AKA “Scone-Oco” because it’s one of Mrs. Larkin’s selling posts), a gift basket for the pooch from Pound Ridge Veterinary, bass guitar music lessons from David Dunaway and a private yoga lesson with Dina Dunaway, and so much more. While everyone tasted and sipped, Trinity Psychotherapy, Yoga & Dance woo-ed the crowd with on-the-spot tango lessons. The takeaway message to all: be sure to go to “A Taste of Pound Ridge” next year. It’s all for a great cause … Pound Ridge Library. To learn more about what the Library plans for the future and how you might get involved with the Pound Ridge Library Foundation and their efforts, contact Jon Posner, president, at joneposner@gmail.com or 914-764-5252.

The 39th Annual Pound Ridge Community Church Lobster Festival, headed by Jeanine and Dave Long and Marcy Van Tilburg, is only one week away. Next Saturday, May 22 from 1-6 p.m., bring a touch of downeast to Pound Ridge. Place your orders by email to lobsters@poundridgecommunitychurch.org or call 764-9000. On the menu are 1 ¼ live lobsters for $14 (add a dollar and they’ll cook it for you); littleneck clams and mussels ($6 a quart). When ordering, be sure to specify live or cooked lobsters. In addition to good New England fare, you’ll find corn on the cob, homemade pies, and a hot dog cart for franketarians. There will also be a jumpy castle for the wee-ones and live music performed by Fox Lane High School students. Proceeds from the Lobster Festival will go to Food Bank for Westchester Bank (www.foodbankforwestchester.org), an organization that serves as the supply center for nearly 200 hunger relief agencies throughout the county. There are more than 200,000 people in Westchester who are hungry and more than one-third are children. Food Bank collects, warehouses and distributes 6 million pounds of food a year, supplying 95% of all the food in Westchester’s front line food pantries. The Lobster Fest takes place at Pound Ridge Community Church, 3 Pound Ridge Road, at the junction of Routes 137 and 172. (Please park at Pound Ridge Elementary School.) Eat well. Do good.

May 9, 2010

RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town"

By BONNI BRODNICK

When we flipped that calendar last weekend to the month of May, magically the weather changed. Spring is in the air! Music is, too. And, on the airwaves. Jazz pianist and Steinway artist Pete Malinverni recently joined the Leipzig String Quartet at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC to play “The Seven Last Words” of Haydn. WQXR, the station of the New York Times, broadcast the gig and you can hear Pete’s improvised interludes with Steve Wilson at www.wqxr.org/articles/lpr-q2/2010/mar/05/leipzig-string-quartet/. Pete also appeared on NPR’s program, “Piano Jazz,” and accompanied Elvis Costello as he sang Rodgers and Hart’s “Dancing on the Ceiling.” Click www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122322432 for a delightfully melodious earful.

We remember Arlene Stein for her gentle way, keen intelligence, and talent as a harpist. Next to her family and friends, music and Pound Ridge Library — where she was a reference librarian for more than 17 years — were her passions. A gathering of Arlene’s musician friends will perform in her honor at an afternoon concert on Sunday, May 16 at 4 p.m. at the Library. The program will feature works by Brahms, Greig, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Rogers & Hammerstein. Performers paying homage to Arlene include cellists Jackie Bergson and Michael Meade; violinist Mary Anne Meade; and pianist Marcia Slater. Flutists are Fran Head, David Markowitz, Amy Selig and Eric Stand. Singers are Matt Bogen, Karen Butterfield, Mary Cornell, Wanda Grochowski, Heidi Stein, Heather Strickland and Helen Powers. For more information, call the Library at 764-5085 or www.poundridgelibrary.com.

Former Pound Ridger Jane Rainsford is a wonderful correspondent and has great stories about being a kid here during the 1960s and ‘70s. She sent us a few black and white photos of summer days of yore when she went to the Town Park with her parents (Grace and Guy) and sisters (Betsy, Susan, and Nancy). “Susan and I practically lived there,” Jane wrote as she pointed out in one photo how pool membership tags were worn around the ankles. “We went to day camp in the morning and then up to the pool in the afternoon to swim and play with friends. Michael VonOehsen’s snack bar had the best French fries, hot dogs and hamburgers around. When they laid out new grass around the swimming pool, we hid snack money under a corner of one of the squares before it rooted into the dirt. I wonder how many other things were lost in that grass.” Make the Town Park part of your summer. The Recreation Department summer of 2010 activities is now online at www.townofpoundridge.com. And don’t forget to get your season pool passes before rates go up after May 15. (Proof of residency necessary.) For more information, call David Goldberg, head honcho at the Rec Department at 764-3987.

Speaking of things aquatic … Alex Forrester, Yale frosh and former Pound Ridge Dolphin swimmer, touched base after she had a chance to catch her breath from scoring big-time in the Ivy Champs 202 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship. She started swimming competitively when she was 8 years old, first with the Dolphins and then on to club swimming with Badger Swim Club in Rye. When we asked what it’s like to be ranked #1 in the U.S. this season among 18 and unders, Alex responded,”I never really think about rankings like that, I swim because I enjoy the people I’m with and the sport itself. That and enjoying the day-to-day of just being with the team are what make anything worthwhile. The fact that I have done so well is just icing on the cake.” Any advice for the little kids who are just starting on Pound Ridge swim team this summer? “I would tell them to have fun with swimming, to enjoy the people they meet and the experiences they have. Winning and doing well is always fun, but the things that last are not always wins or medals: they are friendships, relationships and experiences. These are what stay meaningful for lifetimes.”

May 1, 2010

Bedford Pound Ridge RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town" - May 1, 2010

May 1, 2010

"Talk of the Town"
By Bonni Brodnick

Several Fox Lane High School students are back from a one-week trip to Nicaragua called “Bridges to Community.” Elie Andersen, Barrie Froehlich, Michelle Kowalski, Sarena Malsin and Kurt Wasserman from Pound Ridge joined other students on an unforgettable trip to help this non-profit community development organization build a school. They stayed in the village of Las Perlas, where there was no running water and they awoke to the sound of roosters. “The trip was special because we became a small part of a special piece of history for the village,” said David Albano, a Fox Lane High School English teacher. He was accompanied by Diana Sarna (English teacher) and Lindsay Lappin (art teacher). “Prior to the site being designated as a place for a new, three-room school, for many years it was a local dump. Each day trucks would arrive, dump trash and burn it. The local village knew the burning of this trash was not good for their children’s breathing, so citizens petitioned the government to stop the dumping. Since the government didn’t respond, the people of Las Perlas decided to take it into their own hands by meeting the trucks at the gates and barring entrance with their bodies. There were many heated standoffs.” The government finally listened to the villagers, who cleaned up the dump and made a baseball/kickball field and started the process of finding a way to build a school. Approval finally came this year, and they broke ground about a month before the Fox Lane group arrived to build half of the school. “Another ‘Bridges to Community’ group will finish what we started,” Mr. Albano continued. The great news? A new school will open this June. For our Pound Ridge students, this was a trip of a lifetime. Their efforts have surely touched the lives of many in Las Perlas.

Wendy Mele, friend of Angel Wings International, a non-profit medical service provider, wrote to let us know that they are organizing an immediate mission to provide emergency medical care to Haiti earthquake victims at Christ Love Center in Jacmel. The center cares for more than 350 children a day, most of whom have lost their parents. Doctors who are especially in need are pediatricians, general practitioners, ob-gyns, dermatologists and nurses. The volunteer medical staff pays for their own airfare and donates $500 to cover hotel, food, and transportation to and from the airport. Doctors rendez-vous in Ft. Lauderdale and fly as a group to Haiti. Angel Wings International is mobilizing their next monthly trip on May 5 – 9. “You never know if there is a doctor or nurse reading the Record-Review who wants to help provide immediate emergency care and truly make a difference,” Wendy said. For more information, please visit www.angelwingsinternational.org. You can also contact Wendy at wendymele@gmail.com to learn more about both the upcoming mission and a 5k walk/run in Ridgefield on May 23 to raise money for the organization.

Albano Appliance & Service and Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate will co-host their 2nd annual “A Taste of Pound Ridge” on Thursday, May 6 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 83 Westchester Avenue. Bring your appetite to Albano’s showroom where you’ll sample signature dishes from local culinary wizards like Jehan Denoüe (Albano’s resident chef), Blind Charlie’s Café, DiNardo’s Ristorante Italiano, My Goodness! Deli & Café, North Star Restaurant, Pinocchio Pizza, Plum Plums, and Tokyo Hamachi Restaurant. After imbibing in the deliciousity of their offerings, head next door to the Houlihan Lawrence offices for a silent auction on items donated by members of the Pound Ridge Business Association and the community. Put up your best bids for a selection of vacation packages, gift certificates, flower arrangements, gift baskets, and more. Donation to attend the festivities is $25 per person ($30 at the door) and $10 for children 12 and under. Proceeds will benefit the Pound Ridge Library expansion and renovation fund. To make reservations/payments, Joyce is the go-to gal at Albano’s (764-4051). You may also make reservations with the Library (764-5085) or respond to the town-wide mailer that landed last weekend.

Pound Ridge Community Church will have a Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m. on the church lawn. Whether your pet has shaggy or short hair, feathers or scales, they are welcome to participate in a brief worship service, to receive a special blessing and to be recognized as one of God's special creatures. The event is free and refreshments for all will be served. A free-will offering will be collected for Heifer Project International. The Sunday school children have been working on this mission project all year and are about $500 away from their goal of $5,000. Please call 764-9000 if you have any questions. And don’t forget to tell Willis, Augie, Daisy, Sailor, Roots, Henry, Bella, Buddy, Moonstone, Smokey, Chinchi, Salem, Sophie, Mister, Vera, Charlie, Mang, Wallace, London, Ollie, Berkley and Mayzy to mark it on their calendars.

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