July 30, 2010

RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town"

By BONNI BRODNICK

For internationally recognized photographer/documentarian Lisl Steiner, major projects are in the making in Vienna. She just returned from the opening of “Press Art,” an exhibit at Museum der Moderne that includes her famous photograph taken in 1963, “Times Square.”

“The number 22 is very symbolic in this photo,” Lisl said. “It was taken on November 22 at 2 p.m. and shows 22 people looking into my camera in disbelief that President Kennedy was assassinated.” Her photographs of Richard Nixon, Fidel Castro, Gen. Augusto Pinochet of Chile and other leading figures have been published in a slew of publications, including Time, Life, National Geographic and Newsweek. “Photographing dictators was always my strength,'' she once said. ''I told them what to do — stand up, turn left — and they listened.” In a New York Times profile, Jay Deutsch of the Leica Gallery in Manhattan said, “Lisl comes from a time when there were very few women who were successful in photojournalism. It's also impressive that you can look at her work many years later and see it in a light that's different than if you had been there. She produced work that transcended the moment.'' If you would like to receive a copy of Lisl’s “Times Square,” she is happy to email a copy of it to our Record-Review readers. Contact her at lisl@fosforito9999.com. P.S. Along with being acclaimed for her intuitive lens, she is also one of the coolest octogenarians around. How many 83-year olds do you know who not only have a website (www.lislsteiner.com), but a page on Facebook?

Dale (formerly Krenza) Clearwater, a haircutter who prefers that moniker to “hair stylist” or “hair designer” knows exactly what to do for those with curly/wavy hair. Having worked with all of the mighty celebrity stylists on Madison Avenue, Dale has stepped away from the madness to host her own uni-glassed-in salon in a former horse stable on a secluded estate. She goes for the holistic in hair and cuts every type, but especially loves cutting curly hair.

“With my haircuts, you can toss the hairbrush, run your fingers through your wet hair and it will fall into place,” Dale said, who prides herself on cuts that are long lasting and grow out gracefully. We combed through a bunch of testimonials that came into the newsroom. “Dale has helped me finally come to terms with my curls,” wrote Sylvia Smolensky. “When Dale started cutting my hair, everyone noticed. She really understands hair -- and people too," added Susan Allport Howell. So fahhhgettabout the fancy product, goop and oils. Let Dale help you find your way naturally. Contact daleclearwater@aol.com or call 763-9649.

At this time of year, there’s another buzz in the air, too. Mosquitoes. Clean Ridge Soap Company, based in Pound Ridge, has a eucalyptus citronella blend lotion that helps deter mosquitoes on even the most mosquito-y August evening. The lotion, made from the same ingredients used in all of their lotions: grape seed oil, safflower oil and vitamin E, comes in a 2 oz. bottle for $3 (more than 300 bottles have been sold this summer). If you’re doing a lot of cooking and find yourself elbow-high in onions and garlic, Clean Ridge Soap Company also has a kitchen hand-soap that gets rid of odors. The secret is a citrus blend of lemon and lime essential oils. “The kitchen hand-soap sells as much as our lavender bars,” said Mia Camacho-Fitzgerald, who founded the company in 1998. “We just hit the 1,000 bottle mark, which is incredible to us since the hand-soap has sold uniquely by word-of-mouth.” Clean Ridge Soap Company has a stand every few weeks at Joan Silbersher’s Antiques & Tools Sunday Farmers’ Market on Westchester Avenue (Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). To get Pound Ridge Soap Company’s exact Pound Ridge schedule, or to place an order for lotions, bars, lip balms and gift baskets, go to www.cleanridge.com or call 763-5957.

July 26, 2010

RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town"

By BONNI BRODNICK

Do you have a meadow in your backyard? When do you mow it? DO you mow it? What sort of local critters live there and are they important? How does the meadow relate to the land around it? In the co-existence between different habitats and animals, can they be supported through our activities or lack of them? (See previous questions 2 and 3.) These are just a few of the crazillion questions Pound Ridge Land Conservancy answers in “Backyard,” an informational new page on their website (www.prlc.net). You’ll find a plethora of material about local flora and fauna that includes naturescaping; water quality and watershed management; and invasive & native plant species. Sub-tabs link you to more terrific information, with updates and new materials added as they are identified. In the “Healthy Yard” tab, for example, you’ll learn that it’s not really a “yard,” but rather a sanctuary for wildlife for you and your family, and a natural haven beneficial to birds, other creatures and people. Your backyard is literally an extension of your home and part of a larger mosaic of the environment in which we live.

“Members of our board and PRLC volunteers have been working hard for over a year on our website and we hope that the ‘Backyard’ page becomes a destination for neighbors who want to use the most up-to-date information and best practices for sustainability in their backyard,” said Elyse Arnow, president of PRLC. “A big thanks to board member Al Gunnison for his detailed research and acumen in identifying the best sites to link to for a variety of important topics impacting how we manage our backyards. We are deeply grateful to all of our members — new and old — for their efforts to help PRLC carry on the mission to maintain the rural character of Pound Ridge through the acquisition and conservation of undeveloped land. Our amazing angels help us continue our work to preserve Pound Ridge’s open space heritage.”

Candace Connors Vorhaus, a certified Feng Shui consultant, not only tries to make the world a gentler place room by room, but she and her colleagues, Katherine Metz and other Art of Placement affiliates, have launched a thoughtful grass roots world-wide rave to remind people that the missing link to prosperity, happiness and success is kindness. The nifty reusable, pink stickers that say “CarryOutKindness, Take It With You, Place It Anywhere” are on their way to Pound Ridge. The key is to retag kindness by putting them on shopping bags, on your check before paying your server, or even when greeting a person on Westchester Avenue and offering a sticker of kindness.
“If you perform one good deed a day, success happens,” said Candace. “It moves you forward and generates a value that’s needed most right now. Why kindness? The same feeling that generates benevolence in a human being also generates abundance.” The objective is to circulate more than 100,000 stickers during the month of August. To get a supply, go to www.CarryOutKindness.com. Once you get them, use them. Generosity of spirit and kindness go a long way.

So does love and caring. We received a note from Angela Jobe, who is still looking for a home for two kittens found in a drain pipe behind The Wooden Nickel in Katonah. “No mama … just each other.” The Jobes have been fostering and nurturing the seraphic feline twosome, 8-week olds, “Piper” and “Tank”, for four weeks. “We play with them so they are used to people and dogs. Sadly, (my husband), Steve, is allergic to cats, so they have to go.” Photos of the kittens are available. Contact Angela at 764-3096 or ajobe@optonline.net. Little pink stickers, anyone? This is the perfect opportunity to CarryOutKindness.

July 17, 2010

THE RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town"

By BONNI BRODNICK

In one attic I know there is a box of size 4 ice skates that have been around since pre-global warming, two hockey sticks, some Darth Vader-like lacrosse gloves, a well-worn baseball mitt or two, and a tennis racket from the days of Chrissy Evert. What to do with the unwanted/possibly outgrown equipment? Stacy Patrick is a team player for Kids for Sports, a non-profit organization that provides sports equipment to inner city children. “It’s a great way to recycle any equipment that might be collecting dust in your garage, basement or attic,” she said. The beneficiary of the items is The Fresh Air Fund Camp in Fishkill, where Stacy will be making runs throughout the summer. She can either pick things up at your house, or you can drop it off at hers. Son James, a rising senior at Fox Lane High School, is available to help with hard-lifting and carrying. For more info, contact Stacy at 914-715-9139 or utecolt@aol.com

Silents are golden. Pound Ridge Library has launched a new series of classic silent films shown with live piano accompaniment by John Mucci, noted silent film historian and pianist. Acclaimed for "bringing the silents back to life" and providing "hair-raising experiences" during the many chase scenes, John has been accompanying silent films and delighting audiences around the country since 1972. The first in the silent film series at the Library is “The Gold Rush” (1925), starring Charlie Chaplin, on Friday, July 23 at 8 p.m. Speaking of important figures in early cinema, did you know that D.W. Griffith, the premier pioneering American film, lived in Pound Ridge? The entertainment industry had a brief moment of glory in Westchester when he operated his movie studio complex on Orienta Point in Mamaroneck. The Gish sisters, Mary Pickford, and other famous movie stars of the day were filmed in the Griffith studios and on location around the county. At the time, legitimate theater was also taking hold in Westchester. The Lawrence family opened Lawrence Farms Theatre, the first summer-stock theater in Westchester, in a barn on the former Moses Taylor estate in Mount Kisco. Day Tuttle and Richard Skinner leased the barn in 1932, and throughout the 1930s great actors and actresses appeared there including Henry Fonda, Margaret Sullavan and Tallulah Bankhead. (Tallulah, who has been described as outrageous, outspoken and uninhibited, also lived in Pound Ridge. While researching my book, “Pound Ridge Past: Remembrances of Our Townsfolk,” I heard a tawdry tale about her answering her front door in a mink coat [and ONLY a mink coat], as well as about her bawdy singing around the piano at Emily Shaw’s Inn.)

At Pound Ridge Library, not only can you get stacks of books for poolside and beach reading, but it is also the hub of many summertime happenings for all ages. A few notable events include chess fests on Friday afternoons at 3:30 p.m. with Scott Lalli, Pound Ridge’s own Junior National Champion. On Tuesday, July 20 at 3:30 p.m. there will be a talk, “Life with Westmoreland Sanctuary,” the opportunity to meet an aquatic turtle and learn how to keep wetlands clean. Later that day at 7 p.m., Christina Paolicelli, a member of the Techo Girls Lego Robotics team, will give an “Introduction for FIRST Lego Robotics” talk about the exciting Lego robotics teams, and a preview of the Lego Mindstorm NXT Robot. On Wed., July 21 at 3:30 p.m., Deborah Kivisalu will lead a workshop on the history of board games and then help you create what could be the next Monopoly, Othello, Candyland or Parcheesi.

Don’t miss the Pound Ridge Artist Guild group show on exhibit at the Library until August 14. “Novel Visions” features 23 local and area residents and can be interpreted both as the inspiration for the piece of work or the impetus to create a totally new vision in one's work. The Guild, which started in a small Scotts Corners shop over 20 years ago, selects its members to reflect many forms of art, from traditional to modern and from painting to collage to sculpture and 3-D wall hangings. For more info on the Pound Ridge Artist Guild give notable sculptor April Herbert a call at 763-5130 or drop her a line at aprilsculpt@yahoo.com

The Pound Ridge Theatre Company is announcing auditions for “Moon Over Buffalo,” by Ken Ludwig and directed by Maryann Koltun. The play is about Charlotte and George Hay, an acting couple not exactly the Lunts, on tour in Buffalo in 1953 with a repertory consisting of the revised, one nostril version of “Cyrano de Bergerac” and Noel Coward's “Private Lives.” Fate has given these thespians one more shot at starring roles in “The Scarlet Pimpernel” epic and director Frank Capra himself is en route to Buffalo to catch their matinee performance. Will Charlotte appear or run off with their agent? Will George be sober enough to emote? Will Capra see “Cyrano,” “Private Lives” or a disturbing mixture of the two? Hilarious misunderstandings pile on madcap misadventures. Should be a fun production. The casting for four women and four men is on Mon., July 19 and Tues., July 20 at 7 p.m. at Conant Hall, located at 255 Westchester Avenue (Route 137) in the hamlet. Performance dates are November 5-20. For more details, contact Pound Ridge’s very own theater company at www.prtc01.org.

July 9, 2010

RECORD-REVIEW "Talk of the Town"

By BONNI BRODNICK

So what are you doing tomorrow, July 10? Beat the heat and set your alarm for 8 a.m. to come watch the Pound Ridge Dolphins divers and swimmers as they battle it out against North Salem’s Lakeside swimmers at our town pool. Mea Sgaglio and other swim team moms and dads will be selling coffee and goodies. And if that isn't enough to float your boat, the Pound Ridge Swim and Dive team is holding their first ever Dolphin Dance at Conant Hall on Saturday night at 7 p.m. DJ Secret Joe Pittman will spin up some rhythms for the Dolphins as they bust out of the water and onto the dance floor. Tickets are still on sale (as space allows) at the door to kids 18-and-under or pool staff. Get inspired with Bobby Freeman’s “C’mon and Swim” clip from 1964 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxgFwyIylHY). You can do the back stroke or the doggy paddle, shake it up baby, twist and shout. C’mon to Conant Hall and work it on out.

In other news on the Pound Ridge sports front . . . the Bedford Pound Ridge Lightning Boys (12 and under) baseball team will be heading to the Cooperstown “Field of Dreams” baseball tournament for a week of baseball from July 17-22. Our homegrown boys of summer include Owen Azrak, Connor Bamford, Lucas Beni, Charlie Carpenter, Sean Fopeano, John Harrington, Robert Lichtenberger, Emmett Robin, Chris Stern, Shawn Walsh, Aaron Winkler and Wil Wortmann. Coaches Vic Wortman and Skip Carpenter and the team have been practicing and preparing for the tournament all year. If you’d like to cheer the Lightening Boys as they load the bus to make their way to Cooperstown, meet them at the Bedford Village Memorial Park on Friday, July 16 at 12:45 p.m. Bring banners and hearty huzzahs.

Kudos to
Pound Ridge Garden Club for the beautiful garden show they recently presented at Poundridge Nurseries. We were wow-ed by the talent of many of the designs and the incredible displays of horticulture. Cheers to Annie Thom for her truly magnificent work that won both the Tricolor Award (best design using all fresh plant material) and the Award of Design Excellence (best in show). Her challenging mono-botanic creative design had to use multiple parts of a plant or plants of one family or genus. It was stunning. After the show, we touched base with PRGC to offer our “Talk of the Town” readers a few helpful gardening tips for the month of July. #1: During the dog days of summer, be sure to water plants early in the morning so they can survive the heat of the day. Add mulch to keep root systems cool and moist in the hot sun. #2: Pull weeds as you see them. This will prevent them from going to seed and producing more weeds next year. #3: If the soil is drying out too quickly, extra mulch is called for, especially around the heat -sensitive plants. Plants also need extra nutrition during the growing season. #4: If you have cucumber plants, remember this rule: the more you pick the more you will get. Cucumbers are heavy feeders and love compost and water. Without sufficient fertilizer and water, cucumbers can turn out bitter. As a side note: Keep us in the loop about how your fruit and/or flower garden is faring. With all of the beautiful weather we’ve been having, one neighbor told us that their garden looks like it does in August … and it’s only July.

Fox Lane High School seniors had the opportunity to do independent studies for their last marking period before heading off to college in the fall. Some of the super-cool projects included Deanna Abbondola, who was a teacher assistant for a second grade class at Pound Ridge Elementary School, and Jessica Best, who recorded a CD of original songs at Carriage House Recording Studios. Brielle Braun interned at Fine Animal Hospital in Bedford Hills; Beau Gabriel at “Opera Magazine,” located at Lincoln Center; Grace Kwan at Merchandani Consulting Graphic and Web Design; Chris Sacks with Dr. Eric Small, Sports Medicine in Mount Kisco; Matt Schwartz at Somers Orthopedics; and Samantha Tsokris at a law firm in White Plains. Alex Raftopoulos attended the Youth Police Academy in North Castle, and Nick Rienzi gave a hand in the accounting department at the Pepsi Bottling Group in Somers. What’s the phrase? “Actions speak louder than words”? “All is fish that comes to their nets”? Even better, “There’s no grass growing under their feet.”

July 5, 2010

Bedford/Pound Ridge RECORD-REVIEW: "Talk of the Town"

"Talk of the Town"


By BONNI BRODNICK

The 4th of July is nigh. Hope you are poised with all the cook-out goodies, the lawn is trimmed, flowers are deadheaded, and your American flag proudly hung for this glorious summer celebration that has long been in the planning at the Town House. In January, dates are decided and funds approved by the Town Board. Fireworks are confirmed with the company, at the same time Marianne Vitelli, executive assistant to Town Supervisor Gary Warshauer, presents the contracts for review. In February, there’s tons of paperwork (contracts signed for fireworks, buses, etc.). In April, letters go to the Pound Ridge Recreation Department for permission to use the park, to various real estate owners to use their parking facilities, and to the Pound Ridge Fire, Police and Maintenance Departments (all of whom do a tremendous job, with lots of hands-on preparation both for the 4th and on the 4th). In May, more letters are sent to businesses for donations, a contributors list is completed, and details confirmed. In June, the Town Board is requested to use the funds that were approved in January. In July, fireworks boom! After which, checks are disbursed, thank you letters and receipts are sent to all contributors, businesses and residents … and then it immediately starts all over again for 4th of July 2011.

But don’t worry your pretty heads with all of the details. This Saturday, July 3, from 6 to 10 p.m. (rain date is Sunday, July 4), plan to join your friends and neighbors in the Town Park. Bring a picnic, or support the Pound Ridge Boy Scouts who will be providing food and drinks as a fundraiser. According to our source (Marianne V.), this year’s pyrotechnics will be unforgettable. Look forward to 18 different displays, one of which will be 300 assorted multi-break special effect shells. In another display, there will be a few hundred (with never less than 40) fireworks set off. In the body of this great glare will be 18 types of displays and for the Big Boom Grand Finale, there are 13 displays, including stand-out assorted lighting flashes and what is known as the “Fancy Gold Spider.” Your contribution makes the traditional celebration possible. If you haven’t yet made it, please send your check, payable to the Town of Pound Ridge, to the Town House, 179 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge 10576.

You might want to stick around the Town Park, because on Tuesday, July 6 at 5 p.m., the town pool will host the first swim and dive meet of the 2010 season. Team ALE will travel from Armonk to take on the renowned Pound Ridge Dolphins. “Come on out and enjoy the fresh air and happy faces as our divers and swimmers flex their muscle for the first of three ‘A’ home meets,” writes swimming mom Evelyn Carmichael. Other meets take place early in the mornings on Saturday, July 10 against Lakeside and on Saturday, July 17 against Briarcliff. Admission is free for bleacher seats at poolside. Come out and support our local aquatic athletes.

Name that Inn! Philip Maniatty and David Schlack, the owners of North Star Restaurant, which has been successfully established in Scott’s Corners for over five years, are pleased to announce that this fall they will be opening a new restaurant at the old Emily Shaw's Inn in the hamlet. Before doing so, they’re asking all townsfolk for their help in giving the new restaurant a name. For inspiration, note that the new place will dedicate the upstairs to special events and parties (weddings, birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs, debutante balls, baptisms and confirmations, baby showers, engagement, and bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, anniversaries, any event you can think of). The downstairs of the Inn will be a wonderful new restaurant brimming with fresh food, excellent wine, good cheer, and a comfortable atmosphere. The menu and wine list will slightly differ from North Star, thereby complementing one another nicely. At the same time, the decor at the Inn will retain much of its charming original stone and wood elements. “Some changes will be made, but our goal is to preserve as much as possible of the rich history of this special building,” said Phil. So put on your thinking caps. Submit your name suggestions to northstarrestaurant@hotmail.com or fill out a ballot at North Star Restaurant in person. Names must be received by midnight on Friday, July 16, 2010. The top 10 will be chosen by a panel of judges and will appear in the Record-Review on July 23 for a final vote by town residents. The winning name will be announced soon thereafter. Think Inn-ish thoughts and be a part of Pound Ridge history.

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