Bonni Brodnick Blog

"TALK OF THE TOWN" By Bonni Brodnick G o to the Town Park, then leave. At the stop sign going back onto Westchester Avenue, take a look across the street, at about 2:00 on the nautical dial. In the midst of a wintry Pound Ridge landscape is a stunning ice sculpture by Artie Clark . “What started as a simple way for me and my son, Al , to occupy our time during the non-eventful months of winter, has evolved into something the community began to notice and revel,” said the artist who uses water and cold temperatures to create his temporal masterpiece. The big surprise was when neighbors began stopping Artie around town to compliment him. “I had never expected so many people to notice/connect me with it. Since I’ve lived in Pound Ridge my entire life, it makes me incredibly happy to know that other residents do notice and appreciate my efforts. The appreciation keeps me going year after year.” The Artie Clark Ice Sculpture is now illuminated with an inner light at night,...

By BONNI BRODNICK T he Messina household is full of even more joy than we read about in “Talk of the Town” in November. Another grandbaby is in the midst with the birth of Makenna Ann , born on December 23, 2009 to Lisa (Alexander) and Christopher Ryan . Makenna joins her (brand) new cousin Mikey , who was born on November 1 to Donna (Alexander) and Michael Bonacci . “We are completely thrilled,” said Barbara Messina of her new grandson “Mikey” and granddaughter Makenna. “I call them my little M & M’s.” We also send our very best wishes to Mary and Paul Legrand , who welcomed their first grandchild, Isabelle , born to son, John , and his wife, Dr. Tjasa Hranjec on December 24, 2009. “Isabelle was a wonderful Christmas Eve gift. She is absolutely beautiful!” wrote Mary, former “Talk of the Town” columnist, from their new base in Charlottesville, Virginia. T he Zhush , our town style obsessionista + observationer, told us that Pantone, the world renowned authority on color, has d...

January 17, 2010 "TALK OF THE TOWN" By Bonni Brodnick Y eah, yeah, yeah. Your kid wants to be a rock star. Well, keep the rose-colored glasses handy because 2010 could be his/her lucky year. The Paul Green School of Rock Music in Bedford inspires young rockers with a method that completely changes the paradigm of studying music. For a monthly tuition, kids get a private 45-minute lesson on bass, drums, guitar, keyboard or vocal. The year-round program has a rolling admissions process for three 14-week semesters (winter session is about to begin). The finale is a real show (which is like a recital) at a real rock venue with real lights, amps, a soundman and light man, and where your very own rock star gets to perform live to a large audience (of friends and family). “Our goal is to combine the one-on-one music lesson with the performance experience,” said Jamey Staub , School of Rock music director, and an audio engineer and producer in NYC. His main instrument is dru...

By BONNI BRODNICK S o, how are you doing with your New Year resolutions? Are you feeling happier, funnier, thinner, more focused, physically fit, appreciative, and balanced? Are you suddenly spending more time with your family, less time on the computer, learning something new, or quitting bothersome habits? Don’t be too hard on yourself. You still have 50 more weeks of the first year in the new decade to achieve perfection. Along with many seeking the above quests for personal excellence, in a cross-town survey we were enlightened to learn about other resolutions Pound Ridgers are seeking (or not) in MMX: “I want to continue to stop, as often as possible, to smell the roses.” ~ LG “I don't do resolutions, per se, but rather pick a theme (or mantra) and for the year and try to internalize it (i.e. permanent change). This system has actually helped me become consciously aware of something on which I need to improve. Examples: 2009: leave a smaller carbon footprint. 2008: Embra...

TALK OF THE TOWN By Bonni Brodnick W hether you rang in the New Year donning velvet and satin or polar fleece and jeans, we hope your celebration was memorable and brings good tidings for 2010. On our side, we gave a hale and hearty champagne toast to my Mom, who is 79 years old today on New Year’s Day. Happy birthday, Mom! T he Pound Ridge Neighbors & Newcomers Club enjoyed a hugely successful holiday luncheon at Oishii Asian Fusion Restaurant in Mount Kisco. More than 24 friends of PRNCC enjoyed fantastic food and service “… plus a delicious cheese cake with green-tea ice cream sundaes topped with sparklers to celebrate the holidays,” wrote Anne Cook . A highlight of the afternoon was a Yankee Swap Raffle with prizes worth over $200.00. “We would like to thank Billy Fortin (proprietor of Scotts Corner Market) for his generous contributions of gift certificates. Few went home without a gift and everyone received an ornament pine cone from PRNNC. Kudos to Anne and Donna Mona...