All week long, students at the Cottle School have been learning about Native American history and culture. November is Native American Heritage Month, so the Tuckahoe Teachers Association invited Joe and Donna Cross to perform for students and parents in an evening program.

Although the songs were wonderful and the children really got into it, they also had a truly amazing opportunity to see firsthand a rare and sacred piece of regalia.

Joe Cross went through a lengthy application process to obtain sacred eagle feathers, a privilege reserved for Native American people who plan to use them for educational and ceremonial purposes. Fifteen years ago, he got a once-in-a-lifetime phone call. A young golden eagle had flown into an electrical wire in Utah. Several days later, the bird arrived- frozen- at his Manhattan apartment.

He worked with a taxidermist to preserve the bird’s body, but he made the feather bustle himself. It’s so beautiful. You can see more photos from the program here.

Dozens of Girl Scouts spent Veterans Day delivering treats in Eastchester and Tuckahoe to local veterans. For the fourth year in a row, Eastchester High School Senior Troops 2506, 2508 and 2510 participated in a Veterans Day Cookie Project, delivering hundreds of cookies to veterans in nursing homes and hospitals.

Younger girls helped with the baking and with making cards to accompany the cookie packages and shared their Halloween candy.

Last year, the Scouts delivered more than 100 bags of cookies in Eastchester and Tuckahoe, and another 100 bags were sent to veterans’ groups.

Each year, the girls try to reach more veterans. This year the Scouts added fall centerpieces for veterans staying at the Veterans Home in Montrose.

“The first time we delivered cookies, we found some of the veterans overcome with emotion. They were so appreciative of our simple gesture,” e-mailed Lauren Mastroberardino, a Girl Scout in Troop 2508.

“The girls were surprised to see this reaction and immediately had a better understanding of how important it is to recognize veterans,” the e-mail said.

The girls also were surprised to find that some veterans were fairly young, she said.  Each year, the list gets a little shorter, as more World War II and Korean War veterans die.

For those concerned about regular cookie delivery — that’s still set for March.

Veterans who would like to be added to the list, and others who would like to contribute to the effort should contact Rita Mastroberardino at 914-961-7919 or Judy Fix at 914-779-4372.

The Eastchester Town Board accepted the resignation last night of Police Officer James Pileggi Jr., charged with second-degree murder in the death of Andre Everett of New Rochelle.

Pileggi, a friend of Everett’s, was at Everett’s house showing him and another friend his service gun when the weapon went off, and Everett was fatally shot in the neck. Pileggi was suspended from the department without pay. He is expected in court this week on the charge.

Town Supervisor Anthony Colavita said that neither he nor town board members could comment on Pileggi or the situation, in part because of pending litigation and in part because it is a personnel matter. The board unanimously accepted the resignation.

(edit: The resignation is effective as of Nov. 11, 2009)

The Bronxville Board has awarded a bid to Vernon Hills Contracting Corp. of Mount Vernon to repair damage to a 125-foot, six-foot tall retaining wall along Sagamore Road that collapsed in July.

Vernon Hills was the lowest bidder for the work, which includes rebuilding the wall and improving drainage on the road. Of the 12 bids received, Vernon Hills bid $91,634. The highest bidder, Cassidy Excavation, bid $383,413 for the same work.

Village administrator Harold Porr III said the wall was damaged on July 9, when a tree and pole struck the wall during heavy rains. The damaged wall and some soil it was containing oozed down the hill toward houses below.

Here’s a picture of how the damage looked yesterday:

Photo by Randi Weiner

The village’s insurance claim was denied after the company determined the damage was not caused exclusively by the tree and pole but by erosion. Bronxville went out to bid in the fall and awarded the contract on Oct. 28. The board allocated an additional $150,000 to pay for surveys, engineering work and temporary barriers. Right now, the area is cordoned off and secured with sand bags and a wooden wall.

A start date for the project was not available immediately.

The Eastchester Town Board last night set a 7 p.m. Dec. 1 public hearing on the town budget to be held in Town Hall on Mill Road.

Two board workshop meetings, on Dec. 18 and 24, will follow.

The public hearing will allow residents to hear plans for next year’s spending, get information and give input.

Town officials dedicated Scarsdale artist’s Craig Usher’s “Cycle of Departure” outside Greenburgh Town Hall today.

It’s one of three sculptures the artist has on display in town.

My fellow editor, Scott Faubel, asked town Supervisor Paul Feiner to step outside this afternoon and pose with the piece. He was happy to oblige.

Usher’s other works are at the Greenburgh Public Library and Hart’s Brook Park and Preserve.

Sheri Weingarten, a sixth-grader at Eastchester Middle School, cut a baker’s dozen inches off her hair on Sept. 11 and donated it to Locks of Love. This was the second time she had donated her hair, her mother, Brianne Weingarten, said, since also donated hair when she was 7 years old.

Stephanie DeBenedictis of Salon Maffei in White Plains made the cut. Here’s a picture of Sheri with her donation:

photo courtesy of Brianne Weingarten.

Eastchester’s senior citizens will be feted Nov. 29 with a holiday gathering courtesy of the Eastchester/Tuckahoe Chamber of Commerce.

For those who don’t get the town’s e-mail messages, here’s the release:

Project Snowflake
Eastchester/Tuckahoe Chamber of Commerce
We are sponsoring a holiday gathering for local senior citizens at Father Fata Hall on Sunday, November 29th at 1:00 pm. Light refreshments and gifts will be handed out.

Help us make the holidays special for our senior citizens, by donating unwrapped appropriate gifts at any of our 4 locations by November 23rd: Community Mutual, HSBC, Key Bank or Value Drugs.

Some gift ideas: Hats, gloves, scarves, knitting, supplies etc. (senior appropriate) Gift certificates from any of our local stores such as Value Drugs, Country Markets, Odyssesy Diner, True Value etc.

Last night, the cast and crew of “A Flea in Her Eye” at Bronxville High School allowed me and my camera to document the hustle and bustle backstage in the half hour before opening night.

I thought it was particularly awesome that Niki Balac was listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers song “Get On Top” to get pumped up before he performed as Camille in a French comedic farce written in 1907.

It was just a nice little moment juxtaposing the old and the new.

The students perform again tonight at 7 p.m. at the Bronxville School. Break a leg, guys! Keep track of all things related to local theater on Peter Kramer’s “In the Wings” blog here on LoHud.com.

Tuckahoe Kevin Garabitos watches the final seconds of play during the Tigers 21-14 loss to Eldred in the Class D state quarterfinal game in White Plains Nov. 13, 2009.

To see more photos from this game, click here.