Bronxville and Scarsdale region

I’m writing an article for the paper on people who turn to gardening to help them cope with a major life change, such as illness, retirement, new motherhood, death of a loved one, new empty nester, move to a new town, new career etc.

I’ve got all of our Express weekly communites covered except for the Review Press, which includes Bronxville, Eastchester, Scarsdale, Tuckahoe and Edgemont.

If you know a gardener in one of these communities who would work for the story, please email me at wcary@lohud.com or leave me a message at 914-696-8554.

Bill Cary
Senior Writer/Features

Two representatives of the LaRouche campaign were outside the Tuckahoe Post Office this morning with signs, posters and a sign-up sheet geared to get public support to impeach President Barack Obama.

Their display got car honks from passersby, as well as gestures; support and criticism were hollered out of passing vehicle windows and from people walking into the Post Office.

“We’re going to post offices all  New York and New Jersey, all over the country,” said Matt Guice, who was standing outside the booth about 10:30 a.m. today. “The Post Office is where people from the community go, so we want to talk about impeaching Obama.”

Similar protests have been noted in Bronxville and Bedford as well as other Westchester communities.

This just came in from state Sen. Jeff Klein’s office:

State Sen. and Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) attended the Safe Riders’ Day  portion of the Tuckahoe Police Department’s seventh Annual Community Day on  June 19th.

At the event, Klein joined Tuckahoe Mayor John Fitzpatrick and the Police Department to promote bike safety to community youth. The Community Day was sponsored by the Tuckahoe Police Department and The Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester, and Tuckahoe.

“With childhood obesity on the rise and the official start of summer upon us, this day encourages our children to get out and exercise, while making safety our number one priority,” Klein said.

Photo, from left Frank Podilak, Tuckahoe Mayor John Fitzpatrick, Zack Leone, Greg Podilak, Jamar Harrison, State Sen. Jeff Klein, Alex Fitzpatrick, Andrew Giordoni, and Tuckahoe Village Trustee Luigi Marcoccia}

The Greenburgh Nature Center is presenting a live butterfly exhibit and butterfly programs running until September 30.

The indoor exhibit, “Walking Among Live Butterflies,” includes native butterflies such as Monarchs and Painted Ladies in the center’s greenhouse full of fragrant flowers and greenery. The exhibit showcases the life cycle of a butterfly—from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly—as well as its relationship with specific plants.

Additional Butterfly programs:
-Flights of Fancy, Saturday, July 31 at 2:30 p.m., an informal chat with Travis Brady, Curator of Living Collections, who will answer any questions about “flying flowers.” Included with museum admission.

-Bold, Beautiful, Breathtaking Butterflies, Sunday, August 22 at 2 p.m., Join Brittany Burgio, Assistant Curator of Living Collections, for a tour through the life of a butterfly, followed with a butterfly craft session. Recommended for children 8 and younger. Members $2, non-members $6.

-Flights of Fancy, Sunday, September 19 at 2:30 p.m., an informal chat with a GNC naturalist. Included with Museum admission.

The exhibit is free for members and children under 2, $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students, and $5 for children ages 2 to 12.

The Greenburgh Nature Center is located at 99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale. Parking is free and handicapped accessibility available. For further information, call 914-723-3470 or visit www.greenburghnaturecenter.org.

Tuckahoe High School held its graduation ceremonies June 25.

Read on for the full list of graduates or click here to view the Tuckahoe photo gallery.

Looking for your friends? You can view the graduation lists or photo galleries for all local high schools and colleges by clicking on these links!

Congrats to all!

(Photo courtesy of Meagan Kanagy/The Journal News)

Eastchester High School held its graduation ceremonies June 25.

Read on for the full list of graduates or click here to view the Eastchester photo gallery.

Looking for friends? You can view the graduation lists or photo galleries for all local high schools and colleges by clicking on these links!

Congrats to all!

(Photo courtesy of Xavier Mascarenas /The Journal News)

In an effort to continue our energy saving initiatives and environmental stewardship, I want to alert you to a very useful service offered by the State of New York through (NYSERDA), the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.  NYSERDA’s purpose is to help New York meet its energy goals of reducing energy consumption, promoting the use of renewable energy sources and protecting the environment.   (more…)

In an age when youth theaters can charge big money for a double-cast production of “Annie,” it’s refreshing to learn of a program that won’t cost theater-loving high-school kids a penny to participate.

Director Betsy Hooper is launching Free Theatre Westchester with auditions tomorrow night at the Mamaroneck Avenue School in White Plains. The program is sponsored by the White Plains Youth Bureau. Hooper and her staff are donating their time.

Hooper has taught in schools across the Lower Hudson Valley, including Hastings, Greenburgh, Irvington and Pelham. She has directed “Guys & Dolls,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Company,” “Urinetown,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Noises Off,” “Black Comedy” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” to name several. At the Purchase College Summer Youth Program, she founded and directed the Playwriting and Film programs. These days, she works at the Windward School in White Plains.

“Free Theatre has been a long-time goal of mine because I have seen the transformative effect of theatre on a young person,” Hooper says. “The collaboration and sense of belonging, the joy of creative thinking, the chance to gain confidence that theatre offers should be available to any kid who’s willing to commit. (Our tag line is: The only cost is your commitment). At a time when summer jobs are scarce, Free Theatre offers kids an opportunity to have a productive, challenging summer.”

Hooper held a preliminary meeting and attracted more than a dozen kids to get in on the ground floor of this program. Tomorrow, June 30, at 7 p.m., she’ll hold general auditions for actors and actresses entering ninth through twelfth grades. Rehearsals will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., so kids who work days can still take part.

Hooper and her team will look at who shows up and then decide which show best suits the new company. She says that her past shows might provide a hint as to the caliber of work Free Theatre kids should expect to perform.

“I’m into musicals, comedies and musical comedies,” she says.

The five-week program runs from July 6 to Aug. 6, with a performance at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 6. If you have questions, contact Hooper at freetheatrewestchester@gmail.com.

Check out Free Theatre Westchester’s Facebook page.

From left, Herb Williams, former NBA star, Loren Katzovitz, with Guggenheim Partners, react to George Follini, with Guggenheim Partners, miss on the green during Ahmad Rashad Golf Classic at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale. The event benefits the White Plains Hospital Center.

Ahmad Rashad plays the 7th hole during Ahmad Rashad Golf Classic at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Scarsdale. Click here to see an online gallery from Ahmad Rashad Golf Classic at Quaker Ridge Golf Club

Carl Paladino, the Buffalo developer running for governor, talked about his candidacy on Monday in an Editorial Spotlight interview.

Paladino, who lost the Republican nomination to former Rep. Rick Lazio, is gathering petition signatures in an effort to receive a place on the Sept. 14 primary ballot. He’s also running on the Reform Party line. We talked with him about his positions on the issues and the various controversies surrounding his campaign.

Here’s a video of our interview: