Bronxville and Scarsdale region

The Scarsdale Public Library is hosting three diverse programs this month.

As part of the Foreign & Independent Film Festival, the Library will show Buitiful (rated “R”) starring Javier Bardem, at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, May 9. Admission is free. Snacks and soda provided, and attendees are invited to stay after to discuss the film.

On Wednesday, May 16, Nancy’s Book Discussion Group will talk about “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer. The group will meet at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to register in advance at the Library’s Circulation Desk.

On Wednesday, May 30, the New York Blood Center (NYBC) will host a blood drive at the library from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For more information, go to www.scarsdalelibrary.org

New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli discusses various issues with the Editorial Board at 1 p.m. Thursday on Editorial Spotlight.

The state comptroller audits municipalities, school district and other entities. The comptroller also administers the New York State and Local Retirement System for public employees and maintains the state’s accounting system, along with other duties.

DiNapoli has been critical of quasi-governmental agencies, including local development corporations and industrial development agencies. In a 2011 audit of the Town of Ramapo, the comptroller’s office was highly critical of the financial relationship between the town and the Ramapo Local Development Corp., which built the Provident Bank Park, home field of the Rockland Boulders baseball team.

To submit a question or comment for DiNapoli before the live session, email adelgado@lohud.com or tweet @lohudopinion.

To watch, go to www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight.

To submit a question or comment during the LIVE session, engage the “CoverItLive” blogging feature.

Concordia Conservatory will hold its annual Chamber Music Festival this year on Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sommer Center for the Performing Arts at Concordia College in Bronxville.  The concerts are open to the public.

The concerts feature Concordia Conservatory chamber music duos, trios, quartets, and quintets with student performers from youth and adult programs. This year,  the ensembles will perform music by Mendelssohn, Paul McCartney, de Prez , Handel, Matt Van Brink, Dowland, and  Schubert.

This year, Concordia Conservatory offered student scholarships for the chamber music program made possible by the generosity of donors.

Tickets for the concerts are $10 for adults and $5 for children/seniors and can be purchased online at www.concordiaconservatory.org or by calling 914-395-4507.

The William E. Cottle School is launching its first school science fair this week for children in kindergarten through fifth grades.

The science fair will take place from Wednesday, May 9 to Friday, May 11. Parents can view the exhibits from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday and from 1:30 to 2:40 p.m. on the other days. Exhibits also will be open to parents from 3 to 4 p.m. each day.

An award-winning poet and Yale University lecturer will bring poetry to Tuckahoe middle school students on Wednesday, May 9. Poet David Johnson will run a 40-minute workshop where students will read and analyze his work, discuss the musicality of language and  create a musical poem themselves.

Younger students will get a different sort of musical poetry lesson on Monday, May 14, when a group called “Squeaky Clean” will use music from the 1950s and 1960s to teach the cause and effect relationship between activism of young people and social & political change. The program, called “Rave on: The Roots of Rock in Roll,” will be taught to children in grades K-5. Another program, called “Growing Up 60s,” will be taught to middle school students.

The Tuckahoe Middle School Cultural Arts Program is sponsoring the programs.

It looks like the June 26 Congressional primary, the second of three primaries this year, will feature contests for the Republican challenger to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; the Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey in the newly-drawn and newly-numbered District 17, which takes in all of Rockland and large parts of Westchester; and the Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth in District 18, which takes in all of Putnam and part of Westchester (and Orange and part of Dutchess).

In the Republican primary in the 17th, Francis Morganthaler was thrown off the ballot and is challenging the decision in court. Joe Carvin, one of the Republican candidates, didn’t succeed in securing the Conservative line. Lowey failed to get the Independence line.

So far there are no primaries in the new District 16, held by Eliot Engel. Aniello Grimaldi, who wanted to challenge Engel on the Democratic line, was thrown off the ballot. Engel’s Republican challenger is Joseph McLaughlin. The final names could change as court challenges play out but should be final by the middle of next week. Here is the list of candidates. A * indicates a primary contest:

United States Senator:

Republican*

Wendy Long of Manhattan

Bob Turner of Breezy Point

George Maragos of Great Neck

Democratic

Kirsten Gillibrand More →

Here’s the announcement from the county with prevention suggestions for residents:

2012 WEST NILE VIRUS PREVENTION EFFORTS TO BEGIN MONDAY

To eliminate breeding sites for mosquitoes that can carry West Nile Virus, the Westchester County Department of Health will begin its annual West Nile Virus prevention efforts by checking catch basins throughout the county for standing water and applying larvicide as needed starting Monday, May 7.

Health department larviciding teams will begin in New Rochelle, Yonkers and Mount Vernon, evaluating and treating as needed all catch basins on county and municipal roads throughout the county over the next few months. More →

From David Kaufman, Bronx River Sound Shore Audubon:

BRSS Audubon May 6th Central Park Bird Walk: 7:30 AM

Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Central Park West  and 77^nd Street at the Humbolt Bust statue across from Museum of Natural History.   We will be entering the park through the nearby “Naturalists Gate”.  We’ll be looking for spring migrants including warblers, vireos, and grosbeaks.  To arrange car pooling from Westchester, please contact Doug Bloom, the fieldtrip coordinator: [larchowl@aol.com, 914-834-5203 (evenings)]

Spring Warbler Migration

May is the best time for seeing some of North America’s most beautiful birds, the warblers. At this time of year, these tiny, brightly colored, insect-eating birds begin to return to their North American breeding grounds from Central and South America where they spend the winter. Their journeys may involve non-stop flights covering more than a thousand miles at a time, so when they finally touch down they have expended much of their energy and must feed constantly to refuel. Warblers fly in flocks—sometimes called “waves”—of several species, and their arrival creates a spectacle of brilliant colors. In addition, many male warblers sing high-pitched songs during migration, making them even more conspicuous. So grab your binoculars and your Stokes Field Guide to Birds and go out and enjoy the show!

On a particularly successful day, when a good “warbler wave” has arrived, if you are lucky and in the right place, you can see over 15 different kinds of warblers. Flamboyantly colored in their breeding plumage, many are often easy to identify.

Where to See Warblers
Look for warblers in isolated areas of trees, especially in green spaces within cities or at the northern edge of large bodies of water. Such places attract warblers like an oasis in a vast desert, since budding trees harbor swarms of insects, which they eat.

David M. Kaufman

BRSS Audubon

In her weekly column, Mayor Mary Marvin recalls the services and activities that are available for older village residents:

An inter-generational community adds to the richness and fabric of our Village and is so worth preserving. Our wonderful police department will even check on any senior if they so wish and also hold a house key in case of emergency. Seniors without cars can walk to medical specialists in every field, visit the dentist and even walk to a hospital. A walkable business district is vital to maintaining a robust senior population.  So when you shop in the Village, you not only send sales tax revenues to our Village and school and help to keep home prices stable, you aid in maintaining age diversity in our Village.

Our library sponsors book clubs, computer lessons and thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the Library, cultural performances and readings. The Bronxville Adult School offers a broad array of classes, trips and recreational and cultural opportunities at very reasonable cost.  The options in Bronxville for food for the body and mind is unparalleled. And, if Broadway calls, Metro North is in the center of the village and Grand Central less than a half hour away.

In addition to all of the above amenities, the village is also home to two vibrant organizations specifically dedicated to the needs of seniors.

The Bronxville Seniors are also known for their philanthropic work whether it is collecting cereal for a Head Start program, buying mittens for the needy or delivering presents to hospital patients. In that spirit, they sponsor a panoply of social and enrichment activities including luncheons with speakers, Tai Chi and yoga classes, knitting and bridge.  In the next few weeks, our seniors will be heading to Ellis Island, the Bruce Museum and the Botanical Gardens.  If you would like to join the seniors, reach out to Director Sue Tozzi at 793-2222 or Bronxvilleseniorcitizens@gmail.com.

A recent addition to the village’s array of senior services is Gramatan Village which offers a wide spectrum of services including transportation, help with errands, handyman referrals, recreational and educational opportunities and assistance with medical issues.  They even have a service that connects our seniors with volunteer opportunities as our seniors always seem desirous of giving back.  If you are interested in joining, contact Executive Director Julie Dalton at 337-1338 or stop by their offices at 85 Pondfield Road.

Gramatan is having a festive “May Magic” fundraiser on May 6th at Siwanoy Country Club where lifelong village resident Mary Taylor Behrens will be honored for her many contributions to our village.  All are invited to attend.

Your support of these two vital organizations will help to ensure the unique age diversity in our village which enriches us all.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino has blocked the Board of Legislators’ attempt to take back some control over the subsidized child care program.

He vetoed a bill Friday that would have required the Social Services commissioner to get the board’s approval before asking the state to approve a change in the family share for those receiving subsidized child care.

“In what has become an unfortunate and familiar pattern, your Honorable Board once again overreaches and attempts to exert power and control, without the requisite legal authority,” Astorino said in his veto message.

The board passed the bill after the Astorino administration moved at the beginning of April to increase the parent share from 20 percent of income above the poverty line to 35 percent of income, saying the program has a funding shortfall and that the change will allow more families to stay in the program. A comment period required before the state can approve the change ends May 14.

Legislators questioned the administration’s numbers and asked for a chance to transfer funds if necessary to fill any funding gap. Parents, they said, can’t afford the change. The administration said the change had to be done immediately to fill the gap.

Democratic Legislator Alfreda Williams said the veto reflected a lack of concern for working people.

“It’s very disappointing and really unfair and shameful,” she said.

Click here for a story on the move to raise the parent share.