Yorktown and Cortlandt region

The Dominican Sisters of Hope and Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center is presenting “To Whom I May Concern,” a play based on stories related to people with early stage Alzheimer’s Disease and other related memory disorders.

The play will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, September 18, at the Chapel of Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center
299 North Highland Avenue, Ossining.

The play, which is free and open to the public, is coordinated by Maureen Matthews, R.N. and Ph.D., of the Early Memory Loss Program at the Stamford Counseling Center in Stamford, CT, and will be performed by members of the Alzheimer’s Support Group. “To Whom It May Concern” is written in letter form and gives “personal voice to the experience of living with a brain disease that has no cure.”

The performance will be followed up with a “give-and-take session” with the cast and writer.  It is co-presented by The Maryknoll Sisters and the Dominican Sisters of Amityville, Blauvelt, Caldwell and Sparkill.

For more information, call 914-941-4455 and/or www.mariandale.org

CORTLANDT — State police said today that they are investigating several daytime burglaries that took place in the area of Route 202, Furnace Dock Road, Watch Hill Road, Maple and Washington streets.

The burglaries have occurred over the past few weeks.
Someone has been entering homes through a first-floor window between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. when no one is home.

The burglar or burglars have either pushed in window air conditioners then entered the residence or have gotten inside through unlocked windows, police said. In one case, a window pane was broken, allowing the burglar to unlock the window.

The items stolen include laptop computers, flat-screen televisions, jewelry and cash.

Police advise residents to lock all their first-floor windows, removed first-floor air conditioners when not home if feasible and to ask neighbors to keep an eye on each other’s property.

Anyone with information is asked to call state police investigators at 914-788-8044 or 914-737-7171 and ask to speak with a trooper at the Cortlandt barracks.

An exhibit of photographs taken in Japan by Paul Gherson is concluding at the Ossining Public Library.
Gherson’s work can be seen this fall at the Eastchester Public Library, and early next year at the Hart Library in Yorktown.
He uses a fairly simple digital camera in his work, eschewing high-end equipment. Gherson said he trained his eye to find and quickly frame compelling images.
He grew up in Rumania during the old Communist era, when travel restrictions were tight. Now he loves to travel, and indulge his passion for photography. He lives in Yorktown.
An interview with Gherson will run this Sunday in The Express.

Students report Thursday for the first day of school in the Lakeland Central School District

Taking the helm is one-time Delaware superintendent of the year Dr. George E. Stone. He chatted with The Journal News this morning about the challenges facing the district and his goals for the new school year.

Read the full story Friday in The Journal News and at LoHud.com.

Top left, Valiant and Erin play at Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown. Bottom left, Valiant and Vanilla pose for the camera.  Guiding Eyes for the Blind is vying for a $250,000 Refresh Everything grant from Pepsi for its Heeling Autism program, which places guide gods with kids with autism.  ( Carucha L. Meuse / The Journal News )

Click here to see an online gallery of Guiding Eyes for the Blind on Lohud.com

Peekskill Schools Superintendent Judith Johnson is retiring.

Johnson announced her intentions in a letter published on the district’s website over the weekend. “On the first of September, I will celebrate my 43rd ‘Back to School Day’ as an educator. It will also be my last ‘First Day of School’ assembly,” she said in the letter.

Johnson, who has served as superintendent since 2001, did not explain in the letter why she is retiring. Her anticipated retirement date is Jan. 3.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed this journey. Much of it has been guided by a moral compass that kept me focused on one perspective: how to  use the time each one of us spends on earth as an opportunity to find ways to improve the quality of life for at least one person,” she said in the letter.

Johnson is expected to talk more about her retirement plans at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

Photo of Judith Johnson courtesy of TJN (Aaron Houston/Star).

From The Justin Veatch Fund:

Participants from New York’s Orange, Putnam and Westchester Counties attended The Justin Veatch Fund two-day music workshop at Briarcliff Manor High School on August 18th and 19th.  Here’s what they accomplished:

Wrote two songs, one facilitated by Vermont singer/songwriter Jon Gailmor, the other by Rhode Island singer/songwriter Brian Joyce.  Both songs were also recorded by the students on a CD they took home with them.  They also performed both songs in our closing stage show.

Were entertained and inspired by members of the Philadelphia trio Good Old War who had  just wrapped up their second national tour and release of their second full length CD.  Our workshop students mingled with members of the band for nearly an hour on stage after their performance asking questions about their craft and how they made their band a success.

An opening reception is set for Saturday, Sept. 18 for “Paint, Paper, Pens and Pals – Original Art Works by Mike Bonfiglio, Lou Bonomini and Dick Sammel.”

The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the John C. Hart Memorial Library, 1130 E. Main St. in Shrub Oak. The exhibit runs through Sept. 30. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 914-245-5262, Ext. 227. Or go to www.yorktownlibrary.org.

The following  program schedule has been unveiled for the John C. Hart Memorial Libarary in Shrub Oak.

The programs are free, but registration is required at the Reference Desk or by calling 914-245-5262, Ext. 227. (Registration is not required for Theatre at the Library).

The library is at 1130 E. Main St. in Shrub Oak. See the website at www.yorktownlibrary.org for directions. For more information on any programs,  call 914-245-5262, Ext. 227. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

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U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., discussed the economy, unemployment, dysfunction in Albany and Washington, health care, war, housing and the proposed cultural center and mosque in lower Manhattan, in an Editorial Spotlight interview Thursday. You’ll find the entire interview at www.lohud.com/editorialspotlight; click “on demand” and select the video from the menu.

Here are some selected highlights from our interview.

Gillibrand on government transparency: