Yorktown and Cortlandt region

Do you want to become a top chef or a fashion designer? Write software programs? Make films or create special effects?

At the annual College Fair at Putnam/Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services’ Tech Center, there were colleges and technical schools to help students meet all of those goals – and then some.

Fifty-five colleges and technical schools were represented at the fair, held on the Tech Center campus on November 19th. The French Culinary Institute, Fashion Institute of Technology, Farleigh Dickson University, Manhattanville College and SUNY Alfred were among the colleges and technical schools on hand to answer students’ questions, and give them a glimpse of college life.

To round out the mix, the fair also featured representatives from the armed services, New York State Police and community colleges. Prior to the college fair, Tech Center counselors met with all classes to coach students on how to obtain the best information from the admissions office representatives.

“The colleges at the fair really represented the diversity of programs that our students study at Tech and pursue at the secondary level,” said Gary Mancus, Tech Center guidance counselor.

Photo courtesy P/NW BOCES

The John C. Hart Library will host an exhibit of paintings by multimedia artist Kelli Bickman, opening with a reception Sunday, Dec. 12 from 2-4 p.m.

Bickman grew up on a farm in Minnesota, studied art in Wisconsin and London and moved to the West Village of New York City in 1995. After 14 years there, she moved to the Hudson Valley with her daughter Isabella Grace.

She is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including: the 2010 ARTS Alive grant recipient from Arts Westchester; 2010 MTA finalist for Port Chester Train Station; 2007 Integral Institute, featured artist; 2006 ‘Very Cool’ design, www.webpicks.com; 2004 Art in Public Places Grant, Jacksonville, Fla.; and 2001 MTV showcased artist, Times Square.

Her website is kellibickman.net.

The library is at 1130 E. Main St. in Shrub Oak. It is open Monday-Thursday 9:30-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9:30-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Call 914-245-5262, Ext. 227 or go to www.yorktownlibrary.org for more information.

During this holiday season, we take time to reflect and give thanks for the blessings  and abundances that have been given us. We look forward to the joys of family gatherings, parties, cookie exchanges, holiday meals, and gift giving. Unfortunately,  there is still a significant number of people for whom the refrigerator is  empty, and who have not had to worry about overfilling the bread drawer for a long time.

This past week, for the Thanksgiving holiday, the three Yorktown Food Pantrys (First Presbyterian Church, St Marys Episcopal, and Yorktown Community Help) provided some $15,000 in groceries for over 400 families.

The Yorktown Lions are donating a total of $7500 to the three Yorktown Food Pantries and the Montrose Veterans Food panty, and invite members of the community to help get food on everyones table. The First Presbyterian Church — Food Pantry — (914-245-2186), 2880 Crompond Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 — will coordinate donations among the pantries.  A $10 donation will provide one bag of groceries.

The members of the Yorktown Lions Club like to eat and feel that  people should worry about other things than whether they will have groceries this week.

Sincerely,

Carl Anderson

Past President

Yorktown Lions Club

Kathy Dineen and Marsha McCoy, directors of The Pied Piper Pre-School, are celebrating 30 years of caring for and teaching Yorktown’s youngsters.

It all began in 1980, when they were in a children’s playgroup together. Marsha was on maternity leave from the Peekskill school district, where she taught kindergarten, and Kathy was teaching at a conservatory and playing in a symphony.

Kathy was becoming more and more aware as her daughter grew how incompatible her lifestyle was to raising children. Being home all day and out all night playing in the symphony could only work when her kids were very young at best. She soon noticed that she and Marsha spent all their time with the children during play groups—instead of with the other parents. Kathy had subbed in a “music in the morning” program at the conservatory where she taught and thought what a wonderful way to spend her day – with her daughter and other children.

Kathy told Marsha that she was thinking of starting a “music in the morning” program out of her house, and wouldn’t it be nice to expand it to a “music & art in the morning” program. She gave Marsha two weeks to decide if she was interested in partnering – and, the rest is history!

Their first class, in 1980, had four graduates and 20 other children. Last year, Pied Piper graduated 57 pre-k’s and had 75 under classmen. Its summer camp program had more than 200 children, and its piano program enrolls about 20 students per year. This year, Pied Piper also expanded its offerings to now include an afternoon Enrichment Program that supplements Yorktown’s half-day Kindergarten program.

“One of our most exciting milestones was having our first 2nd generation student six years ago – whose dad had gone to Pied Piper. It’s just been an amazing experience and honor to watch all these kids grow-up,” said Kathy. “All our Pied Piper children are respected and loved, taught the importance of manners, and encouraged to live up to their potential, because we believe in them,” she added.

Marsha agreed, “It’s been so gratifying to walk into a local store and have some high school or college student look at our Pied Piper t-shirts and say ‘I went to Pied Piper!” and then they tell us that they remember the songs they learned many years ago from us.”

Marsha and Kathy also agreed on feeling very fortunate that Pied Piper provided them the ability to have their own children at work with them. According to Kathy, “Pied Piper enabled me to raise my own five children and my grandchildren in a kind, compassionate, educational wonderland. I can’t tell you how blessed Marsha and I both feel to be doing something we love so much.”

According to Marsha, “It was great having my own son at work with me – where I knew he was loved and well-educated. He’s now a musician in New Orleans, playing guitar and keyboard. He always credits his first piano teacher, Kathy, as getting him on the road to pursue his music.”

“We look forward to many more happy years doing what we do best – teaching children,” Marsha concluded.

For more information, go to piedpiperschoolpreschool.com.

Terrence O’Brien, artistic director of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival — which fills summers with wonder in a tent outside the Boscobel mansion in Garrison — takes his act inside the mansion, with a staged reading of his adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.”

“The Holiday Party with the Fezziwigs,” as the event is dubbed, will feature the talents of festival regulars Katie Hartke, Stephen Paul Johnson, Eleanor Handley and Richard Ercole (pictured, left to right, inset).

They’ll read excerpts adapted and directed by O’Brien.

“I’ve loved this story all my life,” says Johnson, who has spent the past dozen summers at the festival. Last summer, he was Pandarus in “Troilus and Cressida.”

Years ago, when he lived in San Francisco, Johnson says he would gather friends and read “A Christmas Carol” aloud to them.

John Isabella, Jr., sent in information about a class reunion for Assumption School in Peekskill. Read Isabella’s release for more information on the event:

Assumption School’s Class of 1970 gathered together on November 13, 2010 to celebrate their 40th Anniversary from their 8th Grade Graduation from the school. The event marked the 5th time the group assembled for a class reunion, having previously celebrated their 10-Year Reunion in 1980, their 20-Year Reunion in 1990, their 25-Year Reunion in 1995, their 30-Year Reunion in 2000 and now their 40-Year Reunion in 2010.

While it is very unusual for 8th Grade Graduating Classes to have class reunions, Assumption’s Class of 1970 has proved otherwise! This year’s Reunion began with an informal walking tour of the school, with the class getting the opportunity to visit their old classrooms, venture up to the rooftop and down to the gymnasium.

Following the tour, the class attended Holy Mass at 5pm processing in together and sitting in the same front-row pews they sat in 40 years ago during their graduation. John Isabella, Jr., who organized the event, did a roll call of all of the class graduates (including those who could not attend the Reunion) and a class photo was taken- as shown. Following Holy Mass, the group met at Piazza Roma for dinner and spent the evening sharing and retelling stories of their time spent at Assumption School. The class looks forward to their 50th Reunion in 2020!

Photo provided by John Isabella, Jr.:

Assumption School, Peekskill, N.Y. Class of 1970
Top Row: Anthony Bell, Michael Brophy, John Queen, Thomas Clarkin, Francis Riley, Gregory Schmidt, Albert Tacca
Middle Row: Joseph Devine, Lawrence Gomez, John Isabella, Jr., Daniel McPhee, Harold Viletto
Front Row: Gerilyn Curtis, Charlene DeChristopher-Schleifer, Diana DePalma-Turner, Tina Diaz, Concetta DiPietro-Cardinale, Anne Fitzgerald-Gile, Christine LaPointe, Angela Marano, Elizabeth Melville-Batts, Denise Pryzgoda-Gehring, Grace Scannell-Wagner, Linda Strumke-Duncan

YORKTOWN — Four teens were arrested recently after police said they threw food at passing cars on Hanover Street.

Officer Craig Scatola responded to the 700 block of Hanover Street around 11:15 p.m. Friday on a complaint of boys throwing objects at passing cars, police said today.

Scatola determined that the four Yorktown boys – three age 14, one 15 – had been pelting cars with food and charged them each with juvenile delinquency with an underlying charge of third-degree criminal tampering, a misdemeanor, if committed by an adult. Their names were not released because of their ages.

Police did not say what type of food products the four allegedly threw.

The four were released to “responsible adults,” police said in a release, and are due in Westchester County Family Court on Dec. 9.

The “Turkey Trot” at the CET Elementary School in Croton brought out a large crowd. Organizer Cheryl Slaughter said the charity fun run raised over $5,000, with about 500 in attendance on Thanksgiving morning. The money will go toward the American Heart Association.

Live Society will be performing at 12 Grapes in Peekskill. Check out their release below for more information on the band:

It’s the band everyone loves to dance to, sing to and croon over… Live Society will be returning to 12 Grapes in Peekskill on Friday, Dec 10 from 9:30 – 12:30.

With their three-part harmonies, soulful sound and energetic stage show, Live Society is a spirited affair you have to experience to fully appreciate. Their mix of “Maroon 5’s Pop Rock freedom and the Jackson 5’s tight Motown magic” keeps fans dancing and singing all night long.

Live Society is led by the pitch-perfect harmonies of brothers Brian and Kevin Collazo and cousin Jason Vargas. With Anthony Candullo on bass, John Kaiteris on guitar, Erik Perez on drums and Scott Harper on sax, the band’s original songs will take you to a place where Country, Soul, Salsa and Rock all come home—songs like “Better Man”, “The Sweetest Waste of Time”, and “Only A Disaster”, the title track of their third and upcoming full-length CD. Kenny Gorka, owner of the legendary NYC club, The Bitter End, said, “I put on their EP [“We Got Us”] and it floored me.” The band will also be performing Pop/Rock hits from artists like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and more.

The New York winner of Bodog Music’s $1 Million Battle of the Band competition, Live Society has headlined at prestigious venues like The Bitter End and Irving Plaza in New York City, The Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando and Mandalay Bay in Vegas, and participated in the K104 K-Fest in NY. Their first single, “Beautiful Way”, was featured in ABC Family’s The Prince and the Pauper, now available on DVD. Read more about the band on their website, livesociety.net.

12 Grapes is located at 12 N. Division Street in Peekskill. Dinner reservations are highly recommended by calling 914-737-6624. Showtime is 9:30 – 12:30. There is a $10 Cover, or $5 with a dinner entrée. For more information, visit 12grapes.com

Ossining resident and Girl Scout volunteer Emily Rodriguez is currently part of a youth delegation at a U.N. Climate Change conference in Mexico. Read the release below for more information on Rodriguez and the U.N. conference:

Emily Rodriguez, a 22-year-old Girl Scout volunteer,  is one of fifteen remarkable young women from 11 countries across the globe forming the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) youth delegation at this year’s UNFCCC climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico.

WAGGGS’ Girl Guide and Girl Scout delegates will join key policy makers and international leaders at the conference, taking place on 29 November to 10 December, to raise awareness of the fact that girls and young women are disproportionately affected by climate change and need to be placed at the heart of any solution.

“I attended COP15 as a delegate for WAGGGS last year, and it was a meaningful experience for me. I am passionate about the environment and in educating others on how to make a positive impact on climate change. This year, I want to once again represent all women and youth from around the world who are facing the social and environmental problems associated with climate change,” said 22-year-old Emily.

As the largest Movement dedicated to girls and young women, WAGGGS has identified the fight against climate change as a priority issue on which to take a stand and speak out. WAGGGS’ youth delegation will include young women from diverse corners of the world, including the UK, US, Kenya, and Honduras. The young women will run side-events and panel discussions at the conference, and will be involved in all youth activities organized by YOUNGO (the UNFCCC youth constituency). They will also be blogging their opinions and experiences at Unicef’s Voices of Youth website, the World Bank’s Youthink website, as well as at uniteforclimate.org.

Emily was chosen to be a WAGGGS youth delegate because of her commitment to environmental sustainability and experience in advocacy. She has recently graduated from Whitman College with a BA in Sociology-Environmental Studies. She has also taught environmental education to children, and developed a project guide for the Girl Scouts Forever Green program (Girl Scouts of the USA’s new environmental program focused on reducing carbon emissions). Emily hopes to use what she learns at COP 16 to strengthen environmental awareness amongst other girls.

“I will contribute my knowledge and ideas to the GSUSA’s Girl Scouts Forever Green program to teach other girls about climate change and how to make a positive impact. On the community level, I will share my experiences and knowledge about the environment and global climate change, educate people about how to reduce their carbon emissions, and encourage discussion about environmental issues. I will also show others that Girl Scouts have a voice at the UN level, and are making a difference around the world.”

This year WAGGGS has the additional focus of involving our global network of girls and young women in the events at COP 16.

The conference coincides with the launch of WAGGGS’ new Biodiversity Badge and Curriculum, a non-formal environmental education programme that will be distributed via our network of 10 million girls. The programme was developed in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and with girls and young women.

WAGGGS will also be engaging girls and young women not present at Cancun via a dedicated, awareness-raising activity on 2 December, which is the conference Young and Future Generations Day.

“By offering young women the chance to participate in international events such as COP 16, WAGGGS equips young women with the skills and opportunities to use their own voices, talents and passions to have a positive impact on their communities and our world. Girls who reach their full potential and whose contributions are valued really are central to the solution on climate change,” said Rebecca Munro, WAGGGS’ Communications and Advocacy Director.