Not to be outdone by the Hamlet of Katonah, the sister hamlet of Bedford Village in the town of Bedford, New York will enjoy their Indian Summer Days with a Historic Village Treasure Hunt sponsored by the Bedford Historical Society.

Planned for Saturday, September 11 with a rain date for Sunday the 12th, it will be from 11am-3pm.

It will help children re-sharpen their skills in the early days of the fall semester! There will be Treasure Hunt bags, maps and tricorner hats! The family walking tour along the Village Green will include historic buildings and landmarks with treasures to collect along the way.

To give it true revolutionary flair, there will be a re-enactment of musket drills on the Green and colonial games. Did you know that the current library was the school house? Well, you will be able to ring the bell atop the building the way they used to call the children to school!

The fire department will have an antique truck on display and will host a cookout. Pony rides and children’s music by “Music Together” will further enhance the day. For more information call 914-234-9751 or go to their website www.bedfordhistoricalsociety.com

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

Mt. Kisco is full of surprises. It has been voted the #1 town in Westchester. As a Realtor I also tell young families that Mt. Kisco has some of the lowest property taxes around due to its business base pitching into the Tax Rolls. The school District is Bedford Central. It is also a great transitional town for those singles and families making the change from life in Manhattan to the Country/Suburbs. There are shops, Starbucks, two Movie Theatres in the area and restaurants galore. Metro North has a station in Town as well as the adjacent stops in Bedford - Bedford Hills and Katonah.

It has been called “The Hub of Northern Westchester” - a term coined about thirty years ago when I moved from smoking trout in the backyard in Purchase to a facility in Mt. Kisco. I did it to draw people to my then new Saturday Sales. It worked! So, Mt. Kisco got a smokehouse, Homarus Inc. Yes, another surprise, Mt. Kisco is still called the Hub of Northern Westchester!

Over the years the major chains such as The Gap, Banana Republic, Borders Books and even Target have come to Mt. Kisco - some knocking out privately owned companies yet welcome nonetheless. I always regretted that they turned away The American Doll Co. and their pursuit of the Ragtime House on Captain Merrit’s Hill for their first retail store, (the model for Samantha’s House in Mt. Bedford). Yet it proved to be a wonderful educational trip out to Chicago when their first store opened.

There is an area in Mt. Kisco on one end of Lexington Avenue that is full of surprises and privately owned businesses. An offshoot of my company is there and known as “Mt. Kisco Smokehouse,” where William still produces all of the items which became a household staple for the area. I have met young adults that have told me “I grew up on your smoked trout and salmon.” Boy, want to feel old! So, let’s feed the new generations! Their retail is open every day of the week - not just on Saturday. People still love visiting a true smokehouse and also enjoying freshly smoked sturgeon, whitefish, eel, baked salmon and even shrimp that we developed with Chef Larry Forgione of the River Cafe years ago.

There is also an exquisite French Bakery called “La Tulipe Desserts,” run by second generation Pastry Chef Maarten Steenman and his wife Frances. They were honored with the recent task of making Chelsea Clinton’s wedding cake!

There is the area’s top fresh Fish and Seafood Market - “Mt. Kisco Seafood.” Looking for a great restaurant? There is the Cuban Restaurant “Coco Rumbas,” the Soho Chic establishment “Lexington Square Cafe” and long time Italian comfort food spot -“Mardino’s.” Another couple of blocks away is another local favorite - “The Flying Pig,” known for local, natural, farm-to-table foods.

So, come and enjoy Mt. Kisco!

Coco Rumba’s - 443 Lexington Avenue, 914-241-2299
The Flying Pig Restaurant - 251 Lexington Avenue, 914-666-7445
Lexington Square Cafe - 510 Lexington Avenue, 914-244-3663
La Tulipe Desserts - 455 Lexington Avenue, 914-242-0694
Mardino’s Italian Restaurant - 473 Lexington Avenue, 914-666-9861
Mt. Kisco Seafood - 477 Lexington Avenue, 914-241-3113
Mt. Kisco Smokehouse - 520 Lexington Avenue, 914-244-0702

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

For some buyers identifying the perfect place to call home is fraught with anxiety. Relatives and friends do not shy from making suggestions, but don’t always agree. Quite the contrary. So how do you find the right place for you? One couple I worked with, clients buying their first home, devised a scheme for sampling daily life. After obtaining a pre-approval for a mortgage and deciding on a comfortable price range, they identified a geographic area that offered a good commute. We spent some time together touring neighborhoods, viewing houses and evaluating the market history for each. They then selected several communities that fit their key criteria: affordability, convenient commute, services and amenities, attractive housing stock. 

Now came the more difficult part – which town was best? These were neighboring communities, all shared the criteria they had identified, yet each had a slightly different character. The buyers developed a plan and over a couple of weeks they visited and conducted daily business in each community being considered. Stopping for a cup of coffee enroute to work, dropping off dry cleaning, shopping at local stores, buying gas, etc. – to see where they felt most at home. 15 years later they remain active participants of the community they chose. Finding the right house was the easy part. Summer makes it easy to sample living in Westchester while experiencing a delightful mini vacation. Throughout the County there are sports, art, and entertainment events at a variety of venues. This weekend for example is the 10th annual Peekskill Celebration. Music, food, fireworks and Dragon Boat races are just a few of the pleasures planned. Experience life in my favorite Hudson River town and while here take time to visit a museum or art gallery and perhaps check out a residential neighborhood and view some homes on the market. You might just find your Home.

Posted by:  Liz Pereira

Short and Simple - a quick walk around Katonah on a Saturday has its special delights. I first stopped into the Katonah Village Library to see the endeavors of Bedford’s Hopp Garden Club and pick out a new Summer book having finished the Katonah Museum of Art Selection. I was astounded at the creativity and the work that was put into the installation - for only two days of exhibition time!

Then around the corner I found a sign attached to the venerable sign of Kelloggs & Lawrence Hardware Store which was quite techy for a hardware store that also features an old fashioned barrel of peanuts for your enjoyment!! “Visitor ‘i’ Information Center - The Katonah Chamber of Commerce” was the sign. I popped in and found proprietress Diana Tyler at the counter and she was pleased to show me a rack which holds the various brochures about Katonah and our local institutions such as The Katonah Museum, Caramoor and a historic village walking tour. The Katonah Chamber of Commerce has deemed it a central location for visitors and residents alike for info regarding new exhibits, locations and events.

So pop into Katonah, enjoy the sites, the Victorians that were moved into the green space created over one hundred years ago and have some fun, enjoy the unique shops and some great food at our many eating spots. The village is right at the train station so a ride from the City or other points is very easy! 

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

Sunday was the second of the summer series of trail rides sponsored by the North Salem Bridle Trails Association (NSBTA). In spite of the light rain, about 20 riders enjoyed the 1 1/2 hour rides: “fast pace with jumping,” “medium pace with jumping optional,” and “walk & talk.” I led the Medium ride, which was the most popular!

The riders met on Baxter Road in North Salem, at The Old Race Track. This is a most gorgeous area of open meadows, stone walls and a lake that is surrounded by what used to be an unofficial horse racing track. Today it is one of the most popular of the North Salem Open Land Foundation properties. From the Race Track, one can ride on trails for miles in all directions! This treasure of days gone by is part of what makes North Salem such a beautiful and enjoyable place to live, whether one is interested in horses and horse properties or not.

Also on Baxter Road (one of several dirt roads in the town) are the kennels and clubhouse of the Goldens Bridge Hounds. Yes, it’s a real foxhunting club, but all the members are quick to say that the fox is NOT killed as it is in England and Ireland. GBH meets from mid-August until April 1, weather permitting.

Upcoming events for NSBTA and GBH are the North Country GBH Hunter Pace in Amenia, NY, on August 15. The third of the NSBTA trail rides in North Salem is Sunday, August 29, location to be announced. On September 12, GBH will hold their annual Hunter Trials at The Old Race Track. This is a fabulous event to watch as well as to ride in…riders dressed in formal attire jumping the stone walls and man-made fences, and also riding on the flat, with a great Luncheon under the tent…featuring a Puppy Auction!!

For more information about any of these great activities and organizations, please feel free to contact me…914-282-2548 Cell or

Posted by:  Anita Zander

Is the enthusiasm to head to camp or the pool beginning to wane? Well, take your children and go “Make a Splash & Read!” at The Bedford Hills Free Library! At the Bedford Hills Free Library there is “Wacky Wednesdays” for those aged 4 and up at 4 pm - just when we all begin to fade on these hot summer days. Enjoy a story, a game or a craft. Knowing the storytellers at the Library, they are in for a treat!

Then there is a “Summer Reading Game” which continues until August 13 with the promise to take a folder of good reads back to school in the Fall! There are reading incentives, prizes and a wrap-up with an end-of-Summer Party. Contact the Library for more enrollment information: 914-666-6472 BedfordHillsFreeLibrary.org

Read more about the happenings at the Katonah Library and even more at the Bedford Village Library.

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

Based on the success and great interest of one of my last posts on the programs that are offered for children from tots to teens at the Katonah Village Library,  I thought to see what the Bedford Village Free Library had to offer!

For the youngest members of the community (12-30 months) there is still time to register for “Musical Mother Goose.” The next session will start Wednesday, August 4. The program is at 10:15 in the morning. I remember reading when I had my own children that Nursery Rhymes are important because they have their own rhythm and it leads to a love of reading - combine this with music and I am sure you have a winner!

For the age 4 - 3rd graders there is “Story & Craft Time.” They are broken up in age groups. They meet on Wednesday afternoons. “Beach Bingo” sounds like a great deal of fun!

There is still time to quickly call and get included in the following programs :

• Tuesday, July 20, join the New Canaan Nature Center when they visit the Library with their “Slimy & Scaly” friends. Age 5-3rd grade.
• There is an Origami class on Tuesday, July 27 at 4pm. This is for 4th & 5th Graders.
• On the Friday the 30th of July, at 4pm there is a digital camera class for 4-5th graders.

Call to Register: 914-234-3570

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

Have a child or teenager that is tired of waiting for the next big movie to open or the latest game to come out? Reintroduce them to the Library! Besides the joy of walking out with an armload of books, programs include:

• Summer Pre-School Story Times: Splish Splash Book Bash, Baby Lap Time, Mother Goose, Toddler Time, Stories and crafts
• Water, Water Everywhere - A Photo Contest for ages 11-18 in age appropriate groups
• Poetry Writing Workshop for ages 7-10
• Book, Snack & Chat - 10-12 years
• Watercolor Painting for Teens
• Iced Tea & A Book - a Teen Time Program

You also may have a chance to still join a Chess Class!

If you want to learn more ways that we “keep our cool” in the Town of Bedford feel free to contact me. There are some homes on the Market within walking distance to the Library and the Parks and pool! Enjoy your Summer!

The Katonah Library - 914-232-3508 www.katonahlibrary.org

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

When you hear the first strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” your heart quickens and there is an instant lump in your throat. For several of the local high schools such as John Jay, Fox Lane and North Salem High Schools, the venue is Caramoor. When I saw the John Jay purple and white robes beginning to descend the stairs, I welled up.

I have “graduated” both of my children now and once again I am full of thought. I hope that these graduates realize that although they are leaving for colleges across the country, they may feel that they are headed for a better place, that their home base has had so very much to offer them. As I wrote to my daughter in her graduation card - “do not forget all of the wonderful things in your life that brought you to this moment.”

On July 4, my newly graduated daughter Allison and I attended the “Pops, Patriots and Fireworks” concert at Caramoor. It featured The Orchestra of St. Luke’s with Michael Barrett as Conductor. We enjoyed the traditional Star Spangled Banner, for which we all stood and sang along and a piece from Danbury, CT native, composer Charles Ives.

A new addition was Rob Schwimmer on the Theremin. The Theremin is a very Caramoor instrument. It was the first electronic instrument which was invented by Leonid Theremin. Lucie Rosen, wife of Walter Rosen, owners of Caramoor and founders of the Music Festival, met him and Lucie was mesmerized by the Theremin. She learned to play it with such proficiency that she performed worldwide with symphony orchestras. There are two on display in the Music Room of the home and is a part of the docent tours. It deals with sound waves and it also produced what was known as ether music.

Rob Schwimmer played the Scene d’Amour from the Hitchcock film “Vertigo.” I had known before that Hitchcock enjoyed the voice, the eeriness of the theremin and I include that mention in my tours. (it was also included in “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys!) When the string section started up you knew the moment of the film in which the obsessed Scottie Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart) is enthralled by the duplicitous Madeleine (Kim Novak). It was perfection due to the use of the theremin. The theremin then added the female voice to the two Gershwin classics : “The Man I Love” and “Summertime.”

The fireworks were over the top wonderful but my true happiness came when upon our return home, Allison went through my classic movie collection and found “Vertigo” to enjoy with her friends. She had seen it before but now the theremin was “new” to her.

That is how life is here on Museum Mile. On the same day at the John Jay Homestead they had fife and drum groups and the reading of the Declaration of Independence. Alan Weinreb, the curator and director added that the resolution to become the 13th state to endorse the Declaration was written by John Jay and the document was then signed in White Plains since New York City, the then Capitol of the state was under siege by 10,000 British soldiers. Spectators were then invited to sign a copy to perhaps sense the importance, the feeling of signing it.

The Katonah Museum now has me deep into the book of their first exhibit-related Book Club. The Exhibit is “Cuba Avant - Garde, Contemporary Cuban Art from The Farber Collection” and the book is “Telex from Cuba” by Rachel Kushner. I actually did not go to a Second Saturday Cocktail Party since I had just been to another Open to the Public lecture there. So much a girl can do!

To live your life, grow up or to raise a family in this environment, along with the happenings in town, the Schools and the wonderful Libraries is to live a very enhanced life.

If you would like to further explore your options to live in this area, please contact me: 

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

Last Thursday evening at the KMA there was the lecture “Utopia/Dystopia: The Politics of Art in Cuba” by Dr. Damien Fernandez, Provost of SUNY Purchase. Dr. Fernandez who is Cuba-born was also the Director of The Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University.

Dr. Fernandez gave his talk appropriately against the backdrop of Tonel’s “Self Portrait of a Ship (Four Pyramids)” - a sinking ship bearing both the likeness of Tonel and Mother Cuba. The four pyramids on the bottom of the sea upon which the ship rests allude to the ancient lost Atlantis and perhaps the hope that it will also be discovered once again.

Cuba was discovered by Cristobal Colon/Christopher Columbus in 1492. Therefore it has the same “start time” as the U.S. The people of Cuba always had the firm belief that they were always the greatest island in the Caribbean. They were “simply the best.” They were the biggest island with the biggest dreams. Even the talk was big. Think of Castro and his speeches. Their National Identity was the search for a Cuban Utopia. The lofty goals were to achieve The New Man & The New Woman living in Heaven on Earth. It is always a case of Utopian Dreams not fulfilled, therefore the Dystopia.

Cuba had a very lively artistic community involved with art, music and poetry. Their Conservatory was held in high regard worldwide. Cuba hit the wall economically with both their sugar and tobacco trade. There was little room for growth and expansion. This dissatisfaction was strong also among the many university educated young people. This dissatisfaction and the corruption of the Battista Regime led to the Revolution in 1959. The artistic community backed the Revolution at the time.

What they did not see coming in 1961 was Fidel Castro’s turn to Marxist/Leninist Ideals.

Then the U.S. blockade came….which is still in place today. State Control was enforced then on every aspect of Cuban life. Once the Soviet Union fell in the early 90s and they lost their subsidies it became known as “the Special Period” - a time of great scarcity and decay. Artists were known to use scavenged cardboard for their canvases. The Farbers found pieces of art not matted and framed and on display but rolled up and in someone’s attic. Their culture became duplicitous. There was a dual morality. There was one thing they could express in public and another they would share in only the privacy of their homes. It was the politics of location. Artists were by then out of the political game. The State did not approve of any depiction of sex, homosexuality, religiosity or Afro Cubanism. This was against their goal of everyone being Cuban, the same. The hero was dead.

Dissident artists were put in the sugar cane fields, were not allowed to produce records or display their art in galleries. They became personas non gratis. They were eliminated from lists of organizations and curriculums in schools and colleges.

The country is in ruins from their former Paradise. There are several pieces in the exhibit that depict that decay plus the effects of the blockade. The blockade is felt internally as well as externally - down to the core of the Cuban people. These works would not be shown in The Cuban Museum.  Over time, Museum heads and Librarians have begun to aid artists. Many have expatriated to other countries. The Farbers, among others have had to devise ways even if through the Ministry of Culture with their requisite seal to procure these pieces of art.

The question now - where do we find redemption for this Nation? Are there new Possibilities? This show at the Katonah Museum is therefore a very brave show and something indeed very special. The exhibit will be in place until September 19, 2010. Go to www.KatonahMuseum.org for more information and the many activities linked to this exhibit - including a new exhibit-based Book Club!

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

A previous post about the Independence Day Celebrations provided a list of venues to attend. My family loves to participate at the Pound Ridge Town Park where we meet with friends for a barbeque before and then head to the park and wait for the show to begin. We have never been disappointed and this year was no exception. I decided to take some video to give a better perspective of the sea of people that gather well before the show begins with their picnic dinners and favorite beverages. I was also able to capture part of the fireworks show itself, which is really fun to see.  With this celebration and the others in the area it’s so great living in Westchester.

Posted by:  Sonja Lovas

Summer has arrived here in the lower Hudson Valley, and it got off to a rousing start with the Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival at Croton Point Park in Croton-on -Hudson this weekend. If you missed the Festival this year, be sure to bookmark it for the future. Croton Point Park, situated on a large peninsula in the Hudson River, is a great place to visit at any time. Like other Westchester County Parks, it is home to a variety of events throughout the year. In summer it is also a favorite spot from which to launch a boat, swim, camp or hike. Other Westchester County Parks within the Town of Cortlandt are: Blue Mountain Reservation, Croton Gorge Park, and George’s Island. Another summer perennial in the area is the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. The 23rd season is already underway at Boscobel in Garrison with this year’s first selection, “Troilus and Cressida,” but tickets are still available for it and the other 2 plays in this year’s series. Plan to arrive early to tour Boscobel House and Gardens and enjoy a picnic overlooking the Hudson River before the show begins. These are a few of my favorite ways to celebrate summer here in the Hudson Valley. There are many others – from shopping at my local Farmers’ Markets in Croton-on-Hudson and Ossining, to walks along the riverfront, to exploring the art galleries in Peekskill – let me know what favorites of yours I’ve missed so I can add to my list.

Posted by:  Liz Pereira

After the great success of last year, Caramoor is repeating their ”Pops, Patriots and Fireworks” on Sunday, The Fourth of July 2010.

Once again, Michael Barrett leads the Orchestra of St. Luke’s with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” Grofe’s music from “The Grand Canyon Suite,” “Variations on America” by Ives and his rousing renditions of the Sousa Marches! There are also a few musical surprises as well - the playing of the Theremin - the first electronic instrument, which Lucie Rosen, owner of Caramoor and Foundress of the Music Festival performed worldwide.

The concert is at 8 pm but the grounds are open earlier for picnics. Picnic Fare will also be provided by Great Performances.

Once you have enjoyed your picnic - just the people watching and the picnic spreads are worth the price of entry - you have heard the music and then experienced the FIREWORKS immediately after the concert - one can return home fully sated with having enjoyed the perfect celebration of The Fourth of July! The Summer Season is planned and perhaps you may enjoy other concerts and festivals!

Go to www.caramoor.org

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

I met with Phillis Warden of Nine Gables on Bedford Center Rd. in Bedford last week to walk her gardens prior to the fundraising event to support The Bedford Hills Free Library, “Jazz in the Garden” which was to feature the Glenda Davenport Trio.

John and Phillis Warden are longtime residents of Bedford. Their gardens are fabled in the area and I was looking forward to the experience. My instructions were to just come over and find her in her garden where she will be for the day until it is time for her to plan for her evening.

I arrived at Nine Gables and started my quiet quest. The bells from St. Matthews pealed in the background and I heard the lilting voices of youths at play in the fields of the neighboring Rippowam Cisqua School. I walked from section to section photographing as I went along. I stopped along a charming elevated rock garden village which I was later to learn was the Alpine Rock Garden - levels of soil with gravel for drainage – terraced with Chinese pagodas dotting the mini landscape.

I then spied Phillis and we decided to stop at one of her refuges amidst her gardens for some question and answer time plus a review of the photos I had already taken. What I did learn was that I had just seen a fraction of her Secret Gardens.

The name Phillis comes from the Latin for branch or bough and I doubt a more apt name can be found. Phillis has the strength, beauty and resiliency of a fine bough.

Phillis had decided to share her gardens for a benefit for the Bedford Hills Free Library since she felt that “Who is not for a Library? It is a very important part of our Society. I am very sympathetic to their needs.”

She has also supported and made privy her gardens for the benefit of The Native Plant Center of The Westchester Community College and The Garden Conservancy.

She regards her work as the creation of An Enhanced Woodland Garden. I asked if she pursued a course of study at the Botanical Gardens. “No not at all,” she said, “it has been all observation, experimentation and conversation.”

She recalled a name given by a friend to describe her vast gardens and the word was “Wardenia.”

Her most prized plants? With over 150+ varieties it is easier to pick a section or her latest endeavor which is the Marsh area. She uses indigenous plants to the area. She started her gardens 22 yrs ago and has worked in the Marsh area for the last 12. The scourge to her work is not the deer population for which she has dedicated a portion of her land, but the beavers. People do not realize how beavers create dams and block water which then destroys trees. It is her constant battle to remove the debris they accumulate on the natural water channels and let the water flow naturally. When we see tree loss in the area it is often times the work of the beavers. She has also crossed the roads in her area to thwart their efforts.

The property was originally built around 1830-1840 as an apple farm. It was conducive to farming because it was not rocky and was mostly level.. There are several other water gardens and sanctuaries on the property. I asked if there was one special spot favorable for meditation or prayer and she quickly added, “the whole experience of my garden gives me peace and reflection.”

Her fascination with water gardens happened perhaps due to a tribute to the previous owners, Richard and Edith Goetz, who were instructors at The Art Students League in New York. They had members of the art, ballet and opera world as their house guests and artists in residence. They were American Impressionist painters and this was their touch of Monet’s Giverny complete with a small pond filled with water lilies. The small square pond which was left and the rock garden surrounding it was rearranged and it is now in three parts. It recirculates naturally

without filtration or chemicals. The water lilies are more than thriving now!

I asked if there were a secret to it all - “Once the plants are happy they grow.” One of her challenges is to keep something of color blooming at all times throughout the gardens. She also planned the gardens along the walkways to create shade for the shade-loving plants by the use of the towering plants which then protect the smaller plants. These are of course planned with the daily path of the sun in mind. It is yet another example of running secret gardens along the seemingly miles of paths. “I also throw the discards and trimmings under the desirable plants and beds since the death of one plant should benefit the life of another.” The combination and proximity of trees such as Japanese Maples comingling with dogwoods at a pond’s perimeter are reflective of the density of this lush garden.

Closest to the kitchen was the Renaissance Vegetable Garden - modeled after a famous French chateaux with gardens dating back to the early 1500s. The tall green almost obalisque pyramids are “tutors” as to teach the vines to follow their lead. The vines of tomatoes and squash are trained to grow entwined towards the top of the tutor. Phillis had them custom built after she had seen it in use.

There were also Italian influences with Pergolas and unexpected columns on a field. They reminded me of the original setting of columns on a field at Caramoor. Those columns later became The Venetian Theater – the setting for the concerts of the International Music Festival – a relative neighbor.

The croquet court was to establish some flat property and trim it with stone walls and topiary. A special grass seed was used - “bent grass” - that is used on golf courses specifically at the tees. I felt as though I was Alice in Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts was to appear at any moment!

As we proceeded through the property, I felt as though I was tumbling down the rabbit hole of Wonderland as I walked through the multiple settings. There were huge slate slab steps that led to additional water gardens and ponds filled with koi and goldfish. Phillis prefers the goldfish since they are easier to raise. The ponds must be deep so that the fish can drop to the bottom come winter into their state of suspended animation. I stepped across ponds on wood planks and perfect stepping stones - just keeping my feet above the water level. These many paths simply led from one delightful garden to another. Garden furniture and statuary also added definition to the spaces created.

I then experienced the final reward – an unexpected lake surrounded with fields of wildflowers.

It was a breathtaking view and tour. What a wonderful way to combine the love of libraries and nature, with philanthropy. What did I learn? I heard of Dutchman’s Pipe Vine - an old Victorian plant used for privacy between small homes that is coming back today. How Foxglove will “jump around” in a garden and how Zephyring Duhin roses are without thorns. Phillis has little time for plants with thorns!

Stay tuned for notices of possible future fundraising events at Nine Gables & Wardenia!

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

The very popular entertainment “Summer Sunset Series” in the park is about to begin, so mark your calendars and plan to attend. There are six concerts held on Wednesday evenings, from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm and it’s free! The schedule is as follows:

June 30 - Katonah Memorial Park – “45 RPM Band”

July 7 - Bedford Village Memorial Park – “The Fairfield Counts Orchestra”

July 14 - Bedford Hills Memorial Park - “Reunion”

July 21 – Katonah Memorial Park – “John C. Magician and Ventriloquist”

July 28 - Bedford Village Memorial Park – Mad Science “Fire and Ice”

August 4 – Bedford Hills Memorial Park – “Goodwin’s Balloowins”

It is a wonderful opportunity to spend a warm summer night in the park so brings your blankets, pack a picnic dinner basket and head out to the park where you will be entertained. It’s a wonderful way to meet new people and reconnect with neighbors and friends and enjoy the summer evenings. For detailed information about the concerts including rain dates and locations, visit the Bedford Parks and Recreations Department website.

Posted by:  Sonja Lovas

Whether you you are young or old, you will surely enjoy the Sound Shore Chorale which will perform for the first time the “Coronation Mass” in C major KV317, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It premiered on Easter Sunday April 4, 1779 in the Cathedral in Salzburg. In addition the Chorale will perform G.F. Handel’s “Zadok the Priest,” Sir C Hubert Parry’s “I was glad when they said unto me” and Samuel S. Wesley’s “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace” There will also be a string quartet playing a movement from F.J. Haydn’s “Emperor Quartet.”

The Sound Shore Chorale started in 1979 was formed to perform at the re-dedication of the New Rochelle Public Library. After the event the singers decided to stay together and thus the Chorale was formed. The chorale has been performing classical choral works for these past thirty-one years. When founded, the chorale chose the name New Rochelle Chorale. Its membership has expanded to include singers from the entire sound shore area and thus was renamed the Sound Shore Chorale. For further information please refer to the website: soundshorechorale.org.

This will be the sixth Spring Concert under the direction of Richard Slade. For more information on Mr. Slade, please visit his website: RichardTheTenor.com.

SOUND SHORE CHORALE, DIRECTED BY RICHARD SLADE, Artistic Director

Who: Sound Shore Chorale – 31st Spring Concert

What: “Coronation Mass” in C Major by W A Mozart KV317; G.F. Handel’s “Zadok the Priest; C Hubert Parry’s “I was glad when they said unto me”; Samuel S. Wesley’s “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace” and a movement from Haydn’s “Emperor” Quartet.

Where: Presbyterian Church of New Rochelle, 50 Pintard Avenue, New Rochelle

When: June 13, 2010 at 4:00 PM

Tickets: For reservations by email: or call (914) 636-1583. Tickets will be available at the door. $15.00 Adults, $12.00 Seniors

A treat for all, and another fine representation of our great city, New Rochelle. The program will last approximately 2 hours. The Church is wheelchair accessible.

Posted by:  Gay E. Rosen

On June 6, start those engines and open your hearts to Kevin Martin - Racing Enthusiast Extraordinaire at New Rochelle’s Soap Box Derby

One must see this event this coming weekend that will take place on Sunday, June 6 in New Rochelle where those people who will not to be able to attend Daytona this year, will be able to attend the race of the season in New Rochelle - the All-American Soap Box Derby. Kevin Martin, an 11 year-old New Rochelle resident, is revving up his derby car for this very special event. Just like in any racing event, Kevin has been seeking sponsors ($100 - Silver, $250 - Gold, and $500 - Platinum) and is hoping to cover his derby car with all of the logos of those sponsors. However, the money raised will go to a very special cause. Kevin suffers from a tumor causing disorder called neurofibromatosis (NF), and all of the money will go to the Children’s Tumor Foundation’s program Racing4Research. While Kevin’s car will be wrapped in the CTF logo, he also wanted to cover the car with the logos of sponsors who are committed to joining him in supporting this important cause.

What is Neurofibromatosis and how does it affect Kevin: As he so profoundly states, “When I was only a few weeks old, I developed café-au-lait spots on my body. They looked just like regular birth marks, so my parents were not too worried. Two years later, when my doctor started noticing other symptoms too, I had my first MRI, and was diagnosed not long after with neurofibromatosis. There are different kinds of NF, but I have NF1. NF1 can cause tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body.

NF has affected me in different ways. My muscles are not very strong so it is hard for me to walk. Like many children with NF, I have ADHD. I have macrocephaly which means my head is bigger than normal. Sometimes my skin itches a lot. All of these are caused by my NF. But of all the things that NF can do, I am most scared of the tumors that I might get from NF.

A few summers ago, we learned that I have a plexiform neurofibroma, which is a big tumor inside my body that stretches from my jaw into my lungs. My parents and doctors tell me that it is benign, like most NF tumors, which means I do not have cancer. But I know that people with NF are more likely than other people to have malignant tumors, so there is a chance my tumor could turn into cancer. That scares me so I try not to think about it too much.

Although I do not like having NF, I have not let it stop me from doing things I want to do. And there are some things about having NF that are actually fun. For example, every January, I participate in a fundraiser at the Rolex 24 Hour race in Daytona, Florida. We have a car with the logo of the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and the names of me and other ‘NF Heroes’ written on the side of the car.

Right now, there is no cure for NF. The Children’s Tumor Foundation gives money to scientists who do things like test medicines that might stop the tumors from growing, or stop other problems that come with NF. I want to help find a cure so I don’t have to worry anymore!”

The All-American Soap Box Derby is a fun event that takes place around the country every year, with a local race in New Rochelle on June 6, 2010. Dozens of children from the area will participate. So, go and cheer Kevin on - or better yet - like me, sponsor Kevin - you can reach Kevin’s parents at (914) 636-2903 - Tim/Linda, and then go and cheer Kevin at the race!

Soap Box Derby:

Regional competition will be held in New Rochelle on June 6, to determine racers who will advance to the national Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.

The New Rochelle event will be conducted on Quaker Ridge Road, next to Ward Acres.

It is open to boys and girls ages 8-17, and it is hosted by the New Rochelle Fire Fighters Local 273 IAFF.

For more information and requirements, call 914-804-4541 or send e-mail to or visit www.aasbd.org.

Posted by:  Gay E. Rosen

It was a beautiful Memorial Day! On the way into Katonah that morning there were riders out enjoying the day and the 150 miles of trails of the Bedford Riding Lanes Association (BRLA) whose yellow tags you will see on trees as markers throughout our area. It was the day of the BRLA Memorial Day Country Pace at John Jay Homestead.

Then in the village, people were testing the sound system and speakers for the speeches. Memorial Circle was trimmed with red, white and blue flowers. Then at 10 there came the sound of brass and drums. The first brass marching band came from my home town of Sleepy Hollow which was a thrill. Then there were Veterans from the American Legion that all garnered our applause. The Katonah Elementary Boy and Girl Scouts –Cub & Boy Scouts and for the Girls - Bluebirds, Brownies, Juniors & Seniors. It was very emotional for me since I remember the days when my children would march and were so proud to have carried the flags and banners. I enjoyed talking to Katonah Elementary parents that were lining the streets to see their Scouts march in this great American Tradition. I reminisced on those KES years and how they were the best years of MY life!

Then our local Katonah Firemen and Bedford Police came through all in their dress regalia. Perhaps this was a warm up for their upcoming event - the Annual Fireman’s Parade on June 9th that attracts Fire Companies from the greater New York Metropolitan Area.

After very moving speeches and the gun salute at the half raised flag at Memorial Circle, the parade participants and their following continued their march back to the Firehouse which offered Ice Cream for everyone! It is probably the only time we had ice cream at 11 in the morning. Perhaps the children were also dreaming of the upcoming parade and fair that is held on the firehouse grounds. The American Legion Outpost on Rt 22 - next to the Katonah Museum of Art - invited people to come to their outdoor barbecue. One year I took them up on it and we had a very nice time. It gave more meaning and depth to the day to spend time with war and service Veterans. Katonah is just this kinda place! Happy Memorial Day, enjoy the pictures!

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

Bedford Hills - Monday 9 a.m. at Babbitt & Glen Roads, down Church to Main Street then just North to The Memorial just past the Bedford Hills Fire House. County Legislator Ursula LaMotte, speaker.

Bedford Village - Monday 11 a.m. starting at Seminary Rd - off Rt 172 - ending at The Village Green. Lee Roberts, Town Supervisor, Chief Joanne Aquilino and other speakers will be present.

Katonah - Monday 10 a.m. starting at the Firehouse on Bedford Rd through the business area along Katonah Avenue. Parade will then continue along the shops towards tracks and up The Parkway to Lawrence Circle - named after Lawrence of Kellogg & Lawrence. Guests and Veterans Of American Legion Post on Rt 22 will speak. Then back to the Firehouse for Ice Cream!

Lewisboro - will have their Parade on the 31st at 12:15 starting at Lakeshore Drive & Spring and culminating at the Town Hall.

Mt. Kisco - will have their Memorial Day Parade on SUNDAY the 30th - at 2pm starting at Smith Avenue which is between Rt 117 and Lexington Avenue.

Pound Ridge - Noon on the 31st starting at The Pound Ridge Elementary School down to Westchester Avenue. The Parade will feature the Mt. Kisco Scottish Pipe and Drum Band. School children will recite their patriotic essays and Ruth Newell, a long time Pound Ridge Resident and Veteran of WWII will speak. There yoiu will notice those Famous Finger Pointing Signs!

Somers - The Lasdon Park Antique Show will be held - Lasdon Park Rt 35 Somers. For more information and for hours - call 273-4667

South Salem - will celebrate with a Fair on the 31st including a 5K and 10K race and a 4.3 mile walk around Lake Truesdale at 8:30 a.m. This will be followed by the Pee Wee Races. The Fair will be from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on the grounds of the South Salem Presbyterian Church on Spring Street.

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

Imagine enjoying a delightful cup of tea with mouth-watering, delicious finger sandwiches and petits fours and cream cakes, bidding on silent auctions and obtaining wondrous items and tickets to great events, sitting with old and new friends alike, and enjoying the eloquent, titillating and intelligent banter of renowned authors, renowned newspaper and magazine giants, playwrights and more - and knowing that your presence will help advance the New Rochelle Public Library in necessary technology, programming, and enhancement of physical space. This is exactly what had transpired for a heavenly Sunday afternoon once a year for nine years, ending in April 2004. However, there is a wonderful rumour that it will return next year (May 14, 2011) - and I cannot wait!

Hosted by the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation, and co-chaired by Alisa Kesten (please see my blog on Alisa as Executive Director of the Volunteer Center), the CelebriTeas would take place at the library serving delightful bites catered by local establishments upon linen covered tables with elegant tableware, exquisite floral arrangements, and large potted plants tranforming the first floor of the library to an atmospheric extravanaga. There we would be elegantly entertained by such noted authors as Arthur Golden (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), Rupert Holmes, Ben Yagoda, Charles Grodin, Harold Evans, Terry Anderson, Ferai Chideya, Walter Isaacson, Chris Bohjalian, Tom Wicker (there were so many). The program ran for 9 years this way. There would be an introduction by the moderator - either Louis Boccardi (another noted New Rochelle resident who was President and Chief Executive Officer of The Associated Press (AP), the world’s largest news organization, from 1985 until his retirement in 2003), or Gil Schwartz (pen name being Stanley Bing) who, another New Rochelle resident, was a business humorist and novelist, contributing a column to Fortune Magazine and Esquire alike as well being a well noted author himself in addition to being affiliated to CBS as Executive V.P. for corporate communications. After each anecdotal account by the special guests, there would be discussion and questions by both the moderators and audience alike with the guests, and one would leave the event both awed and totally entertained. Not only that, but it would leave you with a sense of appreciation for living in such a great city as New Rochelle, and for having people and organizations willing to take the immeasurable time and dedication to make such a pleasurable and profitable event come to fruition.

However, one doesn’t have to wait until May of next year for such a great event, living in this great city, there are always wonderful events taking place.

New Rochelle is a wonderful city in which to live, and as a New Rochelle Realtor, if I can assist you in any way, please feel free to contact me.

Posted by:  Gay E. Rosen

Still in the glow of the fun of the Katonah Museum’s ”Commute of the Species Procession” through Katonah on Saturday, I was able to get to the Katonah Museum at 1:30 on Sunday for the Hanne Tierney performance of “How Wang-Fo Was Saved.”

“This adaptation of an ancient Chinese legend, based on a story by Marguerite Yourcenar, celebrates the triumph of art over life, or the supremacy of art over everything. When the emperor forces the old painter Wang-Fo to finish painting one last canvas before his execution, Wang-Fo first paints a lake, then draws a rowboat, and as the waters rise and fill the throne room, he climbs into the boat and rows off.

The performers in this piece are bamboo fronds, silk panels, stiffened robes and glowing lanterns. They tell of the concubines melancholy, the wife’s loneliness, the disciple’s frustration with his lack of talent, and of Wang-Fo’s passion for art.” HanneTierney.com

What was amazing about the live performance was seeing Hanne Tierney pulling the strings woven through rings attached to wood grids both on the wall and on the ceiling. She was constantly busy manipulating robes, screens, reciting her script and taking on all of the voices. What she said in the following discussion time was that she preferred prose as a base for a tale since she could then imagine the dialog between the characters, and fill in the blanks. What I did hear during the 20 minute segment had a richness of text, and wit that I would love to find so that I could read and savor her words. There were only a few different disks to identify certain strings correlating with specific movements. The robes came to life, full of emotion, unexpected humor and deep sadness. She mastered death in its last quivering moments. She was accompanied by cellist, Jane Wang, who also used the wood of her instrument to drum and tap out additional sounds needed by the production. This form of puppetry was done sometimes because the artists could not afford to pay for live actors. Yet, as in radio performances of long ago, one can use their imagination.

I asked how many installations she has done over the years and the answer was 10 projects. There is one underway now and unlike her previous works, her new piece will have paper mache heads.

It was exciting to be privy to the performance since she is not planning to dramatize it for another two years. She has her works primarily at The Five Myles performance space in Brooklyn, New York.

Now I have to mark my calendar for the lectures for the next exhibit: “Cuba Avant-Garde: Contemporary Cuban Art from the Farber Collection”

It is the most Happening Place! How does that happen? The answer is the amazing leadership and staff of the Katonah Museum of Art. I volunteer in the office once a week and it is a very calm environment. When you think of all of the activities, educational programs that are available to adults as well as children, it is amazing. While we are enjoying one exhibit, the next exhibit is at the ready and the preparation of the slides and the detailed lectures are all underway. Just like a fine fashion house, the Katonah Museum of Art is always a few seasons ahead of the current one. With the experts under her roof they promise and never disappoint.

KatonahMuseum.org

Photo sources: parade picture - Audrey Lee

Others: “How Wang Fo Was Saved”, 2001 Photos by Margaret Fox. Katonah Museum of Art “The Art of Contemporary Puppet Theater” Feb 28th - June 13th

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

The streets were lined with people waiting for the train to arrive and as the whistle blew the excitement escalated. Everyone watched as the puppeteers descended the stairs from the Metro North Train Station in Katonah and joined in for the Spring Stroll through the Village. ”Commute of the Species” featured a variety of puppeteers and the waiting crowd joined them for a parade through town. A drum-roll got the event started at Jay Street and Katonah Ave. and everyone enjoyed the creativity of this event. The Katonah Museum of Art organized the parade and did a fabulous job that you can see for yourself.



For more information on other activities planned for Katonah, subscribe to this blog.

Posted by:  Sonja Lovas

This afternoon I headed over to The Katonah Museum of Art to see how the parade “The Commute of The Species” preparation was going. Newly enlisted, I was to meet my “Zebra Mussel” Captain, Charlie and run through the motions and guidelines for moving lyrically through the Metro North Train tomorrow. I was also fortunate to meet Master Puppet Designers Alex Kahn and Sophia Michahelles of Processional Arts Workshop. Their company is Superior Concept Monsters. They are famous as The Official Puppeteers for New York’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. In May they were part of a Karagoz shadow puppetry theater workshop as part of the 2010 European Off-Network Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.

If this captures your imagination - or mine - let’s go to their event in the Italian Alps this Summer - a week-long workshop in pageant puppetry, culminating in a Midsummer Procession of their Giant Puppets. There is a promise of feasting and dancing!

The participants will begin boarding in Grand Central Station with various species joining along the Metro North stops on the Harlem Line. The Zebra Mussels are boarding in Mt. Kisco. We will disembark at the Katonah stop at 1:53 p.m. and will proceed in a parade through the town.

Please join the festivities - bring your own puppets, costumes, masks, & instruments!

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

North Salem, Bedford and parts of Lewisboro are truly Horse Country…and Horse HEAVEN for riders! I have lived and ridden here since 1970 and just can’t say enough about how great the horse community is! I’m a hunting member of Goldens Bridge Hounds, on the Board of the North Salem Bridle Trails, and an active member of Bedford Riding Lanes Assoc. I’m also a member of the Oblong Trails Association in Pawling, although I’ve only been up there once to ride. I should join the Lewisboro Horse Association, and I will! I’ll be writing more on all these organizations and much more on the topic of horse activities and horse properties in upcoming blog posts. In the meantime, some of the activities for horse people that are coming up NOW are:

Old Salem Farm A Circuit Horse Show: May 11 through 16 and May 18 through 23: National and local stars competing in Hunter & Jumper classes, so much fun to watch! Grand Prix jumping on the grass field (weather permitting) both Sundays at 1 pm. So exciting!! Lots of vendors in tents, with great equestrian items to buy—clothing, jewelry, tack, home decorating etc. $10 to enter the showgrounds, (good for the whole week ) and $20 for the weekend. Proceeds from the admissions support their charities, Pegasus Therapeutic Riding and Komen for the Cure. Stop by for lunch, watch a few classes, and shop for things you couldn’t find elsewhere!

North Salem Bridle Trails Spring Trail Clean-up and Lunch: Sunday May 16, at 9 am. Meet at the corner of Vail Lane and Norton, with gloves and clippers. Pick a trail that you would like to explore (and groom!) and have a ball with other horse lovers, then enjoy a delicious lunch at Three Ponds. This is a very fun and worthwhile morning!

Also on Sunday, May 16, The Lewisboro Horsemen’s Association annual Poker Ride, at the Lewisboro Town Park in South Salem. Check for details on the website at www.LHAtrails.org.

BRLA Memorial Day Country Pace and Luncheon: Monday May 31. Held at the John Jay Homestead, this is a BIG EVENT, eagerly awaited by riders and non-riders as well, as the Luncheon is THE place to be! Pre-registration is necessary for the Pace (not for lunch). Entry forms on the website, www.bedfordridinglanes.com. I love this pace because the footing is so good and the jumps are so inviting…and everyone has such a great time!

Goldens Bridge Hounds Spring Hunter Pace: Sunday, June 13. This is the first in the series of great hunter paces put on in North Salem’s Hunt Country. This is the shortest, and spring is a beautiful time to experience the trails. Famous for the jumps!! All the jumps have go-arounds, and you can pick your division…hunt, pleasure, junior. Western riders welcome with hard hats. Lunch is included. You can go to the GBH website www.GoldensBridgeHounds.org for info and to register, or call Peter Moritz at 203-438-8008, .

Posted by:  Anita Zander

I was in The Bedford Town House today checking records for clients (always have to check taxes, the square footage and bedroom count - plus those CO’s!) and found out that there are new email alerts that can be sent to you from the Town. Even if you are not currently a resident (I can take care of THAT for you) you can use this in order to see what is new and what is happening!

That is of course after you enjoy my articles on life in The Town of Bedford which is comprised of Bedford Village, Bedford Hills, Katonah and Northern Westchester; plus my own website KarenFromKatonah.com.

That link for Bedford Info alerts to your email is BedfordNY.info. Once on the site click on “E-Mail Alerts” on the top right hand side of the home page and follow the steps to sign up! There is other wonderful information on the site which you can enjoy.

The items that will be covered are:

• Town Meetings
• Events in the Hamlets of Bedford Village, Katonah and Bedford Hills
• Camp Updates - the Town has wonderful camps for tots to teens (day trips 3x a week!) in each hamlet at each park/pool of Bedford Village, Bedford Hills and Katonah
• Emergency Notices
• Weather Alerts

This weekend is the much anticipated celebration of The Centennial of Bedford Hills which I covered in an earlier article.

The outdoor fair will be from 1-6 on Saturday May 15. Houlihan Lawrence is a sponsor of the event. See you there!

Posted by: Karen Benvin Ransom

The return of summer reminds me of fond memories of learning to ride a bike. The experience represented a new milestone of growth and freedom. And the ability to ride a bike is never forgotten!

Living in Westchester County, we are fortunate to have many great bike trails. The North and South County Trailways cover 36 miles. There are new trails being completed and planned. The communities of Bedford, Briarcliff, Croton-on-Hudson, Eastchester, Pelham and Tarrytown formed committees for improving the cycling experience. Improving trail and road safety is their priority. The laws covering the use of bicycles are the same as motor vehicles. Ann Paulin, NYS assemblywoman, representing the 88th District sponsored a bill to maintain a three foot motor vehicle distance from cyclists. Westchester Magazine details Westchester’s “County Chain Gang,” and their love of bike riding. The Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill was named one of the nations best bike trails by Bike Magazine. Whether enjoying a trail ride or a competitive group ride, it is fun for all.

Posted by:  Renee Stengel

Larry Seegers, the very amiable proprietor of Jems in Katonah, has found the sweet spot of his life. A fixture in Katonah for many years, Larry Seegers has repositioned Jems on Katonah Avenue. He has also repositioned his jewelry lines as well. There is a freshness - a new start in a gallery of jewelry designers responding to today’s market. The new price point is the “gift price range” - 25.00-150.00 dollars.

He looks for other designers with vision and unusual abilities within the art of jewelry making that he has not seen before. He looks for handmade pieces with the use of beautiful materials. While he worked from home in order to enjoy his children while they were in school, he supplied boutiques nationwide. During this time he frequented craft fairs and met many fellow artists. He gives these artists a forum for their work in his store. He compared it to putting out a bird feeder. The birds depend on it, know the location and are nurtured by the continuing relationship. He looked for a variety of work, a unique skill, a talent and technique that would make you stop and wonder. The finish and technique must be polished. Clients do come back to certain artists to see additional pieces. There are many times a client will buy the same piece for several recipients. It was good to hear that his artists are still producing fresh work despite the economy. It is the sheer power of creativity that keeps their spirits in bloom despite any economy.

A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Larry is a full service jeweler. He covers watch repair, watch battery replacements, jewelry design and redesign. He carries items from baby gifts to baubles. There is a silver baby rattle on display that although similar to the Tiffany rattle in design has the most mesmerizing gentle sound.

He conducts a jewelry making class at The Katonah Art Center - a topic of mine from a previous article.

Larry also has a unique eye for display and from his hand carved deer leg tables to the simple cones for ring and necklace display one can only leave feeling inspired. At this price point I saw several pieces that would be a welcome treat for myself! Not just for gifts! He is a few steps from the Katonah Metro North Train and a minute from either 684 or the Saw Mill. Plus he is adjacent to the other great shops and restaurants of Katonah!

Jems - 27 Katonah Avenue, Katonah, New York 10536 | (914) 232-2900

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

As a long time single Mom, I learned to be proactive about most things in my life with my son and daughter.

Instead of waiting for a breakfast tray - yes it was cute when they were much younger - I find a way to celebrate with something fun for the three of us to do together. As a former food business owner, I know that Mother’s Day is the busiest restaurant day of the year. Therefore the service and quality of food tends to suffer just based on the volume of customers. Plus the crying babies and long waits - I often guess how many meals I could have prepped or made in the time waiting for a single meal to be served. My children and I have always enjoyed dinner nightly in our dining room complete with silver and cloth napkins - a perfect coda to a busy day! So there is no urgent need for “Fine Dining.” I will do that another time!

This year I have come up with a new idea for my now college-aged kids.

We are going to The Red Rooster in Brewster! It is a long time favorite 50s style drive in with a large parking lot, attractive picnic table area plus a charming mini golf course! People also eat in their cars or at the three mini booths inside. There is no car hop service. It is all impeccably kept.

They are famous for their char grilled burgers and milkshakes. The meat, they attest, is fresh and never frozen. I have met people from Bronxville, New York City and New Jersey that make it a stop anytime they are en route to or from the area or even a stop on the way home from the Berkshires. I know of some great Moms that take their children on the last day of school for a celebratory fun time. If I had only known!

I did a dry run on my way to pick my son up from College and it did tide me over for the almost 6 hour drive. I had the deluxe classic cheese burger with lettuce and tomato plus fries. No room for the milkshake!

I look forward to a quick but delicious meal and then the mini golf. The interaction between my children and also myself is what will be remembered!

The Red Rooster is just North of Rt 684 on Rt 22.

Enjoy the Rooster! Happy Mother’s Day!

The Red Rooster
1566 Route 22
Brewster , NY 10509-4008
(845) 279-8046

Posted by:  Karen Benvin Ransom

If you read the comments on the Leatherman’s Loop Facebook page you’ll get the feel and flavor of race day. The 2009 race was unusually warm, and 2010 will be remembered as unusually wet. The heavy spring rains created more mud flats than previous years and the rain at the start of the race deterred some registered contenders from participating, but for those that ran, it was wet and wild! A third river crossing was added this year much to the surprise of all the runners.

Anticipation for the race began in January with the registration. There was a snafu at the time of registration so the field was increased to accommodate those that had difficulty registering. The Leatherman’s Loop is not your typical 10K as noted by the Bedford-Katonah Patch days before the anticipated race.

My overall time wasn’t great, but decent. With extra runners on the trails, the increased mud flats and additional water crossing, minutes kept the race clock ticking longer than I had hoped. My husband decided to participate in the race this year rather than being a spectator and he took our two golden retrievers, which made it even more challenging. No complaints from the dogs in the mud flats or river crossings but they sure were tired at the end of the day. We’ll be back next year; rain or shine but we’ll each take a dog and stay together.

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

The Bedford Free Library has an annual book sale to raise money for the library. On May 1, 2010 they will be accepting donations so start going through your bookshelves to find books you would like to share with others. Click here for more information.

In good condition, the library will accept hardcovers, paperbacks, books on CD or cassette, music CDs, DVDs, Cookbooks and travel, health, technical, financial, business and computer books that are 2 years old or less. They cannot accept textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, underlined or highlighted books, condensed books, anything musty or mildewed or videos.

The Annual Sidewalk Book Sale is Friday June 11 and Saturday June 12 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm in front of the library. Should it be raining that day they will move it to the courthouse.

Don’t forget, after you drop off your books at the library, you can continue down Route 22 to Crusher Road for the Annual Chowder Marching Club giant tag sale.

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

Mother’s day memories have a special place in my heart. When I was a child my mother loved to go to the nursery and select a new rhododendron shrub for the yard. Through the years I watched them grow and bloom every May. I’d also help make breakfast and dinner and vow not to fight or argue with my brothers and sister. As I was expecting my first child in 1987, my due date was May 1st. I thought for sure by Mother’s Day, which was on May 10th that year, I’d be holding my little baby and be a new mother. Wrong – he was 12 days late so I had to wait another year.

This year as I look forward to Mother’s Day my husband has been inquiring what I’d like do to celebrate. My sons are away at college so it’s just the two of us. Here are some things I’m considering.

Mother’s Day Brunch

1. The Bedford Post
2. 121 Restaurant
3. LeFontane Restaurant

Storm King Art Center - a famous outdoor sculpture park integrated into a 500 acre park.

Local Nurseries for bedding and garden plants. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Pound Ridge Nurseries
2. Perennial Gardens in Bedford
3. Gossett Nursery

A day in NYC would provide an endless list of places to go.

What do you like to do on Mother’s Day?

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

April 7th, 2010 was a very important day at my alma mater, Manhattanville College. There was a celebration of the Inauguration of Dr. Molly Easo Smith, the 11th President. There was a ceremony in The Chapel with a reception following in The Castle with several of the former Presidents in attendance. The Faculty attended in full Academia Regalia. There were also representative dignitaries from 50 Colleges.

“Dr. Molly Easo Smith, a teacher and scholar of Shakespeare and Renaissance drama, comes to Manhattanville as the College’s eleventh president after a long and distinguished career as a faculty member, scholar, and administrator. Born in Chennai (formerly Madras), India, Dr. Smith graduated from Ethiraj Women’s College and Madras Christian College in the University of Madras, with BA and MA degrees in English, respectively, and from Auburn University with a Ph.D. in English Literature in 1988. She has lived and worked in several states in the United States as well as in Scotland, where she taught Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama at the University of Aberdeen. Dr. Smith has published two books on Shakespeare and his contemporaries as well as several essays on Renaissance drama and literature. Recently, she embarked on a journey of reflection by writing short stories based on her childhood in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.”

To end this special day, there were many activities in The Berman Student Center named after the former College President, Richard Berman, who served from 1995-2009.

There was the Opening of the Exhibit in The Arthur M. Berger Art Gallery named “Patterned Tactics” - Sculpture and Painting. The artists are both on the faculty of Chester College of New England in Chester, New Hampshire. Christina Pitsch, the sculptor in the exhibit, drew her inspiration from both the biker culture and how it related to the herd mentality of deer. Deer roam my property in Katonah throughout the year but to see them captured in clear vinyl with supports of Plexiglas and cast resin antlers and hoofs which had an almost Steuben Crystal like quality was very intriguing. She cut and sewed the pieces together after making a pattern of fabric. She truly captured their proportions and gentle stances in this most unique medium.

Her colleague, Megan McNaught, had large canvases and worked in both charcoal and paint with her geometric net-like patterns. Her receding perspective gave the accurate hard lines a softness. One work with tall rectangular shapes reminded me of a cityscape at twilight. I could see these wonderful large pieces of painting and sculpture gracing a reception area in an office setting or in a contemporary home. Maybe I should have them at my next Real Estate Open House!

Following the opening there was a multicultural dance exhibit in the open space of The Berman Center which boasts a wall of windows that offer the most spectacular view of the beloved Castle and Chapel. Some of the cultures represented were Celtic Step Dancing, Hawaiian, and Indian. The Manhattanville site, former estate of New York Herald Tribune publisher and Ambassador to England, Whitelaw Reid was once considered as the possible home of The United Nations before it became Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in 1952. It has always boasted a strong International student body.

I had a lovely chat with the new President, Dr. Smith, who I had thought left prematurely but then shortly returned. The explanation given by a faculty member was that after such a long day she just had to get out of those high heels! A woman after my own heart!

I wish her the best in her term as College President and will always have a place in my heart for Manhattanville College.

Karen Benvin Ransom was the recipient of the Castle Award from Manhattanville College in 1989 for her Entrepreneurial Achievements.

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

I was recently invited to a Victorian Tea Party in Tarrytown. The setting was the Historical Society on Grove street in Tarrytown. The museum displays and saves a large collection of historical maps, photos, and interesting artifacts. Presently, there are some wonderful examples of old fashioned clothing, paintings, and artifacts.

The tea was presented by the Phillips Manor Garden Club. Members organized beautiful table settings. The table I was at had an exquisite embroided table cloth, lace trimmed napkins and Spode dinner plates.

A variety of small sandwiches included cucumber, egg salad, nova and an unusual onion combination. A group of members prepared them that day. The sandwiches looked like they were made by professionals. Tea was poured and served by club members.

There was hardly room for dessert, but one look at the wonderful samples was so enticing you just had to try them all…A great time was had by all.

Posted By: Barbara Eisert

After showing houses last Sunday, I was able to make the second showing of Dan Hurlin’s “Hiroshima Maiden.” As I always say - it is all about balance! It was the second live performance for the current exhibit “The Art of Contemporary Puppet Theater.”

The story is that of the 25 Hiroshima survivors - all women - that were horribly disfigured by the Hiroshima bomb in 1945 and then brought to the US in 1955 for intensive plastic surgery by a minister and then on to meet the pilot of the Enola Gay, Robert Lewis, on the television show “This is Your Life.” Quite another horror if you think about it.

The Bunraku performance was very moving. There were 6 puppeteers all dressed in black that controlled the two puppets of the story. They reverently moved them in time to the music and it was very life-like and fluid. Dan Hurlin who is a New Hampshire native and a graduate and Professor in the Theater Department at Sarah Lawrence College once said he went into puppet theater since he could not afford to pay actors.

So the question was - how often do they perform the piece - especially since it is with us for four months? Truth was that the six had just met that morning to practice and run through the seven minute piece. I guess they were all in the theater department and that is why their performance, timing and movement were so impeccable. Dan Hurlin and other puppet theater artists prefer the use of dancers to handle the puppets because they have the stamina and know how to move with the puppets. I was enthralled with that fact since it went so very perfectly. I was also impressed by how they depicted the passage of time - sheets of a calendar flying off the wall year by year from 1945 - 1955. We all insisted that they show us how that happened from behind the scenes!

There is one more live puppet theater performance left in the series - Hanne Tierney - “How Wang - Fo Was Saved” which will be on Sunday May 23rd at 1:30 & 3:30. No reservations are necessary. In between the two performances there is a free docent led tour of the entire exhibit including video monitors with additional performances. The docent tours are every day the Museum is open at 2:30.

Although this is not a performance for children due to the content, there are activities for children and the famous Hunt Sheets!

For my overview of the entire exhibit go to my article.

For more information go to KatonahMuseum.org

Photo by Richard Termine

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

The Masters just played on the lush greens of The Augusta National Golf Course makes many of Westchester’s golfers green with envy. And from the novice to the experienced there is much to offer for golfers in Westchester County.

The above public and private courses all add to the quality of life in Westchester County for those just learning the sport and pros alike. All interested in additional information please click here.

Posted By: Renee Stengel

I recently had the privilege to meet the Board of Directors of the Bedford Hills Historical Museum and The Official Historian of The Town of Bedford, Mr. John Stockbridge. They wanted to meet with me in order to thank me for my articles on the history of our area.

As a gift, Mr. Stockbridge gave me a copy of “Letters Home - Civil War Letters” which the Bedford Hills Historical Museum painstakingly transcribed in 2007 into book form.

Arnell Frost Dickinson, Founder of The Bedford Farmer’s Club which is still in existence today and Bedford Town Supervisor from 1849-1851, owned Cantitoe Farm that is now Martha Stewart’s property in Katonah, Town of Bedford.

Mr. Stockbridge gave me a timeline of the property:

“As to Ms. Stewart’s farm…Arnell Dickinson (father and then son) owned Cantitoe Farm through most of the 19th century, selling to Mr. H.G. Barbey (socialite) in the early 20th. Barbey owned the farm until around 1950 when it was sold to George and Ruth Sharp. The Sharp’s daughter Anne Sharp Nichols and her husband ‘Wally’ were the owners when it was sold to Martha. There are probably some errors in that rough property timeline…but it’s close. Anyway, it was Mrs. Sharp who had her ‘honor system’ egg stand that a lot of the locals fondly remember. The Sharps/Nichols were regular parishioners at St. Matthew’s Church, and there is a small plaque in the back left rear pew where they would regularly sit.”

In 1851 Arnell Frost Dickinson accepted the care of a young boy, aged seven, known as James Mullin from the Westchester County Poor House. I had mentioned the Poor House in a previous article for Patch.com. James Hoyt of 48 The Parkway in the New Katonah served as the Supervisor of the Westchester Poor House and also served as Town of Bedford Supervisor.

Dickinson was directed to train young James “in the Art & Business of Farming.” He also had to agree to provide him with “Boarding, Lodging, and Medical Attendance” plus the necessities for his “Health and Comfort,” with three month’s minimum of schooling until he was proficient in “Reading, Writing & Arithmetic.” James or “Jimmy” as he was called by Mr. Dickinson, was to serve the family until the age of twenty-one when he was to receive “one hundred dollars in money, one good suit of Holy Day Clothes, two suits for everyday wear and a new Bible.”

Jimmy Mullen did not stay long enough to enjoy these gifts, but at the age of just over seventeen, signed up with other young men from the Katonah area to enlist in the Union Army. They were part of the 38th Regiment, G Company of the New York State Volunteers. They were assembled and ordered by The War Department to proceed to Washington, D.C. in June 1861.

The book consists of the letters between the two over the course of his two years in the Army. Over these two years 570 men were killed, wounded or missing. James Mullin survived some minor wounds. There is mention of their sheer exhaustion, often sleeping in the rain without the benefit of tents. It also seems that Jimmy tried to send money home when he could and also sent money and begged for much needed boots and shirts in order to survive the winter. There is concern of politics in Washington interfering with their maneuvers to halt the movements of The Rebels. There then was a break until 1867 when he was employed in the Quartermasters Department in the War Department and there were three letters transcribed from that time. He served there and later in the Post Office of Lynchburg, Virginia only to succumb to tuberculosis at the age of twenty nine.

The letters are very touching. Mr. Dickinson continued to be his mentor until the end in 1867. He commended his improving penmanship, writing and a new sense of reflection in his writings. There is mention of local activity and the bustling businesses of the Hoyt Brothers in Katonah. There is news of Stephen Lyons and John Whitlock - today roads of Katonah are named after these families. He gave timeless advice, to be industrious, to save and to continue to read to acquire “useful knowledge and not light reading.”

A last letter read to him on his deathbed consoled him. “Whenever you feel like revisiting the home of your early youth, there friends will be ready ever to greet you with welcome.” As ever I remain, dear Jimmy, your friend, A.F. Dickinson

This book is still available at The Bedford Hills Historical Museum.

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

Walking across the Croton Dam with my dog Ella last week, I came upon a man hunched over a serious-looking, tripod-mounted telescope, his own dog pressed against his legs in the chill air. The scope was trained on the distant shore of the Croton Reservoir, a good half-mile away across open water. Glancing over his shoulder as we approached, he said, “You want to see a bald eagle?”

It wasn’t easy at first. With an 80X power telescope held steady by the tripod it’s your head that has to become motionless enough to focus on an object that far away. But a bright white head stood out from the gray-brown mass of bare winter branches, and there it was. “I’m pretty sure that’s the male,” the man said. “The females have the same white head and tail, but they’re larger, a third again as big.”

“I knew there were some eagles over-wintering here,” I said, “but I thought they had all left for Canada by now.”

Bob Breen has been watching eagles on the reservoir for two years – since he retired as police chief of the nearby town of New Castle. A few weeks ago he counted 16 bald eagles on the ice of the frozen reservoir, the most he has ever seen at one time here. Most of them have since headed north on their spring migration, but this pair has been nesting at the reservoir for three or four years. Agents for the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which monitors the birds, has concluded that their nest has eggs in it.

We are seeing the fruits of a state-sponsored program to restore bald eagles to their old habitats in New York. When the program began in 1976, the entire state had just one pair of nesting bald eagles, but they failed to produce any offspring. By 2009, that number had increased to 173 nesting pairs.

In 1997, the first bald eagle was born along the Hudson River in more than 100 years. And by last year, 20 breeding pairs were nested along the Hudson, producing 32 fledgling eagles.

The total DEC count of bald eagles over-wintering in New York statewide for last year was 401 – 241 adults and 160 juveniles. (Bald eagles reach sexual maturity at five years of age, when their head and tail feathers turn white.) The final statewide tally for this year has not yet been released, but preliminary results suggest that the number will be an all-time high, surpassing the previous record of 573 set in 2008.

“Let me see if I can spot the female in the nest,” Bob said. The nest was not hard to find. Eagles mate for life – which can be more than 30 years – and they tend to use the same nest, adding to it year after year. Built high in the branches of a white pine by the water, it can be as much as six feet across, eight feet deep and weigh hundreds of pounds.

“There she is, her head just popped up!” Bob yielded his place at the scope and, sure enough, I could see the magnificent head of the female just above the rim of the huge nest. It made my day.

Croton-on-Hudson is a prime area for viewing bald eagles in winter. Morning commuters often spot them from the train as it crosses the mouth of the Croton River where the river empties into the Hudson. Some of those birds make daily flights a few miles up the Croton River to the dam. Other local vantage points include George’s Island Park in Montrose; the Verplanck waterfront; Riverfront Park and Charles Point/China Pier, both in Peekskill; and the Route 6/202 overlook above Iona State Park, one of the great scenic lookouts of the Lower Hudson Valley at any time of year.

For more information on bald eagles in our area, go to the Web sites of The DEC and The Eagle Institute.

Photo sources: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkadog/3683073458, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dobak/86751957, http://www.flickr.com/photos/alanvernon/3228433079.

Posted By: Bruce Dollar

Enjoyed biking with my husband on the North County Trailway. The North County Trailway is a paved pedestrian and bicycle path located on the land of the former Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad. The North County Trailway spans 22.1 miles in Westchester County, from Eastview in the Town of Mt. Pleasant, to Baldwin Place in Somers, continuing north into Carmel in Putnam County for 7.5 miles as the Putnam Trailway. It is a great way to spend a few hours on a bicycle in Westchester by yourself, or with family and friends!

Contact me for more information on biking in northern Westchester County, or my listing in Michelle Estates in Cross River, New York: www.houlihanlawrence.com/3008337. If you want to live on Lake Waccabuc, Lake Oscaleta or Lake Rippowan, and swim, fish or boat from your private dock give me a call!

Posted By: Susan Mason

In 2008 the town of Bedford opened a dog park on Beaver Dam Road off Harris Road in Bedford Hills, New York. The dog park is over 1.5 acres and has 3 separate fenced areas for the dogs. There is an area for small dogs weighing less than 30 pounds, and one for large dogs, (over 30 pounds) but little dogs that get along with big dogs are welcome in the big dog area as well. The third area is used for agility training and classes are offered for different levels of experience in the spring and summer. It’s a fun way to develop confidence, negotiate obstacles and dogs and their owners have a lot of fun!

I went to visit the park on a beautiful spring day and there weren’t many dogs playing, but it was also in the middle of the day. I’ve been to the park around 5 pm and it is usually a buzz with a variety of dogs. The fenced enclosed areas have a double gate entry/exit so that you can lead your dog through one gate and then the second without fear of letting someone else’s dog on the inside escaping.

Permits are required to use the park but they are very reasonable $10.00 for the 1st dog, $5.00 for the second, and $3.00 for the third. To obtain a permit all dogs must be properly licensed with New York State. Unfortunately, the park is only for Bedford residents and their dogs. If you do not live in one of Bedford’s three hamlets, you are a non-resident and will need to obtain a day permit, $5.00 per dog, and you must be accompanied at the park with a Bedford resident with a current dog park permit.

Before taking your dog to any dog park, I would suggest you read the Westchester Dog Park Safety Tips and then go out and play!

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

It was a few summers ago when I decided to find a Comedy Class to take. Usually when my children went away to visit with their Dad for August, I would clean closets, redo a bathroom, even buy and train a puppy! This year I was going to do something for myself. I went to my friend, Mr. Google, and found that the people of Caroline’s Comedy Club offered a Summer Session. So I signed up, bought a Metro card and off I went!

I learned how to navigate the subway shuttle to Times Square and find the studio. The class was taught by Linda Smith, three time Emmy nominated writer for her work for the Rosie O’Donnell Show and is now Director of New Talent at Caroline’s.
I was the oldest person in the class - let that bother me? Never! To paraphrase Kathy Bates in "Fried Green Tomatoes"- I have more "experience"!

The class was very supportive and from all walks of life. It was a major writing endeavor and we had to edit, edit, edit to get to that kernel of truth wherein lies the humor. Plus we had to try to commit it to memory and give it a good delivery. Who knew comedy was so hard? Also that it is serious business and like any skill, be it the Olympics, an ice skating competition or "Dancing With The Stars", the pros make it seem effortless.

The weeks were flying by with the stress of the writing, the performing, the memorizing and then we had our Graduation - a Matinee show at Caroline’s! The emcee of Caroline’s loved it and the whole experience was a ball! Right after my graduation performance a local restaurant wanted me to start a Comedy Night. The time was not right.

Now that my youngest is heading off to college I am itching to give it another shot. I will write from time to time and save it on my computer. Then while doing an article on the Katonah Art Center I discovered they were about to offer their first Comedy Class! It will be taught by Peggy Boyce, performer, producer, publicist and comedy coach for 20 yrs. Her "Ladies of Laughter" was founded in 1999 in order to provide funny women opportunities. The series has been produced at Caesar’s, Resorts International, Madison Square Garden and numerous clubs and casinos. Her 2004 Winner was Jane Condon who went on to become a finalist at Last Comic Standing and the Audience Favorite. Peggy Boyce has opened for Joy Behar, Brett Butler and Ray Romano. Her website is: http://www.funniestfemales.com

They claim that even if you have no intention of ever appearing on stage, learning to turn the observations and foibles of life into comedy will give you a new perspective.
The class will study other well known comediennes’ styles and will coach you to find your own comic voice. I remember a young executive in my class in New York who took the class in order to feel more comfortable speaking in front of a group.

Come have Fun! Laughter IS the best medicine. The Katonah Art Center is across from the A&P in a restored Victorian. It is close enough to the Train Station to be able to walk and there are cabs. It is also close to the Saw Mill River Parkway and 684.

Classes are held on five Thursday Evenings at 7-8:30 pm
Spring Sessions - $215 for 5 classes - April 22-May 20th or May 27th-June 24th
Summer Session - $215 for 5 classes - June 28th - September 3rd

Katonah Art Center, 131 Bedford Road, Katonah NY.

914-232-4843 www.katonahartcenter.com

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

Puppets simply bring stories to life. The word Puppet comes from the Latin “pupa” for doll and “pupula,” the pupil of the eye - our mirror of reflection. Puppets have reflected hopes, fears, dreams and the spiritual world. Puppets give form to the internal and the invisible. The scripts they follow are inspired by myths, legends, novels, poetry, history and philosophy. This exhibit takes us into the world of Puppet Theater. The installation is stunning and theatrical. One feels as though they are stepping into a black velvet shadow box.

This show is the world of Adult Puppet Theater. It is “Adult” in that the themes and intentions deal with such subjects as the nuclear attack of Hiroshima, marital abuse, suicide, the Holocaust, and sexuality. If you bring children just avoid the wonderful detailed docent tours and just enjoy the creativity on display in the galleries. The “Peter and Wendy” by Lee Breuer and “The Blue Fairy” from Sleeping Beauty are exhibits they can relate to easily. There are displays of puppets from around the world in the children’s wing, the famous hunt sheets and art projects for them to enjoy. Also check the website for Family Days and activities.

The 12 of the 13 artists are American with William Kentridge from South Africa. The others are Eric Bass/Sandglass Theater, Janie Geiser, Liz Goldberg, Chris Green, Dan Hurlin, Ralph Lee, Mabou Mines, Roman Paska, Brian Selznick, Julie Taymor and Hanne Tierney, with short films by Genevieve Anderson, Laura Heit and Scott Shoemaker. They are painters, sculptors, graphic, theater and film artists. They combine painting, sculpture, text, music, movement and live actors.

Why puppets and puppet theaters for these artists? As in the case of Brian Selznick, whose relative David O. Selznick created movie magic on the large screen, he simply did not have the space in his New York Apartment or the funds to hire actors! His toy theaters are encased in vintage suitcases. Other artists also claimed that it was more affordable and easier to manage than having to hire actors. I wonder how they managed these performances as perfectly as they did without getting tangled up!

Do come and get tangled up in the magic of Puppet Theater at the Katonah Museum of Art! For more information on puppetry and this exhibit, read my recent article on Bedford-KatonahPatch.com.

>www.KatonahMuseum.org

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

Katonah Art Center is in the same building as the Arts Caravan Performing Arts Studio that was covered in my last blog post titled ”After School Activities Part 1” at 131 Bedford Road in Katonah.

Katonah Art Center
As a Realtor I enjoy sharing the wonderful experiences I had with my children in their after school activities.

I have to admit that although I do not have personal experience with the Arts Center, I had heard rave reviews about it over the years . There is just so much a daughter and mother can do! She has friends that have taken classes there for years and now have worked as TA’s - Teacher’s Assistants! This is also an incredible institution in our area.

Loren Anderson, the Founder, started in our area 15 years ago. She has her BFA in Fine Arts from Syracuse University.

Their enrollment is half children and half adults - every day and every weekend! It can all begin with “Mommy & Me Classes” in Art & Music and go on from there.

Year Round classes include: Film & Music, Acting/Comedy, Photography/Darkroom, Clay (including Claymation!), Fine Art, Sculpture, Drawing: including Cartooning, Juggling, Illustration & Fashion Illustration, Painting, Digital Art, Sewing, Jewelry, Web Design, Pixel Art, Animation & Pottery

They have School Holiday & Winter Break Camps and Summer Vacation Camps. They even cover Birthday Parties - a real plus since I personally preferred just hauling the presents home - plus the Thank You notes of course! They have several themed parties that they will plan and run for you. They have people that will address the invitations, arrange for the food and fill the goodie bags! Why had they not been there for me?!

Summer Camp is comprised of 1 week sessions. Both a.m. and p.m. sessions are offered. Good News: The Summer Camps run from the end of the school year - May 31 for the 3 1/2 to 5 yr olds and June 28th for the older students though September 3rd!

For 3 1/2 - 5 yr olds: Art & Imagination Camp - Topics include : Jungle Safari, Castles & Dragons, A Bug’s Life, Tropical Treasures, Snugglebunnies, Dinosaurs & More, In a Little Garden, and Infinity & Beyond

For Grades 1-5: Kids Art Camp - Topics include : Sculpture. Jewelry Making, Candle Making, Nature Journals, Famous Artists, Repurposed Art, Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, World Crafts, Cartooning

For Teens: Grade 6 & Up - Fashion Illustration, Jewelry Making, Guitar, Drawing & Painting, Silkscreen/Batik & Outdoor Painting

Pottery & Photography is offered for all ages.

There are so many wonderful courses within each discipline that you really must call for a catalog or go online! I am signing up for one!

Visit the Katonah Art Center website at www.katonahartcenter.com or call 914-232-4843.

If you have any additional questions or interests in other after school activities feel free to contact me at KBenvinRansom@HoulihanLawrence.com.

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

Ever since I ran the Leatherman’s Loop race in 2007, I’ve been curious about legend. When I learned there was a lecture on “The Old Leatherman” at the South Salem Library, January 31st, by author Dan Deluca, I knew I had to be there. Dan Deluca is a genealogist and Connecticut historian who has been researching the Old Leatherman for 22 years. He recently published a book documenting his discoveries and he spoke about his experiences in collecting information and details about the legendary “Old Leatherman.” It was fascinating!

I loved hearing details about the legend and the person they call the Old Leatherman. The account of his mysterious life has been pieced together through news clippings and stories passed down from generation to generation. One of the most interesting facts about the Leatherman is that in 1883 he started walking a 365-mile loop between Connecticut and the Hudson River and repeated it every 34 days like clockwork. He was seen in at least 41 towns and would sleep in caves and would only accept food from certain people in town. He never spoke, just uttered a few grunts and used gestures to communicate. He always wore his coat, pants, hat, and shoes all made of leather from discarded boots.

The book documents what is known about his life through several photographs, newspaper articles written about him, piecing together the legend and mystery surrounding this man dressed in leather. New information about The Old Leatherman continues to surface and so the mystery continues to grow and live on. The question I had for the author on a very cold January afternoon, (19 degrees and snow on the ground) was, what do you think the Old Leatherman would do on a day like today? His answer, “walk.”

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

In 1947 the construction of The Bedford Playhouse in Bedford Village, N.Y. was monumental in many ways. It was considered to be a new country style “shopping center.” Still today it is home to several shops and businesses. It also has a floor above it full of apartments which was seen as a boon to the returning Vets from World War II. Of course those of us that have enjoyed it over the years know it is a far cry from a shopping center in a strip mall! It currently is home to that favorite “The Meetinghouse” restaurant which at that time was “The Carousel” confectionary and lunch room. The beloved Stewart’s Market was a new tenant as well.

The editorial board of the local paper then reminded and fortified their readership that as Bedford Villagers they could withstand the onslaught of others from other districts encroaching on their village. It was planned and built by a local design company, a local investor and a Bedford construction company. To top it off, a mural which graced what is today’s snack bar wall was painted by a Bedford artist, Tom Johnson. I wonder if they were to tear out the snack bar if they would still find the mural. They brought in the talent of a company that excelled in incorporating the new technology of surround sound and distortion free projection. It had only one large screen with a stage. It was managed by a company that had opened a Playhouse in nearby Ridgefield, CT prior to their expansion into New York State.

It had an opening night of April 30th, 1947. It was an invitation only event. The first film was “Boomerang” - a “Factual Film” shot in Stamford CT, and the Court House of White Plains. Elia Kazan was the Director. It starred Lee J. Cobb, Dana Andrews and Jane Wyatt. It was a factual film in that it told of an actual murder and subsequent trial in nearby Bridgeport, CT.

The top ticket price was in the evening in the loge - where smoking was permitted due to “scientific air conditioning” - for the premium price of 80 cents - 25 cents more than the regular adult ticket price of 55 cents.

It is still a favorite of movie goers in the area. My parents used to come over from “The River Towns” to enjoy Bedford Village for dinner and a movie when I was young. The character and charm of the area still remain. Bedford Playhouse will be getting a make over during the next few weeks and I look forward to the rebirth!

If you would like to have more information that I have not included in this article, contact me @ KBenvinRansom@HoulihanLawrence.com.

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

The Bedford Historical Society is actually located in “The Bedford Store” on Route 22 in Bedford, New York and faces the Village Green. I stopped in the other day after going to the library because I wanted to know when the courthouse was open. I was disappointed to learn the courthouse doesn’t open until April.

While I was there I enjoyed talking with the Executive Director of the Bedford Historical Society, Evelyne Ryan. We discovered our children graduated the same year from Fox Lane High School, and knew our paths had crossed but not connected until my visit. The current exhibit on display is very interesting; it is: Back to School. There are workbooks from children who attended school there in 1800 and old storybooks that date back to 1700. My favorite part of the exhibit is the collection of games children played that includes jacks, a wooden yo-yo, and a spelling board.

Since my husband has always been curious about the Village Green and wondered if anyone was ever hung there, I had to ask. The answer is no, and in fact the jail didn’t have many prisoners and court was only held three times a year.

The Historical Society has preserved and maintains 10 properties in the area, each with their own stories and roles they played during the early settlement. The efforts in preservation of these historic places are what give Bedford its Colonial charm and rich history. The Bedford Store is open to the public and has a small gift shop filled with Bedford memorabilia. How much do you think they sell penny candy for?

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

Last week I gave my last tour of the current exhibit at The Katonah Museum of Art of the show: “Bold, Cautious, True: Walt Whitman and American Art of The Civil War Era.” I get sentimental at the end of each show since the Museum provides such an in-depth education on each subject through the time of the exhibit. The Galleries become a home away from home for me as I befriend the art work. Guess I have become a Museum Brat - being uprooted from one exhibit to another several times over the course of a year!

Yet, they always have something wonderful in store for us and I look forward to the educational lectures given in order to train us, the Docents. The next show is “The Art of Contemporary Puppet Theater” from Feb. 28th-June 13th 2010.

We have a wonderful break now in February with “Young Artists 2010” February 7-14th, 2010. The art is from High School Senior Art Classes from 34 schools in five counties. The work of over 300 students will be on display. How exciting is that! As a preview, the work I have featured with this article is by Julie Safferstein of Horace Greely High School in Chappaqua. It is wonderful for family and friends to celebrate the talents, efforts and vision of our students. It is also good for the community to enjoy the excellence of the Art Programs in our Schools.

In the Project Gallery will be a smaller exhibition from a program that the Katonah Museum did in conjunction with six local Elementary Schools “Thinking Through Art.”

I am proud to say that my daughter, Allison Ransom, will have a piece on display from her AP Art Class at John Jay High School under the tutelage of Julie Evans-Kaser. The work, “Affliction 2009,” has just returned from another high school showcase at Concordia College in Bronxville, where it won an award. It is the illustration to the right.

When you see what your children can create, you see them with new eyes. Once again, “Art Makes You See.”

For further information go to the Katonah Museum website KatonahMuseum.org.

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

In my quest of Local History in our area, I have discovered The Bedford Hills Historical Museum.

I am often at the Town Hall checking property and tax information for my clients and had found it closed when I would be in the area. I then learned it is only open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 11am to 2pm.

I had seen an article on it when it first opened and thought it was just recently. I finally was in the area at the proscribed time and I met Katherine Nelligan. She is a Board member and is the dependable person that you will meet that puts out the banners and the flags when they are indeed open. Mrs. Nelligan was also secretary to 5 Town of Bedford Supervisors in the adjacent Bedford Town Hall.

I then learned that they had been open for 5 years! Let me tell you - no reason to take the kiddies to Williamsburg! Keep this in mind for school break and vacation times! There are multiple cases and displays that will keep you entranced - even as an adult, for quite some time.

For example, you will find a case dedicated to the dairies that were in the area. Did you know that the current Bedford Police Department Building was a dairy/milk processing plant?

There is a great deal of memorabilia and many documents about the earliest families i.e. Haines, Buxton, Harris and Burbank in the area after whom many of the roads were named. The photos are intriguing. I enjoyed the photos of the Bedford Hills District Nursing Association - DNA - the young Bedford Hills Blue Birds, and the corps of Volunteer Nurses during both World War I & II. The maps alone may take an afternoon. Of course there are the glam society shots as well.

There is evidence also of some of the large homes that were lost over the years. One was owned by Seth Low who was a former Mayor of New York City and President of Columbia University! He was one of the parties involved in changing the name from Bedford Station to Bedford Hills. Another major property was the Metcalfe Estate on what is still known as Lake Marie. Mrs. Metcalfe (Bessie Tyree) was a famous actress who married the theater critic for Life Magazine and they summered in Bedford Hills.

Upon my return I met another Board Member, Richard Schmitt. His family goes back 9 generations - over 400 years! Dingee Rd in South Salem is named after a branch of his family. His family members are buried in Buxton Cemetery and he piqued my interest in exploring that for a story!

They love to share their knowledge about the area and your delight in the large exhibit. Perhaps if they get busier they will expand their hours!

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

Katonah is a very desirable town to live in because of its historic charm and close proximity to the Katonah Metro North Train. People who live in the City always take into consideration how far it is to the train, how long the train ride is to NYC, and the cost to park. I just listed a condominium at Wildwood and checked the box for “close to train” as an amenity. I began to wonder what the definition of “close” was and decided the only way to determine that was to find out for myself and provide more information. That’s when I decided to walk the walk and talk.

Here’s what I discovered…

Time to walk from the platform to Wildwood Condominiums was: 16.38 minutes, total number of steps: 2,163, distance by car: 0.7 mile

What I’d like to know is how far would you walk to the train?

Posted By: Sonja Lovas

I was doing my errands in Katonah one day and stopped into Kelloggs & Lawrence Hardware. Jeff Kellogg assisted me and we got talking about how long his family had run the business. The answer was over 120 years! Their store still has a wonderful old-fashioned feeling and they carry many high quality items for Country Living.

His Great Grandfather, Henry Kellogg, who had first been a customs agent in New York City had a hardware store and lumberyard in the original Katonah. When it was time to make room for the New York City Reservoir System and many of the buildings were to be moved to the new site, it was decided that they were to have a new building. There it stood alone for two years before the other buildings and homes made their way pulled on greased rails in 1897. It also became the family home on the second floor for many years and the new Katonah Post Office shared the frontage on The Parkway.

As a Realtor, I enjoy giving gift certificates from their store to new homeowners since it is a wonderful experience and they carry many useful and necessary items - with style!

KelloggsandLawrence.com

Posted By: Karen Benvin Ransom

In addition to ice skating and playing on the ponds in Northern Westchester, the frozen reservoirs draw the fishermen back on the frozen water. In my travels looking at homes I am always amazed when I see ice fishing on the reservoirs. Ice fishing is popular at Amawalk, Cross River, Muscoot, and the Titicus Reservoirs. These reservoirs are all owned by New York City and a free ”NY City Public Access Permit” is required. If you’re wondering what’s for dinner it’s trout; it must be at least 12 inches in length before you take it home, and three is the limit!

Posted By: Sonja Lovas