Monday, Dec 23rd

The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program for 2010 begins on Sunday, April 25 in Westchester County, at the White Garden, 199 Elmwood Road, Lewisboro, open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additional Westchester County Open Days include a total of eighteen private gardens and take place on the following dates: May 2 in Mount Kisco, May 8 in Chappaqua and Mount Kisco, May 23 in Bedford Hills, May 29 in Mount Kisco, June 5 in Briarcliff Manor, Bedford, and Tarrytown, June 6 in North Salem, June 20 in Bedford Hills, Bedford, and Yorktown, July 25 in Cortlandt Manor, Bedford Hills, and New Rochelle, September 12 in Lewisboro and Waccabuc, and October 30 in Mount Kisco. Admission to each private garden is $5, Open Days are rain or shine, and no reservations are required. Call 1-888-842-2442, or visit www.opendaysprogram.org for more information.

At the White Garden on April 25th, visitors will delight in the woodland plantings of more than 200,000 daffodils. Walking paths throughout the woods weave over a meandering brook and through a shady dell. Several glass houses can be seen, including a new state-of-the-art greenhouse that supports the gardens. Nearest the house the gardens are classically inspired, including a nymphaeum, pergola garden, labyrinth, and theater court, and additional hidden gardens include a perennial ellipse and “annual” garden, a conservatory “jungle” garden, and an Asian-inspired moss garden. Several water features accent the landscape, and native plantings dominate in areas outside the central gardens. Many sculptures enrich this landscape and swans guard the Temple of Apollo on an island in the main pond. The White Garden will also open to the public on Sunday, September 12th.

Additional area gardens open in 2010 include Lulu Farm in Bedford, a hilltop property that contains ten acres of garden and ninety acres of field and woodland intersected by old stone walls. Special features include a dwarf conifer garden, terraces of mixed herbaceous and woody plants, a formal herb garden, a woodland garden walk, a large vegetable garden, orchards, and a diverse selection of mature trees. In Yorktown, the garden of Barbara & John Schumacher boasts a large rose garden below the house with 400 roses. A perennial garden features hostas, tree peonies, and sweeps of Asiatic lilies, and other attractions include beautiful stonework, a fern garden and a generous and varied collection of hydrangeas.

These Open Days gardens are featured in the 2010 Open Days Directory; a soft-cover book that includes detailed driving directions and vivid descriptions written by their owners. The directory includes garden listings in 21 states and costs $21.95 including shipping. Visit www.opendaysprogram.org or call the Garden Conservancy toll-free at 1-888-842-2442 to order with a Visa, MasterCard or American Express, or send a check or money order to: the Garden Conservancy, P.O. Box 219, Cold Spring, NY 10516. Discount admission tickets are available as well through advanced mail order.

The 2010 Open Days Program is generously sponsored by Garden Design Magazine as its National Media Sponsor.

The Garden Conservancy introduced the Open Days Program in 1995 as a means of introducing the public to gardening, providing easy access to outstanding examples of design and horticultural practice, and proving that exceptional American gardens are still being created. The Open Days Program is America’s only national private garden-visiting program, and is made possible by the work of hundreds of volunteers nationwide. Visit the Garden Conservancy and its Open Days Program online at www.opendaysprogram.org.

The Hoff-Barthelson Preschool features a daily program for three and four year-olds with a curriculum that includes a special emphasis on music and art. This winter the children had a delightful time “studying” the artwork of three famous painters – Matisse, Pollack and Van Gogh! The accompanying pictures illustrate the artistic reflections of the students who went on to create their own artwork in the image of the three artists. The Jackson Pollack is a collaborative effort; dribbling paint to create their large canvas was a highlight of the HBMS Preschool year.

All citizens are encouraged to vote on March 16 and attend a reception for the Trustees and Mayor at the Scarsdale Womens Club that evening.

Here are the details: The Citizens Non Partisan Party is running three unopposed candidates for Village Trustee this year.

Nominated for a first term are 30 year resident Katherine Eisenman and 34 year resident Jonathan Mark. Katherine has worked in the
environmental section of the Westchester County Planning Department and in Scarsdale is chair of the Board of Architectural Review and waschair of the Conservation Advisory Council. Jonathan is a partnerwith Cahill Gordon and Reindel LLP. Jonathan grew up in Scarsdale andhas been active with various community organizations including the Scarsdale Forum (TVCCEF) and the Heathcote Five Corners Coalition.

Nominated to serve a second term on the Village Board is Richard Toder who is a lawyer with Morgan, Lewis and Bockius LLP and is a chair of the Board’s Legal Committee and is on the Land Use, and Personnel Committees. He has been an active volunteer since moving to Scarsdale 34 years ago.

All registered voters can vote at Scarsdale Village Hall on March 16th. The polls will be open from 6 am to 9 am, and then from noon till 9 pm. Registered voters may vote instead by absentee ballot if needed. If you are not a registered voter but want to vote in the Village Election, the last day to register with the Westchester County Board of Elections is Friday, March 5th.

You can pick up a mail-in registration form at Village Hall, or you may go directly to the Westchester County Board of Election, 25 Quarropas Street, White Plains.

In order to register to vote, you must:

* Be a U.S. Citizen
* Be 18 years of age by the date of the election in which you want to vote
* Live at your present address at least 30 days before an election
* Not be in jail or on parole for a felony conviction
* Not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

For registered voters who will be out of Westchester County on Village Election Day, an absentee ballot can be obtained by filling out an
application form at Village Hall or by requesting one by phone or mail. March 9th is the last day for the Village Clerk to receive an
application for an absentee ballot which is to be mailed to a qualified voter; however, personal applications can be accepted until March 15, 2010.

The Scarsdale Citizens' Non-Partisan Party will be holding a reception for the winners of the Scarsdale Village election on March 16th at the Scarsdale Woman's Club, 37 Drake Road from 8:30 to 10 pm. All Scarsdale residents are invited to come and meet the newly elected Trustees, as well as the continuing Trustees and Mayor.

The reception has been a Citizens' Non-Partisan Party tradition for many years, with a ceremonial cake cutting after the polls close, the
votes counted and announced at the Scarsdale Woman's Club about 9:20 pm. This year the cake has been graciously donated by Seth Greenberg, the owner of East End Cookie Company, 646-290-9204. In addition to the cake, there will be coffee, tea and refreshments available for all that attend.

Questions? Contact: Bruce Wells, Campaign Chair, 472-2696

Know that calmness and humility are partners.Rabbeinu Avraham ben haRambam.
Over one hundred women gathered at Congregation Kol Ami on Sunday March 7 for the first Spa for the Soul, a day to examine spirituality, to learn, to relax and to reflect. The event featured a keynote address from writer, poet and Jewish feminist Blu Greenberg who did a reading of her work and lead the group through a discussion of finding the divine in their lives.

Her poetry touched on a host of Jewish themes, including the legacy of the Holocaust , the observance of Shabbat and living as an Orthodox Jew in modern day America. She shared her touch points with the divine with the group in an effort to help the audience to ponder their own spirituality. Family, community, Shabbat, the recitation of blessings, the study of Torah, interfaith dialogue, the appreciation of nature and the act of thanking God were some of the ways she experiences the spiritual.

The day progressed with a spa hour featuring wonderful healers for the body, mind, and spirit. There were mini-facials, manicures, messages, skin analyses, and even a chiropractor on hand to examine posture. Vendors of jewelry, scarves and cosmetics were also invited.

Three break-out sessions with Rabbi Shira Milgrom, Rabbi Pamela Wax and Blu Greenberg followed. In a session on attaining equanimity called “Balancing on the Teeter-Totter: Spiritual Strategies for Living,” conducted by Rabbi Pamela Wax, she lead the group through an examination of the meaning of equanimity, what triggers stress and how we can rise above inconsequential events. Her methodology was reminiscent of yoga, Jewish-style, combining deep breathing with Talmudic wisdom.

She distributed some quotes on the topic including this one from Proverbs 16:32, “the calm one is greater than the warrior, and the self-controlled is greater than a conqueror.”

In the other two sessions, Blu Greenberg led a group titled, “What Does the Word Spirituality Mean to You?” focusing on the spiritual in each of us. In “Spirituality for the Mind and Soul”, Rabbi Shira Milgrom discussed constructing a personal spiritual practice that harmonizes contemporary liberal views with traditional wisdom.

As promised, the day was thought provoking, enriching and restful. Thanks to Jill Abraham and Lauri Carey for organizing this wonderful event and to Ruffled Feathers for catering a delicious spa luncheon.

Westchester Reform Temple and Friends of the Israel Defense Force (FIDF) will present Heart to Heart: A Night to Connect to Israel’s Combat Soldiers on Wednesday, March 10 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Ten Israel Defense Force soldiers, representing the combat brigades and branches including Golani, Givati, the Air Force, Navy and Paratroopers, will participate in the program. These soldiers will also be part of the 2010 National New York Gala taking place at the Waldorf-Astoria on March 9, an event which will show support for Israel’s soldiers and for Israel. For more information on the IDF or FIDF, see www.israelsoldiers.org.

This program is co-sponsored by WRT’s Men’s Club and Israel Committee, and is free and open to the public. Westchester Reform Temple is located at 255 Mamaroneck Road in Scarsdale. For directions or information, call WRT at 914-723-7727, email to [email protected], or visit the web at www.wrtemple.org.