Paulin Hosts Forum on New Law to Legalize Surrogacy Agreements in New York
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A new law proposed by State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin would legalize gestational carrier agreements in New York, permitting people to compensate surrogates to carry their children. Presently, the gestational carrier is considered the legal parent in New York upon birth of the child even though she is not the biological mother nor has any intention of assuming parental responsibility.
Paulin hosted a legislative forum on Tuesday April 1 to discuss and promote the benefits of the Child-Parent Security Act which drew the support of several organizations, including the Empire State Pride Agenda, the leading New York lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy group.
The Child-Parent Security Act would clearly define who a child's parents are and would permit enforceable compensated gestational carrier agreements so that New Yorkers needing assistance of a gestational carrier can have their children here without having to go to another state. It would also allow intended parents to be recognized as the legal parents of their children from the time of birth.
"I had fertility issues when I was attempting to get pregnant with my second child," Paulin said. "So I am well aware of the pain and suffering that is attached to wanting a child. This bill would allow families to avoid much of that pain by giving them the opportunity to have a family in New York and not travel around the country, incurring exorbitant costs simply because they want to be parents.
"We have some of the most restrictive surrogacy laws in the country and I think it's time that changed."
Compensated gestational carrier agreements are illegal in New York and subject to criminal penalties, making it the only state to hand out such harsh punishment. Supporting Paulin's efforts were medical and legal experts as well as state residents, who provided their own accounts of the difficulties involved in having a child through surrogacy.
"The forum highlighted the diverse range of New Yorkers who all agree that it's time for us to pass the Child-Parent Security Act so that our laws match current medical technology and family dynamics," Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan Schaefer said. There's no reason why families should have to suffer through significant legal or medical hurdles to build their loving families. This bill would address the many issues that impact LGBT New Yorkers and many others face, and provide clear protections for all parties involved, especially the children."
Music for Strings and Keyboard at SCC on Sunday
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Violinist Daniel S. Lee, cellist Ezra Seltzer and violist Kyle Miller will perform with pianist Brett Terry at Scarsdale Congregational Church at One Heathcote Road in Scarsdale on Sunday March 30 at 5 pm. A reception will follow the performance and tickets are available at the door for $20.
Praised for his "ravishing vehemence" (The New York Times) period violinist Daniel S. Lee enjoys a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster and teacher. He has appeared as a soloist and guest leader with the Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Early Music New York, New York Baroque Incorporated, Baroque Orchestra of Maine, Quodlibet Ensemble, San Francisco Bach Choir, TENET, and Yale Collegium Players, among others. He won the Audience Prize at the 2012 Early Music America's Baroque 
Performance Competition with his ensemble, the Sebastians, whose performance at the finals of the 2011 York Early Music International Competition was praised for its "smooth sophistication" (Yorkshire Post) and "well-thought-out articulation and phrasing" (Early Music Review). As a violino piccolo specialist, he frequently appears as a soloist in Bach's first Brandenburg Concerto and cantata 140, and has given the modern-day premier of Johann Pfeiffer's concerto. He is on the violin, viola, and chamber music faculty at Connecticut College.
Lauded for his "beauty of tone and keenness of musicianship" (Opera Britannia), cellist Ezra Seltzer is a founding member and principal cellist of the Sebastians. He has frequently performed as guest principal cellist of Musica Angelica, 
Orchester Wiener Akademie, and the Trinity Wall Street Baroque Orchestra. He has also appeared as a soloist and principal cellist at the Boulder Bach Festival, and was associate principal cellist at the Carmel Bach Festival this past summer. With the vocal ensemble TENET, he performed at the festival Casals de Puerto Rico as well as at Berkshire Bach in Massachusetts. In New York he regularly performs chamber music at Helicon Foundation Symposia, the 4x4 Baroque Music Festival, and at Music Before 1800. This season he will appear with the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Baroque Band, New York Baroque Incorporated, and will also appear as guest principal cello of the St. Paul Orchestra, Baroque Band, New York Baroque Incorporated, and will also appear as guest principal cello of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
At the age of 17, violist Kyle Miller made his concerto debut with the Reading Symphony Orchestra as "the dog" in P.D.Q. Bach's Canine Cantata, "Wachet Arf!". Kyle has since gone on to study viola performance at the New England Conservatory, the Eastman school of Music, and The Juilliard School. While at Juilliard, Kyle became infatuated with all things old and joined the school's Historical Performance program. He now resides in New York City, performing regularly with such early-music groups as Acronym; Diderot String Quartet; Gretchen's Muse; Julliard415; New York Baroque Incorporated; Quodlibet Ensemble; and Sebastian Chamber Players.
The concert is made possible in part by a grant fro Arts Westchester.
Scarsdale Congregational Church
One Heathcote road
Scarsdale NY 10583
For tickets, call (914) 723-2111
Sunday, March 30 at 5 pm
Reception to follow
Tickets $20 available at the door
Fitness News: Sports Swap, Physique57 and a new Golf Pro at Elmwood
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Here's some news from the fitness front on the upcoming Sports Swap, additional class offerings at Physique57 in Scarsdale and a new golf pro at Elmwood Country Club.
PT Council Sports Swap:
Scarsdale PT Council Sports Swap: With spring around the corner, don't forget to make a date with your shed, attic or garage for a seasonal clean-up. The PT Council will collect your gently used sports equipment, formal wear and musical instruments at the Sports Swap. Proceeds from the swap go to support the Scarsdale Schools. Donations will be accepted Friday, April 4th from 5:30-7:00 pm and Saturday, April 5th from 8:30-9:30 am. Then get ready to shop on Saturday the 5th from 10am-12 noon. All at Heathcote School.
More Classes at Physique57:
Physique57, the barre-based fitness studio in the Golden Horseshoe in Scarsdale has announced some new classes in addition to their regular schedule. Here's what's available:
Physique Cardio: Starting the week of March 3rd, Physique will be offering Physique Cardio on Wednesday and Fridays at 11AM. Physique Cardio is a cardio class without the impact on your joints. It is 57 minutes of their most challenging, fat-blasting exercises including push-ups, planks, lunges and more. It is high intensity interval training to burn calories (up to 700) and boost your metabolism all day long.
Evening Classes: Physique Scarsdale now offers evening classes on Monday and Wednesdays at 6:15pm and 7:30pm.
Free Intro to Physique 57 Class: New clients can take their first class FREE on Mondays at 11AM by trying their "intro to Physique 57 class". In this class, you'll learn Physique 57 positions, proper form & correct alignment.
Privates: Physique is now offering Private sessions on Tuesdays and Thursday between 11am-1pm. For price information (prices vary) clients can email [email protected].
Learn more about Physiqe57 in Scarsdale here: http://physique57.com/scarsdale/classes/
Elmwood Golf Pro:
Elmwood County Club in White Plains has announced that they have a new Golf Pro, selected after considering more than 50 applications from golf professionals throughout the nation. Peter Stefanchik will be Elmwood's new Head Golf Professional.
Pete grew up playing the game of golf in his hometown of Princeton, New Jersey, having been introduced to the game by his late grandfather, Michael Stefanchik II, who was also a member of PGA of America. Pete attended the Professional Golf Management Program at Methodist University, from which he received his B.A. Degree in Business Administration. In 1999 Pete was a member of the Men's National Championship Team, finishing 8th in the United States as an All American. Since then, Pete has played at the highest levels both locally and nationwide, having Top-15 finishes in multiple Golden Bear Events and in the New York State Open, as well as a Top-10 finish at the New Jersey State Open.
Pete began his professional career as First Assistant and eventually, interim Head Golf Professional, at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, N.J. For the last 9 Seasons, Pete has worked under Jim Bender as First Assistant Golf Professional at Ardsley Country Club, where he handled the day-to-day instructional programs, tournament operations, and merchandising. In the winter, Pete spends his time in South Florida working on his golf game and furthering his PGA education through workshops and seminars.
Pete plans to revitalize the program through the expansion of Women's' and Junior activities. He has already renovated the design and merchandise in the Golf Shop and installed an indoor range with state of the art technologyFor Information on Elmwood Country Club visit www.elmwoodcountryclub.com.
Announcement and Notifications
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Announcements, announcements, announcements: Here are some notices from community organizations for you:
Scarsdale Recreation Girls Youth Softball League
The Scarsdale Recreation and Parks Department, in conjunction with the Neighborhood Athletic Associations, have begun online registration for the 2014 Spring Girls Youth Softball League. Season runs from April 26 to June 21. Teams are organized by grade and local school area. Grades may be combined based on registration numbers. Registration deadline is March 31. Go to www.scarsdale.com/recreation to register via RECONLINE.
Three County Golf Courses to Open Saturday
As a result of improving playing conditions, Westchester County's Saxon Woods, Maple Moor and Dunwoodie golf courses are expected to open on Saturday, March 22. The other three county-owned courses are scheduled to open on Wednesday, March 26, weather and conditions permitting. Golfers are advised to either call the course or go there in person to make reservations. The automated tee time reservation system will not yet be in use. The telephone numbers are as follows: Saxon Woods, Scarsdale, (914) 231-3461, Maple Moor, White Plains, (914) 995-9200 and Dunwoodie, Yonkers, (914) 231-3490. Information about the courses can be found at westchestergov.com/golf; for Hudson Hills go to hudsonhillsgolf.com.
Reception for New Superintendent:
The Scarsdale Board of Education invites the community to meet the Dr. Thomas Hagerman, the new Superintendent of Scarsdale Schools at a reception on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. at Scarsdale High School. The reception will take place in the new commons lobby at the Brewster Road entrance to the school.
From the PT Council Legislative Committee:
Have you heard about Governor Cuomo's tax freeze plan for the 2014-15 NYS budget? By April 1st, Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders will negotiate a deal that could pressure Scarsdale to "share services" or even merge with other districts. For more on this topic, click here for a recent news article, and see the PT Council Legislative Advocacy webpage.
If you are concerned, do not delay. Here are three actions we hope you can complete now:
1. Click here to petition your State lawmakers instantly.
2. Contact the Governor by calling 518-474-8390 or by e-mailing here. The suggested message you convey is "I am strongly opposed to your tax freeze plan as statewide policy. There is no evidence it will result in cost savings and much evidence it will harm the quality of public education throughout New York". For e-mail, put "Tax Freeze Plan" in the topic line and "Education" in the subject line.
3. Share this message with all your contacts and ask them to act as well.
Glitz and Glamour for the Junior League
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The Junior League of Central Westchester (JLCW) presents its Glitz and Glamour Spring Fundraiser and Silent Auction on Friday, March 28, 2014. The JLCW is honored and excited to announce that this year's event will be co-sponsored by Pepe Infiniti and 42 The Restaurant. The event will be held at Pepe Infiniti in White Plains and the evening will include entertainment by the Music Conservatory of Westchester, a cocktail reception and silent auction. Red carpet photos and other photography will be provided by Londin Photography and will be available for purchase that evening.
The evening's silent auction is not to be missed. A sampling of some of the fantastic items include:
• An exclusive Neiman Marcus shopping party
• A seven day summer vacation stay on beautiful Captiva Island
• Two signed New York Knicks jerseys
• Tickets to a NY Giants game
"We are so thrilled to have Pepe Infiniti and 42 The Restaurant as co-sponsors of the JLCW's Spring Fundraiser, Glitz and Glamour. It is going to be a fantastic event and the silent auction promises something for everyone," said Julie King, President of the Junior League of Central Westchester. "The JLCW is committed to improving the local community and the funds raised during the evening will go a long way in helping us do so."
Glitz and Glamour is open to the public and all proceeds will support the JLCW's initiatives and community projects in Central Westchester. Tickets are $110 each through March 7 when the price increases to $130 per ticket. Please join us for an evening of fun for a great cause.
Pepe Infiniti is Westchester's exclusive Infiniti dealer and also serves all of Long Island, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey and Connecticut. 42 The Restaurant was opened by Chef-owner Anthony Goncalves in 2007 and is located on the 42nd floor of the Ritz-Carlton in White Plains.
For more information on the event, to purchase tickets, advertise in the auction journal or donate to the silent auction please contact the JLCW office at 914-723-6130, email [email protected] or click here.
