Jacob Burns Film Center Opens Take 3 Wine Bar and Café
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Now you can have a bite and enjoy a movie at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville. This month the Take 3 Wine Bar & Café was opened on the top floor of the theater. The new café marks the culmination of the recent theater renovation project.
Take 3 Wine Bar & Café’s menu includes sandwiches, salads, pastries, charcuterie, mac n’ cheese, pretzels, and baked goods from local businesses including Second Mouse Cheese Shop, Irving Farm, Posh Pretzels, Feel Good Booch—and renowned New York City restaurant Balthazar. The beer is sourced from the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company as well as Soul Brewing Company, along with cider from Thompson’s Cider Mill. The wines include a selection of reds, whites, rosés, and sparkling.
There’s kid-friendly fare as well as non-alcoholic beverage options, Take 3 Wine Bar & Café is also the perfect place for families to kick back and relax after a JBFC Kids Saturday screening.
Movie patrons can elevate their moviegoing experience by “coming early or staying late” to discuss films while enjoying food and drink with other filmgoers in a space designed by JBFC Board Member Laureen Barber (Pound Ridge), co-owner and designer of Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The JBFC also engaged a local architect, James Coleman (Pleasantville), on this project. Seating accommodates up to 85 people. Take 3 Wine Bar & Café is open to the public and ticketholders during the hours of operation on Thursdays from 4:00 to 10:00 and Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 10:00.
"Last spring, we completed renovations on our three original theaters, and now we are thrilled to introduce Take 3 Wine Bar & Café to our patrons,” said Mary Jo Ziesel, JBFC Executive Director. “This exciting addition reaffirms JBFC's commitment to being a dynamic cultural destination where art, community, and now a delightful selection of food and beverages come together. Our aim is to provide a welcoming space for our patrons to gather, converse, and savor moments before or after enjoying a film.”
"The expertise and creative touch of Laureen Barber, a dedicated board member, has been invaluable throughout this project. Laureen's design sensibility has truly shaped the ambiance and aesthetic of the space, transforming it into a place of comfort and elegance,” said JBFC Board Chair Lynn Sobel.
"I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ginny Gold, who has played an instrumental role in bringing our vision of the JBFC wine bar to life. Ginny has shown incredible generosity and foresight by choosing to honor Marty’s passion for wine in such a meaningful way, " added JBFC Board Chair Lynn Sobel.”
The installation also includes a new gallery which is now showing the private collection of Bill Gold—arguably the best movie poster designer of his time—this exclusive exhibit is curated by his widow and collaborator Susan Gold (New Canaan). It features one-of-a-kind original illustrations, alternate poster designs, and interesting behind-the-scenes stories spanning seven decades of iconic movie classics, from Casablanca to Mystic River. Visitors are encouraged to explore the exhibit and learn about Bill Gold's visionary approach to creating some of the world's most unforgettable movie posters. The Jane Peck Gallery, adjacent to Take 3, is open during Theater operating hours, seven days a week.
Fun Was Had By All at the SHS Carnival
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Even cold, blustery weather couldn’t keep folks away from the fun tat the 22nd annual Scarsdale High School Carnival last weekend. The popular event, organized by the SHS Central School Government, had something for everyone to enjoy with carnival games, thrilling rides, and traditional snacks like cotton candy and funnel cakes. Exemplifying the District’s commitment to their motto Non-Sibi (not for oneself alone), the school government will donate their proceeds from the carnival to the Greenburgh Nature Center and Neighbors Link.
The evening of Friday April 12th seemed to draw an older teenage crowd, with middle and high schoolers braving rides like Alien Abduction, Pharaoh’s Fury, and the Tornado. While some missed the classic carnival ride The Zipper, there was still plenty of fun to be had playing games such as Whac-A-Mole, Roll-A-Ball, and Mini Hoops with prizes like basketballs and stuffed animals to be won.
Saturday the 13th saw the carnival, run by Newtown Shows, full of families with younger children squealing with delight on rides like Super Round Up, Super Slide, and Puppy Role. Children of all ages enjoyed student-run games including the BullPen, the Dunk Tank, and the High Striker (hammer/ bell).
Putting a personal touch on the event’s amusements, SHS student clubs offered activities like a photo station complete with fun props, face painting, henna designs, balloon art and so much more. Other clubs such as the Spanish club offered churros for sale and the French club served crepes and cotton candy. In addition, the Gardening Club had spring plants for sale, the Breast Cancer Awareness Club offered bracelet making, and the Habitat for Humanity Club had a super sized Jenga to be enjoyed.
All of the students who participated in bringing these activities to life, and especially those in student government, should be proud of the hard work they put into organizing and hosting yet another amazing carnival for the community.
Scarsdale in WWII: Now Free to Watch Online
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A blood drive at Scarsdale Golf Club during WWIIOn Tuesday night March 26, the Scarsdale Historical Society held a screening of the film “Scarsdale in World War II,” to a packed audience in the Scott Room of Scarsdale Library. The movie was created and released by Scarsdale residents in 1946 and chronicles how Scarsdalians united and rallied in support of the war effort in the 1940s. It was produced and screened as part of a fundraising campaign for Jewish refugee children.
The original 16mm film was found in storage at the Scarsdale Public Library, and all 1,200 feet of film has been digitized and preserved by the Scarsdale Historical Society. This historic treasure presents a stunning, visual testimony of Scarsdale life in the 1940’s. The footage captures Scarsdale’s landmarks as they appeared almost 80 years ago, including the only-known footage of some sites that no longer exist.
Proceeds from the screening of this film went to a national interfaith organization named “Children to Palestine.” The meaning behind this name requires some explanation, as it could cause some confusion in today’s context. When Jewish children were orphaned and displaced during the Holocaust, one of the few options for resettling them was the area then known as Palestine - before Israel became a nation in 1948. Moved by the plight of Jewish children, Scarsdale residents of all backgrounds united to rescue them from the “land of persecution” and bring them to a “Land of Promise.”
The Scarsdale branch of “Children to Palestine” was founded by two Scarsdale residents: Dorothy Silverstone (of 6 Richbell Close) and Susan Bennett (or 10 Elmdorf Drive). A Junior Committee was formed, and they sponsored the making of this film with the support of Dorothy Silverstone’s husband, Murray Silverstone, who was the President of 20th Century Fox. They were a very philanthropic couple, and it’s worth noting that with all of Murray’s accomplishments in the movie industry, this film was named in his obituary as one of his proud accomplishments.
It turns out that former Mayor Jane Veron was related to Silverstone. Veron explained, “Murray and Dorothy are my great uncle and aunt. My grandfather Emanuel Silverstone (my mom’s dad) also worked at 20th Century Fox. He would tell us stories about famous actresses like Elizabeth Taylor and Shirley Jones. Murray was his older brother. As a child, we used to visit Murray and Dorothy’s home/barn on Richbell Close for family events. We were regaled with stories from their days in the motion picture business.”
The Historical Society conducted research and detective work to identify some of the film locations and prominent residents, and provided this information in captions to help the audience connect and better understand the film. The film has now been posted online and is free to watch!
See wonderful footage of a party at Fox Meadow Tennis Club the night of the attack on Pearl Harbor, women of Scarsdale who swung into action for the war effort and sad stories of Scarsdale’s young men who did not return from the war.
The film was produced by stage producer Julian Olney and narrated by renowned broadcaster Lowell Thomas and is well worth watching here.
3,000 Eggs Gathered at Easter Egg Hunt
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Over 3,000 eggs were picked up from the driving range during the annual Scarsdale Golf Club Easter egg hunt on Sunday March 31.
Over 150 kids participated with groups of toddlers ages 4 and under, another with kids 5-7 years old and another for kids ages 8 and up.
The Easter Bunny kicked off the event and posed for photos with kids and families before the dinner buffet.
The club hosted 500 members and guests for Easter Dinner.
(Photos by Mark Latham)
Discovering Your Second Act
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Zibby OwensHow do we reinvent ourselves when it’s time to pivot? Are there ways to repurpose what we know and use seemingly-unrelated experiences as the basis for our next gig? That was the subject of a panel discussion featuring three authors and moderated by Scarsdale “mompreneur” Pamela Pekerman held at the Scarsdale Library last Thursday night, March 14th.
Zibby Owens, a mother of four, hosts the podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, runs her own publishing house Zibby Books, owns a bookstore in Santa Monica and recently wrote her own novel, Blank.
Joanne Lipman, a journalist who was the editor in chief at USA Today, founding editor of Condé Nast Portfolio and started the Wall Street Journal’s weekend edition, shared her findings from the research she did for her most recent book, Next! The Power of Reinvention in Life and Work.
Amy Shoenthal, a branding and marketing expert, discussed her book, The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward. She is a contributor to ForbesWomen and the Harvard Business Review and will give her first TEDx talk this spring.
Lipman explained the genesis of her book, which she worked on during COVID, “I wanted to look at this idea when we were reprioritizing our lives and the relationship of work to our lives,” she said. “I interviewed people who went through transformations. Women are masters of reinvention, often by necessity. We hit the glass ceiling and don’t have the same opportunities.” In fact, one of Next’s subjects is former Scarsdale Mayor Jane Veron, who left a corporate position to raise her three daughters, but went on to create The Acceleration Project, an organization that uses experienced volunteers to advise local entrepreneurs.
Panelists on stage
All three women talked about staying in the fray, and figuring out how to silence your inner critics.
Asked how she combats negative self-talk when something goes wrong, Amy Shoenthal said, “Your inner critic can get loud when you have a setback, but you need to fight the self-doubt by conjuring up an “inner hype” voice or relying on an imaginary cheerleader.
Zibby Owens spoke about the value of trips and falls saying, “Most of the time you get over the setback and end up in a better place than you were before.”
Joanne Lipman and Elyse Klayman
Lipman defined what she calls the four S’s of reinvention, gleaned from those she interviewed for her book: Search. Struggle. Stop. Solution. These words, she said, can be used as a roadmap when looking for a new direction.
During the process, Lipman recommended calling on an expert companion or person who knows you well and can reflect your strengths and talents back to you. This companion can be a friend, a personal coach, or a psychologist. She said, “It’s good to have one, and to be one to someone else.”
Asked how to give yourself space to explore, Shoenthal said, “Don’t freeze. Don’t get in a spiral of resentment, blame and shame. Thaw yourself out. Explore your curiosity–play a team sport or volunteer.”
Owens advised, “Just keep doing what you’re interested in. It will pay off in the end. Persistence is what makes anything a success. Don’t stop trying. Nothing you go through is wasted. Even if it does not work out.”
The three, along with moderator Pamela Pekerman offered positive messages and energy to those who were hoping to find new careers or life paths. Following the talk, the panelists answered questions and signed books sold by Bronx River Books.
Panelists with Stacey Mayer and Nancy Kaplan
