Take the Plunge
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If your kids want to concentrate on swimming this summer, Westchester and Fairfield Swimming and Lifeguarding is the place to be. Kids from kindergarten through age 14 can attend the program by the week. The summer begins the week of June 27, and the first five weeks will be held at the Pace University Goldstein Recreation Center in Pleasantville. For weeks six and seven the program moves to the campus of Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville. Camp meets from 9 am to 3 pm and extended care is available. Though the focus is on the water, other activities are also included in the daily schedule.
The camp is run by Kate Palladino, who is the Pace University Aquatics Director, an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Trainer, a Lifeguard Instructor Trainer and a United States Safety Diving Coach.
According to Ms. Palladino, the camp provides individual swim development and water safety for all levels and ages. Swimmers will be instructed in small groups of similar age, skill and experience. Lesson plans and progressions are formatted for optimum learning through the six American Red Cross Levels.
For the highest-level swimmers, they offer stroke clinic options, plus instruction in starts, turns and techniques to increase efficiency and speed. The goal is to refine the competitive strokes and improve cardiovascular endurance. The camp provides comprehensive preparation for summer swimming and is a great supplement for those who participate on summer swim teams.
The staff includes seasoned American Red Cross Water Safety Instructors and Lifeguards selected not only for their aquatic skills, but also their ability to be exceptional role models for campers. Safety is their first priority.
One camper who started coming when she was nineyears-old still talks about treading water for 20 minutes with her counselor to break the camp record. She is now a junior in high schools and swims competitively on her high school team!
The camp costs $395 per week and kids can sign up for as many weeks as they like. There is a discount for early sign-ups and the fee includes a free t-shirt. To learn more about the program, visit www.westfairswim.com.
The Carnival is Coming to Town
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Drive by Scarsdale High School this week and you’ll see carnival rides and games on the grounds in preparation for this weekends’ fun. The Newtown Carnival is back and will bring a dizzying array of rides, challenging games, prizes and fun for all. This year's annual High School Carnival will be held on Friday, April 8th, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and on Saturday, April 9th, from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM. In the event that either day is completely rained out, the rain date is Sunday,
According to SHS School Government Advisor Neil Ginsberg, high school students will no longer sell carnival tickets at the elementary schools. Instead, advance tickets can be purchased online at NewtownShows.com. Until 11 pm on Thursday night, you can go to the site and click on Advanced Ticket Sales. Advance tickets will provide unlimited ride access for either Friday or Saturday, however two tickets must be purchased to cover both days. The tickets do not provide access to the games. Advanced tickets are $22.99, and tickets on the day of the event may be purchased at the Carnival ticket book for $30. Please encourage your children, students, and other members of the Scarsdale community to attend.
All the profits from the carnival are donated to charity.
Indian Point and Us: Where We Stand Now
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In light of the tragic events that have unfolded in Japan, there is renewed concern over nuclear power plants in the U.S. One plant in particular has gotten a lot of attention, Indian Point, just 24 miles from Scarsdale.
This plant built in 1962 is among the oldest in the U.S. In recent weeks much has been made about the fact that it is situated near larger than initially believed fault lines. A report from the Earth Institute at Columbia University says the Indian Point sits at the intersection of two active seismic zones. It took many by surprise that of all the nuclear facilities in the U.S,. Indian Point is reportedly the most vulnerable to an earthquake.
That report from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University is enough to terrify anyone. I spoke to the co-author, John Armbruster. He told me that the last sizeable earthquake in the New York metropolitan region was in 1884, which registered about a magnitude of 5. Even then, the earthquake did reportedly little damage. He says that while it appears that the region is overdue for a quake, in the worst case scenario an earthquake could be a magnitude of a 7. However, it seems unlikely that it would be anything along the lines of what was experienced in Japan, Haiti or Chile in the past year. Entergy, owner of the site says the Indian Point facility has been designed to withstand a magnitude 6 earthquake.
Armbruster also tells me the threat of a tsunami, which caused much of the damage is about nil, but that does not mean there aren’t risks.
Over the past decade there have been several environmental and safety risks and lapses, which have been well documented by the watchdog, group Riverkeeper as well as the NRC. In 2010, 600,000 gallons of mildly radioactive steam vented after an automatic shutdown of Unit 2. It should be noted that the tritium (toxic) levels in the steam were well below the maximum allowed by the NRC. Also last year, an explosion occurred in the main transformer for Indian Point 2.
Governor Cuomo has ordered a full review of the Indian Point power plant and said at a March 16 press conference that while he was Attorney General he had concluded that the plant should be closed.
This past Sunday, U.S. Energy Secretary David Chu told Fox News that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will inspect the safety and evacuation plans of Indian Point and will determine if the reactor should remain open. Chu, measuring his words, added that they do not believe the reactor is currently unsafe or poses similar risks to the reactors in Japan.
On Monday, Westchester County lawmakers and Entergy officials held an informational meeting exploring disaster preparedness.
For it’s part, Entergy released a statement saying that it will review the plant’s ability to respond to a catastrophic event.
It should be noted that Indian Point supplies about a quarter of the power used in Westchester and New York City. And even if a strong earthquake isn’t in Westchester County’s future, images out of Japan should still be a warning to this area. Human error or worse, a terrorist attack could trigger a potential meltdown at Indian Point. American Airlines Flight 11 flew near Indian Point, though for its part, Entergy, says that the facility could withstand an airline crash without reactor damage.
However, at issue is how to evacuate the region. U.S. officials have told Americans in Japan to stay at least 50 miles away from the Fukishima plant in Japan. As Peter Applebome points out in his New York Times article Fukishima, Indian Point and Fantasy, if that 50 mile radius was applied to Indian Point should a disaster occur, it would include all of Westchester, Rockland, New York City except for Staten Island, Nassau and parts of Suffolk County, all of Fairfield County and all of Bergen County. In other words: millions of people who would all need to evacuate their homes and leave the area on short notice.
To anyone who has seen the Hutch, 287 or 95 on a regular Friday afternoon, this should send chills down your spine.
As the devastation and tragedy in Japan continues, the news has already begun to shift away from it. In time, people, save for a few in this area, will become complacent about Indian Point. The NRC’s decision about Indian Point is a few months away and whether or not an earthquake in this region is imminent remains to be seen. However, the more information that comes out about the nuclear power plant to our north, the less safe it appears. It’s nearly impossible to imagine a nuclear crisis here. The people of Japan probably felt the same just a few weeks back.
Jen is a freelance journalist who has covered the economy and markets for over a decade at a major financial news outlet. She lives in Scarsdale with her husband and 2 children. Jen has yet to bake a successful batch of cookies.
Did Babar Visit Scarsdale?
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It is well known that Scarsdale has been the home of many notable people, including Liza Minnelli, gangster Bugsy Siegel, and spy Robert Hannsen. However, did you know that Laurent de Brunhoff, creator of Babar also stayed in town?
The interesting tale was revealed at a Board of Architectural Review meeting on 3-28-11 when plans were reviewed for an addition to a home on Lockwood Road in the Overhill section of Scarsdale. During the discussion, a BAR member mentioned that the home was rumored to be “Babar’s house.” Apparently, the author of Babar, Laurent de Brunhoff, visited Scarsdale in the 1960’s and is said to have stayed at the home on Lockwood Road. The visit is covered in the November 25, 1965 edition of Life Magazine. De Brunhoff subsequently published Babar Comes to America which was published by Random House. The book includes an illustration that looks like Lockwood Road and the rumor has lived on.
In the story, Babar spends a quiet weekend in Scarsdale before going onto Harvard to receive an honorary degree. While visiting the Village, Babar does what Americans do ... he goes to a big supermarket, learns to play baseball and watches a game on TV.
According to the current owner of the house, no one has been able to confirm Babar’s presence but the illustration in the book really does look like her house and Lockwood Road. She learned about the story shortly after she moved in at a neighborhood association meeting.
Pictured here are the book illustration, the current house, a photo of Babar, and a snapshot of Laurent de Brunhoff with his father Jean de Brunhoff, who was the original creator of Babar. The photos of the de Brunhoff sand Babar are taken from Life Magazine, November 26, 1995.
A Beautiful Outdoor Haven in Scarsdale
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Last spring Guy and Diane Gurden of Colvin Road in Scarsdale had thoughts of transforming their unkempt, sloping backyard into a garden haven. Guy, a gardener himself, hails from Great Britain and he had seen an interesting article and photo in This Old House Magazine about a unique garden in Greenwich, CT. The garden was designed and built by Jan Johnsen and he gave her a call.
This lucky occurrence was the genesis of a lovely partnership between the Gurdens and Johnson. They hired her to prepare a site and landscape plan to meet the following needs:
- Address persistent drainage problems
- Maximize the space in their cramped driveway.
- Provide an elegant outdoor terrace where they could entertain friends
- Provide a level lawn area for the children
- Include a small niche for a grill area
- Create a beautiful flowering garden with year round interest
The finished result is a blend of utility and art - sweeping, curved steps lead out to the driveway. A wide flowerbed surrounds the new terrace and is filled with boxwood and a blend of perennial and annual flowers. Their upper garden includes roses, catmint, spirea, dianthus and a glorious cherry tree. The side yard is a level lawn that doubles as a viewing garden from the dining room. ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas make quite the show here in the summer. And subtle but innovative outdoor lighting add sparkle at night.
Johnson’s firm got all the approvals and installed the project and the Gurdens couldn’t be happier with their new outdoor living area and garden. Now they are waiting for the daffodils that their girls planted last fall bloom….
Johnsen Landscapes and Pools, (914) 666-4190, is a full service professional landscape design / build / project management firm based in Westchester County. Their website is www.johnsenlandscapes.com.
