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Published: 26 June 2011

Created: 26 June 2011

Last Updated: 30 June 2011

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Both Edgemont elementary schools held their traditional moving up ceremonies on Thursday, June 23rd. Greenville held their ceremony at 9 am and Seely Place followed at 11 am allowing special guests from the administration and the Board of Education to attend both ceremonies.

The sixth graders proudly marched into the gym to the traditional tune of "Pomp and Circumstance" while hundreds of parents and family members snapped pictures and videotaped. It was a standing room only event at both schools. The 6th graders looked very grown up; many boys wore suits and ties and many girls wore beautiful dresses for the special day. Edgemont schools superintendent, Nancy Taddiken, congratulated the 6th graders on all they have accomplished thus far and wished them continued success at the junior high school.

EHS graduating senior and proud member of Greenville's moving up class of 2005, Justin Arnold, returned to Greenville School to

address the 6th graders on their moving up day. Justin urged the students to always follow their dreams and recalled participating in the All County Chorus when he was a 6th grader at Greenville. He is now off to the NYU to continue following his dreams.

Principal Jennifer Allen at Greenville and Dr. Ed Kennedy at Seely congratulated and addressed the 6th graders at their respective schools. Both schools had class representatives speak at the moving-up exercises. The bands and chorus from each school also performed at the ceremonies. At Greenville, the 5th and 6th graders debuted the brand new school song "The Greenville School Song." It was written this year by members of the 6th grade under the direction of the school's Vocal Music teacher, Mr. Rick Cantatore, who wrote the music for the song. The moving-up ceremonies concluded with the presentation of the certificates by the 6th grade teachers to the students.

Afterwards everyone at both schools enjoyed refreshments that were served indoors due to the impending forecast of heavy rain which caused the high school graduation to be moved indoors later than evening. But thankfully the weather held up long enough so that the 6th graders could have a beautiful and sunny last morning at their elementary schools.

At night, the 6th graders at Greenville enjoyed their moving up party and danced the night away at a rainforest-themed party. The party ended at 10 pm but many of the 6th graders stayed a while for final hugs and goodbyes until September. At Seely, the 6th graders enjoyed their moving up party on Friday, June 17th and their party theme was the beach! While many of the 6th graders at both schools have gone off to separate day and sleep away camps, they will all be reunited on Tuesday, September 6th for the 7th Grade On-Deck day at EHS when the 7th graders attend a special assembly and are escorted to their classes by 8th graders.

Congratulations to all the sixth graders!

 

 

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Published: 06 July 2011

Created: 06 July 2011

Last Updated: 06 July 2011

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Looking for a way to make your house “green”? Well you’re lucky to live in or near Scarsdale where Eva Finkelstein recently opened Green Design Expo. It’s a one-stop shop for a vast variety of eco-friendly and sustainable building, decorating and lifestyle products. Located just south of the Old Army Road/Central Park Avenue corner, Green Design Expo (GDE) is a local resource for individuals as well as designers, builders, architects and students. All of the products are geared to promoting a greener planet and healthier environments.

A tour of Finkelstein’s store, which had it’s Grand Opening in April, took me past an inviting display that included non-toxic cleaners, sprays, energy-efficient light bulbs, toys and products for adults and children made of environmentally responsible materials. Of course, the store itself sets the example with green paint, recycled ceiling tiles, bamboo floors, solar lighting, coconut walls, and a counter made of crushed 7UP and beer bottles combined with resin (it really looks great!).

A good portion of the store is devoted to building and design materials and GDE is continually introducing new products. Finkelstein does her research to test both sustainability and durability. Among the offerings are countertops, cabinetry, flooring, lighting, insulation, ceilings, windows, plumbing fixtures, hardware, carpets, tile and more. On display are strand-woven bamboo floors, which Finkelstein explains are harder than oak, as well as Solatube lighting that creates a bright, beautiful effect using natural light. The staff at GDE helps consumersunderstand all of the contents of each of the products so buyers know exactly what is going into their homes.

Finkelstein sees a big part of her job as education and since opening has already hosted over ten seminars to introduce various concepts and products. A new schedule is being planned for the fall and all events are free and open to the public. A list of upcoming offerings will be posted on the website in the next several weeks.

A Fox Meadow resident with 3 children, Finkelstein had a roundabout route to her current role as GDO storeowner and environmentalist. But as explanation, Finkelstein says “My whole life actually led to this. I grew up on a farm in Virginia and always had an affinity to the earth and respect for my surroundings.” However she began her career as an English, history and elementary school teacher. Always interested in science, Finkelstein made a dramatic switch and became a neuroscience researcher at Einstein Jacoby Hospital. When she moved to Scarsdale, she found that she and her family were plagued with a variety of allergies. Putting her research skills to work, Finkelstein delved into the contents of all the products in her new home and found that many of the chemicals they contained were making her family sick. She became accredited as a LEED green associate (an internationally recognized green building certification system) and this led to opening GDE. “There’s a large gap between what people know, want and need. The learning curve is huge and we’re committed to helping people find healthy and affordable solutions.” GDE is a member of the United States Green Building Council.

GDE employs a number of designers to help customer understand all the available options. Asked how the store is doing, Finkelstein replied that awareness is growing. People are beginning to hear of GDE and coming in to look around. “We’ve mostly started with residential projects and have a few commercial jobs as well. We see our role very much as educators and guides. Some people are starting from scratch and want a totally green environment, while others wants to see how they can integrate more green products and design elements into an existing space. And while some products may seem like they cost more there are savings with reduced electrical expenses, long term durability and of course environmental benefits. We even have carpeting that starts at $1 square foot!”

Green Design Exp is located at 640 Central Park Avenue. For more information, call 902-5305 or visit on the web at: www.greendesignexpo.net.

 

 

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Published: 19 June 2011

Created: 19 June 2011

Last Updated: 24 June 2011

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News that the neighboring home at 140 Saxon Woods Road was soon to be demolished sent Toril Utheim Hanna of 138 Saxon Woods Road on an unusual quest. In speaking with the former resident of the small, wood frame home, Hanna learned that the woman was a descendant of runaway slave Robert Purdy, (1820-1890) who came to Scarsdale in 1840 from Louisiana, possibly on the underground railway. Settling in Saxon Woods, Purdy eventually became a landowner himself, purchasing five acres of land from George A. Willets in 1856 for $277. Since that time, four generations of Robert Purdy’s direct descendants have lived on homes on the land until February 2011 when 140 Saxon Woods Rd was sold to the Parma Construction Corporation.

Curious to learn more, Hanna located Donna Lockley, a fourth generation direct descendant of Robert Purdy who provided invaluable information and copies of documents pertaining to Robert Purdy and his descendants, enabling the discovery of historic information about the Scarsdale Saxon Woods Road "Robert Purdy Community." In addition, Hanna met with Hazel Gill, a great-grandaughter of Robert Purdy who grew up on Saxon Woods Road. According to Hanna, “One piece of information led to another. Research continued and the pieces of the puzzle were, and are still, coming together! It is indeed a very interesting and colorful landscape/masterpiece of a picture/painting in progress.”

According to an 1860 census, Robert Purdy had two cows, a horse and chickens and grew Indian corn on the property. The land was still used as a farm in the 1920’s and William E. Peterson Purdy's great grandson told Hanna that “we were hardworking people – there were no parties in those times -- we would work on our farm, then go off to our day jobs and then return to the farm at night.” Women did domestic work in Scarsdale homes and they were apparently treated well. Esther Purdy, on of Purdy's four daughters, ran a laundry service at the home. Hazel Gill told Hanna that when she was a girl there was a curfew at night for blacks who were ordered to return home after dark.

Hanna, a Norwegian native, said that she sees similarities between the tale of the Purdy’s and others who have been disenfranchised. She has lived all over the world and worked for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Married to an American, who currently works for the United Nations, at one point Hanna lived in Jordan and worked with Iraqi refugees. During that time she gained insight into what it means to flee with your personal belongings on your back and lose your identity. When Hanna moved to the United States with her husband she did not have a green card – and therefore could not work, travel or even have her own credit card.  Her work to uncover the story of the Purdy family is partially motivated by her own quest to establish a national identity with roots and origins.

Hanna’s discovery dovetailed with an ongoing research project on Scarsdale’s African American Heritage led by Scarsdale Middle

School Librarian Elizabeth Waltzman. Waltzman and a team of teachers are working with middle school students on original research about the history of slaves in Scarsdale –originally reported in October 2010 on Scarsdale10583.com. This research project will now be incorporated into the seventh grade curriculum and Waltzman has submitted a grant application to support the project to the New York State Archives.

Waltzman and Hanna are researching original documents such as the land deed, ownership maps, farming records and census documents. They have already learned that Robert Purdy registered for the Civil War Draft in June, 1863 and that he began an African Methodist Episcopal Zion congregation in his home. In 1902, this congregation built the Barry Avenue AME Zion Church in Mamaroneck, and Purdy’s descendents still attend the services held there to this day.

According to a letter Hanna and Waltzman have drafted for the Committee on Historic Preservation, “It appears that Robert Purdy was an influential and important representative and leader of the local free black men and women, commanding great respect and faith. When he died in 1890, an impressive tombstone was erected at his grave in the Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye.”

Though Hanna is not taking a position on whether or not the home at 140 Saxon Woods Road should be preserved, she does hope to document the interesting history of the land and the homes and preserve the story for future generations. She will present the facts and original documents to the committee on Historic Preservation on Tuesday night June 21 at 8 pm at Scarsdale Village Hall.

Update: June 23: Toril Hanna, Elizabeth Waltzman, a group of descendants of Robert Purdy and concerned neighbors attended the meeting of the Historic Preservation Committee Meeting June 21, 2011. In an eloquent presentation, Hanna presented a wealth of information to the committee on the Robert Purdy Community on Saxon Woods Road.

Each of the committee members was given a folder that included copies of historic maps, deeds, census data, a civil war draft registration and information that verified the presence of the community and the historic relevance of the property. Hanna told the committee that Purdy must have been an “extraordinary man” as after only seven years in Scarsdale this runaway slave was able to purchase 5 acres of land from George Willets. Waltzman, the Scarsdale Middle School librarian, explained, “140 Saxon Woods Road has a rich history and the property stayed in the family for 155 years until February of 2011 when it was sold to the developer.” She told the committee that they are bumping into new information about the community every day and called it a “part of Scarsdale’s visual and oral history.”

Helen Parnell Daniels, an African American woman who grew up on Saxon Woods Road, told the group that during her youth she “was one of the only blacks who lived here at the time.” She urged the committee to give the information “consideration – not just to the family, but because of what it means to the Village of Scarsdale.”

She ended by saying, “Do not negate the historical perspective of blacks and slaves in the Village of Scarsdale.”

Caroline Gibson, a neighbor at 146 Saxon Woods Road, bought her house in 1985 from the Peterson family who are also descendents of the Purdys. She said she spoke to an historian at the time who said that the property once sheltered runaway slaves en route to emancipation in Canada.

Though Hanna had not originally come to the committee to save the house, her persuasive presentation, coupled with the input from others in the room, convinced the Committee Chair to hold over the application for demolition. He told Hanna that “it behooves us to go through this material,” and that she had provided the committee with a wealth of information to consider. He indicated that he would share it with Village Historian Eric Rothschild and discuss it with the committee. So until the committee can make a determination of its historical significance the house will stand.

In other news from the meeting, the committee ruled that a 1925 home on Fairview Road did not have historical significance and thus could be demolished. Since no one appeared at the meeting on behalf of the application for 4 Windmill Circle, that item was held over on the agenda.