Ardsley Today

Dobbs Ferry in a Yummy NY Post Headline

We know that this is not technically Ardsley news, but you may remember that back in October, the owner of the Brick Oven Pizza Shop in Dobbs Ferry was arrested for allegedly forging $50 bills in his office at the pizza parlor. Well, yesterday he plead guilty to one count of first-degree forgery in Westchester County Court. Luckily, the New York Post has it all covered with a story carrying this deliciously "Post-like" headline (that was too good NOT to share): Pizza Man: I Made a Lot of Phony Dough

Ardsley Village Offices Closed Tomorrow

The Ardsley Village Offices will be closed March 21 in observance of Good Friday. The regular Friday trash collection will be picked up on Thursday along with the regular Thursday collection. Questions about trash collection should be directed to the DPW at 693-0117 between the hours of 7:00 am and 3:00 pm.

Another Pancake Breakfast: Quad-Village Rotary

Looks like March 30th is Pancake Day these parts. In addition to the previously announced Pancake Breakfast for ASVAC, there will be another Pancake Breakfast on March 30th to support the Quad-Village Rotary of Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson and Irvington. This one will be held at the Dobbs Ferry High School Cafeteria from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for children and Free for kids under 5. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so on March 30th, plan on having two!

Catch Rosalind Wiseman Tonight at the Middle School

Rosalind Wiseman is an internationally recognized author and educator on children, teens, parenting, education and social justice. Her work aims to help parents, educators and young people successfully navigate the social challenges of young adulthood.

Rosalind Wiseman is wise, practical & funny. Her presentation is a must for parents who want to deal with others in their children's lives with skill and compassion, rather than wrath and confusion. She'll encourage us to look at ourselves in the mirror and face both our strengths and our weaknesses while inspiring us to act as strong yet empathetic role models for our children in a much-too-pressured and competitive world.

Ms. Wiseman will be speaking to students in grades 5-8 during the day today, and to parents tonight at 7pm in the Middle School Auditorium.

Support the Ambulance Corps at a Pancake Breakfast

The Ardsley Secor Volunteer Ambulance Corps is having a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser at The Woodlands at Ardsley on Sunday, March 30th from 8:00am to Noon. Donations are $10, and there will be a raffle, as well as entertainment from local musicians Irwin Finer and Lee Perry Gross.

Stop by to help support this important organization. For more information, call 400-1120.

Your House Could be a Star!

Have you always wanted to be on TV? You know how it works: "Don't call us. We'll call you." Well, here's your chance to have your little bit of Ardsley achieve its 15 minutes in the spotlight. A film production company called Mark Mark Productions is looking for locations to film a new show in production for the Independent Film Channel called, Z Rock. You'll have to act fast, though, because they need info and pictures by Monday.

Check out these details from the production company:

Mark Mark Productions is looking for homes in the Ardsley area for a new show in production for the Independent Film Channel called "Z Rock." "Z Rock" is a scripted show about a rock band, Z02, that is trying to get signed to a record label. In the meantime, their day job as a children's band, the Z Brothers, is becoming more and more successful. The show follows their struggle to stay "cool" as a rock band while becoming increasingly well known for their wholesome kid's music.

In the show, well-to-do families hire the Z Brothers to perform at their family functions and kid's birthday parties - we are looking for homes that we can use as sets for these scenes. These shoots would be anywhere from one to four days in total, and the filming will take place during the day from approximately 9am-7pm. Our crew is medium sized; approximately 20-25 people in total, and we are a fully insured production. Homeowners will be listed as additional insurers for the duration of filming. We will also go through the proper channels in the Ardsley Village community for permits and other necessary approvals.

Homeowners will be compensated for the use of their property, and rates will be determined based on the length of the shoot in question.

Those who would like further information can contact the Locations Manager at meghan.mcginley@gmail.com or (212) 471 3523. Those interested in pitching their home should email photos of the interior and exterior by the end of day on Monday, March 17th.

Keep in mind that before making any arrangements with any company that wants to film within the Village, you need to take care of some paperwork first. You'll have to check out Ardsley Village Code 109, and make sure you fill out the required forms for filming in the Village. You'll also have to make sure that all the papers and fees are filed with the Village Clerk, Barbara Berardi, before any filming begins. But really, it's a small price to pay for real estate immortality, don't you think?

Ardsley Village Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda - 3/17

7:45 P.M.  -  Executive Session                            
Ardsley Village Board Of Trustees
507 Ashford Avenue
Monday, March 17, 2008
Meeting – 8:00 P.M.

8:15 p.m. – Public Hearing – Apple Motel 775 Saw Mill River Road
For the purpose to grant a permit to construct a small addition

8:30 p.m. – Public Hearing – For The Purpose Of Amending Chapters 173 And 175 Of The Ardsley Village Code – AASHTO road standard

8:45 P.M. – Public Hearing (Continuation) 646 Saw Mill River Road
Change Of Use For A Second Story

I. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF EXIT SIGNS

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:    Regular Meeting – March 3, 2008

IV. DEPARTMENT REPORTS:
LEGAL                BLDG./FIRE/POLICE REPORTS
MANAGER            MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
TREASURER         COMMITTEE & BOARD REPORTS

V. VISITORS:

VI. OLD BUSINESS:
1. Res. Granting Permission to construct a small addition – 775 Saw Mill River Rd
2. Resolution To Adopt AASHTO Road Standards
3. Resolution Change of Use Permit – 646 Saw Mill River Rd.
4. Resolution Approving Assessor’s Grievance Night Recommendations
5. Res./Authorizing Village Manager to Enter Into an Inter-Municipal Agreement (SWAT) Unit

VII. NEW BUSINESS:
1. Discussion/Safe Routes to School Grant
2. Resolution Scheduling a Public Hearing Re:  Request from DeCicco’s for sidewalk display
3. Resolution Scheduling a Change of Use Public Hearing re: Request to open Greek Cuisine Rest.
4. Resolution Declaring April 2008 as “Earth Month”
5. Res. Re: Fund Balance Transfer- Code Amendments Re: Subdivisions and Streets & Sidewalks
6. Resolution Authorizing Execution of IMA for WMD Equipment
7. Resolution Re: Notice to Bidders for Street Sweeping Services 2008-2009
8. Resolution Acknowledging Work Change Order for Peter J. Landi Inc. Re: Curbing
9. Resolution Scheduling a Public Hearing Re:  Tentative 2008-2009 Village Budget
10. Discussion Scheduling Budget Work Sessions
11. Discussion Proposal from Dolph Rotfeld Re:  New Fire House
VIII. CALL FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION
IX. ADJOURNMENT OF BOARD MEETING

Water, Water, Everywhere: The Tap Project

Ardsley resident Kathleen Kelly Malone has volunteered to help out the very worth Tap Project, raising money and awareness to help the billions around the world without clean drinking water or sanitation facilities. Ardsley Today decided to interview Ms. Malone to find out more:

What is the Tap Project?
The point of the Project is to raise money for UNICEF's efforts to provide clean and safe water to the billion plus people in the world who do no have access to such water.  Because of this lack, a child dies of water-related illness every 15 seconds, either from pneumonia {the spread of germs because there is no sanitation} or diarrhea {unsafe water}.  UNICEF hopes that through the Tap Project it will raise $1,000,000. during the week of March 16th through March 22nd.  How?  By asking restaurant patrons to donate one dollar for the water they normally get for free.

This is the second year of the Project, begun in NYC last March.  In just one day in just one city restaurant patrons donated $100,000 !!!  This year the Project has been expanded throughout the country and for an entire week.  Participating restaurants can choose to use the entire week or just a day, whatever they wish.  World Water Day is March 22nd.

How did you find out about the Tap Project?
My husband and I have contributed to UNICEF for the past five years or so, and thus receive their emails.  I signed on last year to be a volunteer, but had not yet been involved in anything...till I read of this Project in an email I received in January.  I immediately signed up, and attended a day long training session at the UNICEF building in early February.

What attracted you to this cause?
The Tap Project has particular meaning for me because I experienced first hand what the lack of water and clean sanitation can do:  as a college student at Fordham University I spent three summers living in a small town in Mexico.  I lived with a "middle class" family [that is, they owned their little home, it had a cement -not dirt- floor, and they had an outhouse].  But most families lived in little shacks with dirt floors and no access to water.  Children with whom I had played one summer had died by my return there the next summer.  Dehydration was the principal cause.  My second summer there I, too, became quite ill and had to be hospitalized.  The priest who was sponsoring us insisted on my hospitalization because his own parents had died of dehydration.  The dehydration in these instances was caused by the use of unsanitized water and the resultant illnesses, which lead to dehydration.

What can people do to get involved?
Many restaurants  in Manhattan have signed on, and several in Westchester.  In Ardsley, Pumpernickel on 9A has agreed to participate for the entire week (Editor's note: In our area, Harvest on Hudson and Global Gatherings are also participating).  Interested people can check out which restaurants are participating by logging onto TapProject.org.  Also, there will be a full page ad in the NY Times on March 17th listing all the restaurants that signed up.

Ardsley Clean Up Day: Saturday, March 15th

This Saturday, from 10am to 1pm, join Ardsley Cub Scout Troop 3 for Ardsley Clean Up Day. Meet the Cub Scouts at the Ardsley Public Library at 10am and then you'll be assigned an area. The Village provides bags, the scouts provide latex-type gloves and YOU provide the manpower. 

The work involves walking through an assigned area and picking up all trash in the vicinity, then hauling whatever trash you find to the Library parking lot for pickup.  Make sure you wear warm clothes that you don't mind getting dirty - especially as it is expected to rain on Friday into Saturday - and good work gloves for at least one member of the party (some of the trash that's been collected in the past is rather awful and it helps to have at least one person with good strong gloves).

The Cub Scouts will be leading the charge, with kids ages 6-11 and their siblings and parents. Come on out and help make Ardsley a beautiful place to be.

Help Fight Underage Drinking with the Party Buster Hotline

Ardsley and the surrounding villages have come together to create the Party Buster Hotline -- a phone number manned by area police officers -- to help combat underage drinking. If you have any information about a house party or other situation that involves underage drinking, you can report it anonymously by dialing 693-5666. Keep this number handy and help keep our neighborhoods and our children safe.