Sound Shore

The New Roc Harley Owners Group based in New Rochelle will host their annual Bike Run for Kids to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation on June 19 at New Roc Harley Davidson, 8 Industrial Lane in New Rochelle. There will be a motorcycle ride , barbecue, raffles and more with all proceeds going to charity. Registration is from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at NewRoc Harley, 8 Industrial Lane; “Kickstands up” is at 11 a.m. The barbecue and raffle will follow. The suggested donation is $20 per bike, and $10 for passengers or walk-ins. The rain date is TBD.

The City of New Rochelle held a ceremonial tree planting in observance of Arbor Day this morning at Library Green Park. City and library officials and the City Arborist were joined by staff and students from Isaac E. Young Middle School National Junior Honor Society in planting a Kwanzan cherry tree.

Photo courtesy of City of New Rochelle

The League of Women Voters is holding two local forums for school board candidates in the coming week: Monday for Port Chester and Tuesday for Blind Brook.

Details:

Port Chester: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Port Chester High School Room 229, One Tamarack Road. Candidates for two open seats are incumbent Anne Capeci, former board member Dominic Bencivenga and first-time candidate Bob Johnson.

Blind Brook: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Blind Brook High School Auditorium, 840 King St., Rye Brook. Running for two open seats are Wendy Adler, Jeff Diamond, Peter Raider and incumbent Glen Schuster.

Videos of both discussions will be posted on the league chapter’s website.

Local students who competed recently at the National School SCRABBLE Championship in Orlando, Fla., excelled, according to a tournament spokesperson. She reports that Seth Tilliss, a 6th grader from Bedford, was part of the O’Connor and Tilliss team, which came in 3rd place. He split the $2,000 3rd prize with his partner Matthew O’Connor. And The Word Wizards of Westchester: Kevin Rosenberg, an 8th grader from New Rochelle and Mack Meller, a 5th grader from Bedford, came in 5th place and split the $750 5th prize.

City Manger Charles B. Strome and Finance Commissioner Howard Rattner this week announced the appointment of Dan Whittemore as City Assessor, effective May 2. He will assume the position of Louis “Chip” Perone who is retiring. According to a city announcement, Whittemore has over 25 years experience in the assessment field, serving most recently as the Deputy Assessor for the Town of Greenburgh. He will fill Perone’s unexpired term through September 30, 2013.

A state police K-9 unit was brought in as part of a drug sweep at Port Chester High School Thursday, but no illegal substances were found.

“We’re hoping that the sweep will serve as a deterrent,” Superintendent Thomas Elliott said today.

Principal Mitchell Combs had sent a letter April 4 to parents warning against drug and alcohol use on campus, saying, “Recent discussions with students have revealed that students’ use of illegal substances is on the rise.”

The district opted for the pre-emptive search as part of increased surveillance and enforcement, according to a school press release. The K-9 unit, working in collaboration with Rye Brook police, checked “lockers and other locations where administrators believe drugs could be hidden.”

Students face disciplinary action if arrested for drug offenses on school grounds, according to the district. The superintendent may consider expelling any student convicted of possession with intent to sell.

The Pelham Art Center plans to shimmy, foxtrot and Charleston right into the Roaring Twenties on Saturday, May 14 at its “Gatsby Garden Party,” the Center’s 36th annual spring benefit.

An announcement says, “Guests will feast on a three-course small plates gourmet dinner served at stations complete with decadent desserts, all catered by Pelham’s own “Rollin’ Bistro” – restaurant Bistro Rollin’s new catering business. Cocktail options will include wine, beer, and cocktails including the evening’s signature drink, the Southside. The sounds of the Jazz Age will fill the air throughout the evening with dance music following dinner. All ticket levels include dinner, dessert and cocktails. Valet parking will be available…. Among the bevy of silent auction items, guests may bid on a private tour of the Brant Art Foundation in Greenwich, CT, select art pieces, CNBC and Art in America internships as well as stays in private homes in Budapest, Ireland and Bar Harbor.” There will be the Robins Art + Giving Fund, where guests may make contributions to directly fund free art workshops, class scholarships, bus transportation for visiting schoolchildren, free gallery tours, and artists-in-residence for at-risk youth.

The event is being organized by Committee Co-chairs Leslie Berkery and Robin Bratone, as well as Board Chair Barbara Carden and President Anna Riehl.

Individual tickets are $175 (Sponsor), $400 (Patron) and $1,000 (Benefactor) and can be purchased by phone, mail or online (pelhamartcenter.org/events). The RSVP deadline is tomorrow. For more information, call 914.738.2525×111 or email springbenefit@pelhamartcenter.org

Larchmont mom Irene Byrne Ohl sent us a long note about her son, Mamaroneck High grad Gerard Ohl, who is headed abroad this week. She writes, “As parents, Ted and I are proud of the man Malcolm has become. In the year ahead, his deployment will surely test our nerves, but not our faith in his abilities to lead his platoon.”

Here’s her full report:
Larchmont native 1st Lt. Malcolm Gerard Ohl — Mamaroneck High School class of 2005 and Boston College class of 2009 — will be deployed to Afghanistan this week from the Home of the Arctic Warriors at the most Northern Post in the US Army, Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks, Alaska as part of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division 2-8 (2nd Battalion-8th Field Artillery) “Automatic”, one of the Army’s most up-to-date and elite fighting forces. Lt. Ohl will lead his platoon as a forward operating base artillery officer for the next 12 months.

In preparation for the deployment, Lt. Ohl was put in charge of transferring the assets of his entire battalion from his Alaskan home base to their base in Afghanistan. In January 2011, his departing superior, Captain Chris Carter awarded Lt. Ohl the Army Medal of Achievement for “distinguished meritorious service or achievement” for his outstanding work contributing to the famous 2-8 Automatic Battlion’s preparations for deployment.

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Rye Country Day School students in grades Pre-K through four learned about Japanese art and culture recently when they participated in an afternoon of activities designed to raise funds for the people of Japan. The students stayed after school to take part in a number of Japanese inspired activities that included making Japanese-style fans, fish prints, cherry blossom note cards and pictures, red and white beaded bracelets, origami designs, kites, Japanese Manga and Anime character drawings, and an oversized map of Japan. In honor of the Japanese national pastime of baseball, there were also games of whiffle ball played during the afternoon.

In addition, the RCDS Lower Schoolers welcomed nine visiting students from Keio Academy in Purchase. The Keio students helped the young children with the crafts and shared their experiences of living and studying in New York.

With generous support from the RCDS parents, as well as the donated proceeds from a lemonade stand manned by two fourth graders in March and a bag full of change from a contributing second-grader, the students’ efforts realized over $3,500 for the International Rescue Committee for Japan.

Photo, courtesy Susan Nelson: Keio student Mari Nagakura helps RCDS first-graders Trey Holmes and Charlotte Ballantoni string bracelets of red and white beads at the school’s fund-raiser for Japan relief.

A benefit concert featuring performances by the New York Festival Singers and Bethesda Baptist Church Choir will take place this Saturday, April 30 from 6:00 – 9:00PM, at the Bethesda Baptist Church, located at 71 Lincoln Ave., New Rochelle, NY 10801. Tickets cost $15.

The event is one of three being organized with the help of ShopRite Supermarkets to benefit the Union Baptist Church congregation after a Valentine’s Day fire destroyed their downtown sanctuary. An earlier concert was held last Saturday. There is also a “Taking Steps to Rebuild Benefit 5K Walk-a-Thon” on June 5, starting at 8:00AM at Wildcliff Manor in New Rochelle. The Walk-A-Thon costs $20 per person and includes an outdoor barbeque with food and refreshments from 1:00 – 5:00PM. Registration begins on April 25 at www.ubcr.org .

The money will benefit the rebuilding effort and the church’s Manna Ministry food-distribution program, which has supported over 2,500 families, handed out more than 6,000 bags of food and served 3,000 hot meals every Friday in 2010. ShopRite Supermarkets has donated $3,000 to help keep Union Baptist Church’s Manna Ministry food pantry operating since the fire. There are also food and checkout donation drives taking place at the White Plains, Bedford Hills and New Rochelle at Joyce Road ShopRite store locations as part of the fundraising efforts.