Sound Shore

Four southern Westchester students are among the more than 2,900 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by the colleges and universities they will be attending. They are among 8,300 National Merit Scholarship winners nationwide, and will get between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of study at the institution.

The area winners are:
• Nina K. Goldman, Bronxville, Bronxville High School; Tufts University
• Emily S. Semaya, Larchmont, Mamaroneck High School; Carleton College
• Julia L. Goldberg, Scarsdale, Horace Mann School (Riverdale); Tufts University
• Scott M. Jacobson, Scarsdale, Scarsdale High School; Tufts University

The Juniors Leagues of Bronxville, Central Westchester, Northern Westchester, Pelham and Westchester on the Sound are holding a Legislative Breakfast with local legislators from 9 to 11 a.m. May 20 at Greenburgh Town Hall, 177 Hillsdale Ave., Greenburgh.

Invited legislators are expected to speak about the economic, legislative and health challenges in the state and county schools in regard to providing better nutritious food for children.

Among those invited are Congresswoman Nita Lowey; Christina Rohbatynskyi, director of Food Bank for Westchester; Nancy Huehnergarth, director of NYSHEPAA; Delly Beekman, president of the American Junior Leagues International; and Mary Ann Sullivan, supervisor of food services for Yonkers Public Schools.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Amy Nay of News Channel 12.

Local municipalities and residents were among those honored by the county recently at its annual Earth Day celebration for their environmental efforts.

The honorees included:
• The Village of Bronxville for being one of Westchester County’s 2010 “top three” municipalities with the highest overall recycling rate of 71%
• The Village of Scarsdale for being one of Westchester County’s 2010 “top three” municipalities with the highest overall recycling rate of 68%
• The Town of Eastchester for conducting a model organic yard waste “give-back” program providing usable gardening material for local residents
• The Town of Mamaroneck for collecting vegetable oil locally for refinement and beneficial reuse
• The Village of Mamaroneck for collecting vegetable oil locally for refinement and beneficial reuse
• The Village of Tuckahoe for collecting vegetable oil locally for refinement and beneficial reuse
• The 4th Grade Teachers and Students of Edgewood Elementary School, Scarsdale, for development and implementation of an exemplary Earth Education “Ecosystem Project”
• The administration, teachers, students & parents of the Rye Country Day School, Rye, for development of a comprehensive school sustainability program

Also given a “notable mention” was James Petronella for dedicated volunteer services assisting the Village of Tuckahoe with local recycling collection, education and outreach programs

Westchester County will host a Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30, at five locations:

• Larchmont Village Police Department, 120 Larchmont Avenue, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Renaissance Square, White Plains, at Main Street and. Mamaroneck Avenue, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• Saxon Woods Park, Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Lawrence Hospital Center/ Eastchester Communities That Care, 55 Palmer Ave, Bronxville, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Rite Aid Pharmacy (outside), 871 Saw Mill River Road, Ardsley, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The events are part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, sponsored by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with state and  local law enforcement agencies, and community coalitions throughout the country.

The Westchester events are sponsored by the county’s Office of Drug Prevention and STOP DWI and the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, along with local police departments and governments, and the Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth.

“This initiative addresses a growing public health and safety concern,” said Vito Pinto, executive director of the Stop DWI Office and chairman of the local coalition.

“Prescription drugs are now the second most abused category of drugs in the United States,” he continued. “We know that some teens are getting prescription drugs from medicine cabinets of friends and family, so we urge everyone to participate in this day to safely dispose of left over and unneeded prescriptions.”

When bringing unused medications — whether prescription or over-the-counter — keep them in their original bottle or container. Hypodermic needles will not be accepted; instead, place them in puncture-proof containers and throw in the trash.

For directions or more information, call the county’s Recycling HelpLine at (914)-813-5425, or visit http://environment.westchestergov.com/hmr.

Port Chester, Croton-on-Hudson, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown residents choose mayors today in contested village elections. They’re among 16 Westchester villages with elections today. Buchanan and Pleasantville also have contested elections.

Village elections are uncontested in Briarcliff Manor, Bronxville, Elmsford, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Pelham, Pelham Manor, Scarsdale and Tuckahoe.

Before you head to the polls, find candidate info, photos, news coverage, and reader letters on LoHud.com’s Village Elections 2011 guide.

The Rye Arts Center will present its tenth annual “Student Studio: Emerging High School Talent” exhibition this week at the arts center, 51 Milton Road in Rye.

The event celebrates the creative impulses and artistic commitment of high school-aged artists. It runs from March 9 to 22.

Area high schools have nominated three students each to represent their school and art department. Schools are allowed to select their own criteria, and students are not limited in their choice of media or subject matter. Each student will exhibit one work in the gallery and be honored at an opening reception 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Participating schools include Blind Brook, Bronxville, French American School, Hackley School, Holy Child, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle and Port Chester, Rye Country Day, Rye, Rye Neck, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow, Keio Academy, White Plains and Westlake High School.

For more information on Student Studio, visit www.ryeartscenter.org.

This just came in from Concordia College:

As part of Concordia College’s ongoing cultural programs for the public, Concordia Conservatory of Music & Art presents Tour de Force, a concert featuring four youth rock bands slated for 7 p.m.  March 18 in the Schoenfeld Campus Center  on the college’s Bronxville campus.

The four bands, Carbon 17, Nerve, Sundays on Saturn and Trip to Insanity.  are performers aged 10 to 15 from Bronxville and New Rochelle who attend Bronxville public schools, the Harvey School, Riverdale Country School, and St. Joseph School.

The music ranges from acid rock, British invasion and funk rock to 90’s alternative, punk and modern pop rock.

Band members include:

Carbon 17: Sam Arcano, Michael Caruso, Kevin Casperson, Claire Sargent
Nerve: Jason Bell-Rose, James FitzGerald, Noah Klibonoff , Christopher Landy
Sundays on Saturn: Sophia Feinberg, Griffin Garbarini, William Maze, Tommy Meade
Trip to Insanity: Michael Anagnostakis, Joshua Bothwell, Kevin Flanagan, Christopher Landy, Noah Klibonoff

The Rock Band program at the Conservatory was born four years ago as part of the Conservatory’s chamber music program.  Since then, Rock Band has grown into a full-scale, year round program.  The bands are coached by Conservatory guitar faculty David Veslocki and Bob Gingery.

Rock Band is open to experienced guitar, bass, keyboard, percussion and woodwind players as well as vocalists. The program runs throughout the academic year, and the Conservatory offers a four-week camp from June 27 to July 22.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased by calling 914-395-4507 or at concordiaconservatory.org.

Mamaroneck’s Anima Banks and Bronxville’s Mary Cain compete in the Girls 1000 meter run during the Section One Winter Track and Field State Qualifier at The Armory in Manhattan Feb. 26, 2011. Banks placed first in the event with a time of 2:50.05, setting a new Section One Indoor Track record for the event. Cain placed second with a time of 2:50.84, setting a new New York state Freshman Indoor Track record for the event. See more photos of the Section 1 State Track Qualifier.

Eastchester/Bronxville’s Ian Palfrey scores past Pelham goalie Josh Borofsky during their game at the Ice Hutch. Eastchester/Bronxville won 10-4.

See more photos of Eastchester/Bronxville vs Pelham hockey

Five southern Westchester bands are among the eight musical groups set to battle it out at the Westchester County “Battle of the Bands” at 6 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the Westchester County Center.

The groups of musicians between the ages of 15 and 20 were chosen from more than 20 audition CDs submitted to the county. Judging will be done by a panel of parks department staff and music industry professionals. The winner will get six hours of free studio time at Acme Recording Studios in Mamaroneck. All bands will get a gift certificate to Sam Ash in White Plains.

Admission is $5, and the parking fee at the County Center will be waived for the event.

The schedule includes:

• The Fame from Mamaroneck

• Orion from Tuckahoe

• Ray Sez Rolling from Scarsdale

• Short Bus from Eastchester

• Temporary Heroes from Bronxville

The other competitors hail from South Salem, Katonah and Montvale, NJ.