Sound Shore

Joseph Longobardi, principal of Pelham Middle School, will retire in June after a 39-year-long career in education. He was hired as the district’s first special education teacher and went on to hold several administrative positions before being appointed Middle School principal in 1992. District Superintendent Dennis Lauro described him as “an outstanding educator and a wonderful leader.” Longobardi said, “I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to be part of this community for all these years.”

Timeless Treasures, in Pelham, is hosting a retrospective and sale of jewelry designed by the late Pelham resident Jack (Jacques) LiBuono on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. LiBuono, according to a press release from the store, was a master of costume jewelry and worked from the 1940s through the 1980s. His son James, who lives in Pelham, will give a presentation on Saturday. The store is at 200 Sparks Ave. in Pelham.

State Sen. Jeff Klein will hold three anti-cyberbullying forums for students Thursday at schools in Pelham and Mount Vernon. He will be joined by Miss New York Kaitlin Monte, who is an anti-bullying advocate, and several others. The first meeting will be held at Pelham Middle School at 12:30 p.m. The second will be at Pelham High School at 1:15 p.m. The third will be at the A.B. Davis Middle School in Mount Vernon at 2 p.m.

Klein has been raising awareness about the repercussions of cyberbullying. He is helping to develop a census aimed at understanding how widespread cyberbullying is in New York.

The Pelham Math Committee, a group of parents advocating the overhaul of the Pelham School District’s elementary math program, has taken its cause to the Internet and developed a pretty deep website on the subject. This reporter isn’t picking sides in this fight, but I thought people who have been following the story (I wrote this article about it at the end of the year; an Iona College professor wrote this letter to the editor) as well as educators and parents of students in other communities would be interested in the group’s positions and, therefore, interested in the site. If you do take a look, drop a line in the comments section of this blog and let me know what you think. I’ll be following this story closely and I’m eager to hear and read as many opinions about it as possible.

Katie Costantini, a senior at Pelham Memorial High School, has spent the last two summers growing and studying small groups of cells at Rockefeller University, in New York City. Now she’s a semi-finalist for the Intel Science Talent Search, one of 14 from Westchester County. (Read more about the contest here.)

Intel’s description of her project, “Investigating the Efficiency of Growth and Incorporation of Small Intestinal Mucosal Organoids Grown from Single Stem Cells and Isolated Crypts,” makes it sound like arcane work. But, Costantini said, “I think it has such immediate, practical applications.”

She said her research could eventually lead to cures for intestinal conditions like celiac disease, which afflicts 1 in every 133 people and, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation, goes largely undiagnosed.

That pragmatic aspect of her work likely appealed to Intel’s judges, she said. Still, Costantini said she was “totally surprised” to find out she’d made the semi-final round in what she described as a “world-renowned competition.”

Asked what she would do until the finalists are announced, the 18-year-old paused and offered, “Be anxious?” Costantini plans to attend Williams College in the fall. She said she’ll “definitely” study some kind of science, perhaps biology or neuroscience, and is considering taking pre-med courses.

The Picture House in Pelham will launch its Family Flicks series on Jan. 6, 2012. Every Friday through Sunday, plus whenever school is closed, the theater will show family-friendly films ranging from classics to cult favorites.

The series opens with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which will run Jan. 6 through Jan. 8. After that, “A Town Called Panic.” Later in the month, the Picture House will show Jim Henson’s “The Dark Crystal.”

For more information and a full schedule, go online to thepicturehouse.org.

Looking for a unique holiday gift? Of course. Craft-Tastic launches Friday night at Pelham Art Center with a free opening reception and all-ages art workshop from 6:30 to 8 p.m. There will be ceramics, artwork, jewelry, glass and furniture to browse. Members get a 15 percent discount on all gallery purchases made through Dec. 10. The gallery exhibit runs through Jan. 7 of 2012.

Click here for more information or call (914) 738-2525.

School budget season is coming and the Pelham Board of Education wants to hear from its constituents. The district has scheduled four public meetings over the next few weeks at which board members will discuss the budget process, talk about the newly imposed 2-percent property tax cap and take suggestions from the public.

The meetings will be held at the following times and places:

Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m. at the Town House;

Monday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hutchinson School Library;

Saturday, Dec. 10, at 10:15 a.m. at the Pelham Library Community Room;

and Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. at the M.A.D. Cafe.

With 90 percent of the vote tallied by midnight, it appeared Republicans swept the race for the two town justice positions.

Incumbent Stephen Huff was elected for another term, with John DeChiaro, an attorney, poised to join him on the bench.

The two men defeated Democratic challengers Mercedes Maldonado and George Bischof. Conservative Stephen Ruffino finished last.

Looking for a fright? Pelham Memorial High School’s senior class is giving part of the school the haunted house makeover, decorating 10 rooms in themes inspired by horror(-ish) movies like “The Shining” and “Sweeny Todd.”

The (temporarily) scary school will be open Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m. A source tells us the themed rooms will be appropriate for kids 10 years of age and older. For younger kids who aren’t quite ready to handle the ol’ murderous barber (that’s Mr. Todd) routine, there’s the game room, where they will find games, snacks and refreshments.

The event is $5 and open to the public.