May 1, 2010
"Talk of the Town"
By Bonni Brodnick
Several Fox Lane High School students are back from a one-week trip to Nicaragua called “Bridges to Community.” Elie Andersen, Barrie Froehlich, Michelle Kowalski, Sarena Malsin and Kurt Wasserman from Pound Ridge joined other students on an unforgettable trip to help this non-profit community development organization build a school. They stayed in the village of Las Perlas, where there was no running water and they awoke to the sound of roosters. “The trip was special because we became a small part of a special piece of history for the village,” said David Albano, a Fox Lane High School English teacher. He was accompanied by Diana Sarna (English teacher) and Lindsay Lappin (art teacher). “Prior to the site being designated as a place for a new, three-room school, for many years it was a local dump. Each day trucks would arrive, dump trash and burn it. The local village knew the burning of this trash was not good for their children’s breathing, so citizens petitioned the government to stop the dumping. Since the government didn’t respond, the people of Las Perlas decided to take it into their own hands by meeting the trucks at the gates and barring entrance with their bodies. There were many heated standoffs.” The government finally listened to the villagers, who cleaned up the dump and made a baseball/kickball field and started the process of finding a way to build a school. Approval finally came this year, and they broke ground about a month before the Fox Lane group arrived to build half of the school. “Another ‘Bridges to Community’ group will finish what we started,” Mr. Albano continued. The great news? A new school will open this June. For our Pound Ridge students, this was a trip of a lifetime. Their efforts have surely touched the lives of many in Las Perlas.
Wendy Mele, friend of Angel Wings International, a non-profit medical service provider, wrote to let us know that they are organizing an immediate mission to provide emergency medical care to Haiti earthquake victims at Christ Love Center in Jacmel. The center cares for more than 350 children a day, most of whom have lost their parents. Doctors who are especially in need are pediatricians, general practitioners, ob-gyns, dermatologists and nurses. The volunteer medical staff pays for their own airfare and donates $500 to cover hotel, food, and transportation to and from the airport. Doctors rendez-vous in Ft. Lauderdale and fly as a group to Haiti. Angel Wings International is mobilizing their next monthly trip on May 5 – 9. “You never know if there is a doctor or nurse reading the Record-Review who wants to help provide immediate emergency care and truly make a difference,” Wendy said. For more information, please visit www.angelwingsinternational.org. You can also contact Wendy at wendymele@gmail.com to learn more about both the upcoming mission and a 5k walk/run in Ridgefield on May 23 to raise money for the organization.
Albano Appliance & Service and Houlihan Lawrence Real Estate will co-host their 2nd annual “A Taste of Pound Ridge” on Thursday, May 6 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at 83 Westchester Avenue. Bring your appetite to Albano’s showroom where you’ll sample signature dishes from local culinary wizards like Jehan Denoüe (Albano’s resident chef), Blind Charlie’s Café, DiNardo’s Ristorante Italiano, My Goodness! Deli & Café, North Star Restaurant, Pinocchio Pizza, Plum Plums, and Tokyo Hamachi Restaurant. After imbibing in the deliciousity of their offerings, head next door to the Houlihan Lawrence offices for a silent auction on items donated by members of the Pound Ridge Business Association and the community. Put up your best bids for a selection of vacation packages, gift certificates, flower arrangements, gift baskets, and more. Donation to attend the festivities is $25 per person ($30 at the door) and $10 for children 12 and under. Proceeds will benefit the Pound Ridge Library expansion and renovation fund. To make reservations/payments, Joyce is the go-to gal at Albano’s (764-4051). You may also make reservations with the Library (764-5085) or respond to the town-wide mailer that landed last weekend.
Pound Ridge Community Church will have a Blessing of the Animals on Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m. on the church lawn. Whether your pet has shaggy or short hair, feathers or scales, they are welcome to participate in a brief worship service, to receive a special blessing and to be recognized as one of God's special creatures. The event is free and refreshments for all will be served. A free-will offering will be collected for Heifer Project International. The Sunday school children have been working on this mission project all year and are about $500 away from their goal of $5,000. Please call 764-9000 if you have any questions. And don’t forget to tell Willis, Augie, Daisy, Sailor, Roots, Henry, Bella, Buddy, Moonstone, Smokey, Chinchi, Salem, Sophie, Mister, Vera, Charlie, Mang, Wallace, London, Ollie, Berkley and Mayzy to mark it on their calendars.
No comments:
Post a Comment