They Could Have Had Their Own Show
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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(The following was submitted by Bill Doescher)
Dr. John T. King, Artistic Director and Conductor of the New Choral Society (NCS), keeps bringing the pros’ pros to Scarsdale.
And why not. Each and every one of them could have had their own show, and sometimes they do. But instead for this particular evening, they happily shared the stage with King and other fellow pros.
King pulled off his magic again on Saturday evening, Feb. 10, in the Sanctuary of the Hitchcock Presbyterian Church on Greenacres Avenue. As members of the New Choral Society Orchestra, the 10 already well-established, highly recognized musicians with plenty of their own credits to boost about, provided a bevy of elegant and soothing orchestral music while adding a brief history lesson of classical and chamber music from Mozart’s Horn Quintet in 1782 to Leonard Bernstein’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano published in 1942 to Beethoven’s Duet for Viola and Cello in E-flat Major, WoO32.
Bridge and Tunnel, a duet for viola and clarinet with piano accompaniment with Jessica Meyer performing her own work on the viola, and Ben Fingland, her husband on the clarinet, as well as Margaret “Peggy” Kampmeier, on the piano, absolutely caused the audience to sit-up and pay strict attention. Meyer said of her piece, “The private piece is to be shared rather than a work intended for publication—a real piece of chamber music.”
Other pro musicians performing in the show included Eliot Bailen, on the cello, Donna Elaine, on the flute, Michael Green, on the bassoon, Patrick Milando, on the French horn, Ani Gregorian Resnick, on the violin, Una Tone, also on the violin, and Peter Weitzner, on the bass. But it was Kampmeier, who from my vantage point, stole the show with her eight appearances and delicious hand movements on the piano. And as is seemingly planned every year, it was to be her only live performance for NCS in 2024.
According to the “Program Notes,” “Kampmeier enjoys a varied career as a soloist, collaborative artist, and an educator. Equally fluent in classical and contemporary repertoire, she has concertized and recorded extensively. She has performed with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic Ensembles, Kronos Quartet, and Mirror Vision Ensemble. Peggy teaches piano and chamber music at Princeton University and is also on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.
In summary and humbling speaking, it was indeed a most relaxing and pleasing evening. If I didn’t know better, I might have been back in the day in one of my classical music courses at Colgate University in the late 1950s. The New Choral Society orchestral pros were once again that good and, as you would expect, nobody seemed to miss a beat.
They all deserved an A. Maybe an A+.
Honest!
Thank you, Dr. King.
Bill Doescher
(Pictured at top: Margaret "Peggy" Kampmeier, piano, Una Tone, violin, Jessica Meyer, viola, Eliot Bailen, cello, Peter Weitzner, bass)
The Keto Diet: Is it Right for You?
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- Written by Stacie M. Waldman
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What’s up with everyone “doing keto”? I was at a friend’s house for dinner and all her salad dressings were “Keto” and the café I was having a PTA meeting at had “Keto friendly” salads for lunch. As I began inquiring, the endocrinologist in the crowd chimed in saying that she has patients coming in regularly complaining that they’re tired and fat and they want to begin the keto diet under physician supervision.
The theory behind the Ketogenic Diet is high-fat, low-carbohydrate (carb) and moderate protein food intake. By restricting the body of carbs, one will eventually reach a state of ketosis – a metabolic state where fat is burned for energy. Ketosis can only occur when carbohydrates are kept at extremely low levels (usually below 30/40 grams per day and some plans restrict intake to below 21 grams per day). Percentage-wise, the diet suggests a daily intake of foods that consist of 75% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
Initially used by the medical community to treat epilepsy patients with seizure disorders, there is some preliminary data showing that a ketogenic diet may benefit patients with certain types of other diseases.
One woman in our community told me that she had been diagnosed with glioblastoma (brain cancer) and through online research learned that a ketogenic diet may prevent recurrence. There actually is data to back this claim, though much of it is still preliminary. There is also increasing data revealing that the keto diet may help patients with neurologic diseases and with diabetes. “My tumor was resected in January,” she said, “and I began Keto about three weeks ago. It’s not too difficult to follow and I’ve lost about ten pounds.” I asked if her doctor was supportive as the diet was based on information she found online versus information that was physician-provided. “My doc was supportive but warned that it might be hard to restrict carbs to 21 grams per day. It hasn’t been too difficult though.” (I didn’t think so either until I realized that my one cup of yogurt contained an entire day of Keto- Diet carbs!)
Another person here in Scarsdale said she saw a classmate of hers lose “…oodles of weight on the Keto Diet so I thought I would try it. The first two to three days were really tough…I was light headed so I spent of lot of the time laying down. I ate lots of cheese. I did the diet religiously for 20 days and I must admit that my clothes fit better and I lost six pounds quickly.” She explained that being from an Indian family, she felt she could not continue the keto diet. “I went back to India and of course pigged out on the carb rich diet and realized I could never go back on keto!” She learned a lot though and did lose weight quickly and noticeably. “My skin brightened up with all the veggies,” she said, “but as soon as you stop the diet, the weight piles back on. I also didn’t like the feeling of being cranky and not having the energy to work out.”
There are other issues that come up surrounding the Keto Diet. For example, my endocrinologist friend told me about her keto diet patients feeling extremely tired and cranky at the start of severely reducing carbohydrates. Some patients even describe themselves as not thinking clearly. Other people have termed this “Keto flu” as the body adjusts to limited glucose availability and people actually experience flu-like symptoms. These issues usually resolve within a week or two.
I reached out to long-time nutritionist Elizabeth DeRobertis, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, Director of the Nutrition Center at Scarsdale Medical Group to get the facts and her expert opinion on the ketogenic diet.
Do you have patients coming in asking about the Keto Diet? What are the most common reasons patients want to begin this diet?
Yes, I do have patients coming in asking about the Keto Diet, usually inquiring because they have heard of someone who has lost weight doing it and heard that they did not feel hungry. I believe the biggest draw is that people say they feel full/satisfied and are losing weight at the same time.
How does it stack up against similar diets, like Paleo or Atkins, in terms of weight loss and sustainability?
Keto is similar to plans such as Atkins and Paleo and everything else that reduces carb intake. The difference is the focus on increased fat in the Keto Diet versus increased protein in the others. Any plan that reduces carbs ultimately reduces calorie intake and thereby results in weight loss. An increase in protein and an increase in fat helps people to feel satiated. People seem to crave carbs less when they all but eliminate them. When you start your day off with a higher-carb breakfast, your body needs to produce more insulin and that extra circulating insulin can actually make you feel hungrier and crave even more carbs. With a higher protein breakfast, your body does not need to produce insulin in response to that meal so a higher protein breakfast helps people feel full quickly and feel full for longer. Protein and fat both promote satiety (or feeling full) so therein lies the success of the Keto Diet.
In your professional opinion, what type of patient is a good candidate for the Keto Diet (and who is not)?
I think it’s reasonable for someone try a Keto type of approach if they want to lose weight and they don’t feel satiated with their higher carb lifestyle. The Keto Diet is based on increased fat, however, and it allows that fat to come from saturated fat. The downfall to this is that I have seen this raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, in people who previously did not have high LDL cholesterol. Saturated fat is the type of fat that can cause plaque to build up in the arteries. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 13 grams or less of saturated fat per day. The Keto Diet includes coconut oil which in and of itself has 12 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. The AHA recently made a statement that coconut oil should not be ingested because of its high saturated fat profile. As a nutritionist, I believe that people can achieve the same level of success with this plan by choosing unsaturated fats over saturated fats. Fat does help people to feel full and modifying the type of fat can make this plan a healthier option. For example, I would suggest nuts over cheese as a snack on the Keto Diet as nuts contain healthier fats than cheese. If we compared the satiety of a snack such as a 100-calorie bag of pretzels to a 100-calorie portion of veggies with guacamole dip, the guacamole would likely promote greater satiety because of its high fat and low carbohydrate make up; and avocado is high in unsaturated or “healthy” fat. This is especially important for people with a personal or family history of heart disease; I advise using olive oil over butter, turkey instead of salami and other unsaturated-fat food options.
Do you have any other thoughts on the Keto Diet from your perspective as a nutritionist?
It’s okay to follow a more restrictive plan initially, but it is extremely important to have a transition plan and a longer-term plan in place. For example, when the weight loss goal is achieved or if a patient is feeling bored or like they are veering off course, rather than giving it up completely and returning to old unhealthy eating habits, it would be a good time to start to add versions of foods they have been missing in small quantities. Take a bagel, for example. Rather than indulging in such a high-carb food, a Keto dieter can add two slices of a whole grain healthier bread as part of their lunch. (As a side note, my new favorite find is Dave's Killer Bread at 60 calories a slice!) I have learned that different things work from each of the many diet plans that have been popular over the years. There is some truth in each of them, but the key is to find what works for the individual in order for the to sustain the lifestyle.
Have you tried the Keto Diet? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.
Mid-November Home Sales and Featured Listings
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- Written by Jordi Wiener
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See below for this week's sales and featured listings:
Sales
28 Quentin Road
Farmhouse colonial just in time for Summer! Enjoy craftsmanship, high ceilings, flow, & floor to ceiling windows. This home presented by one of Scarsdale’s home builders offers a flow including family room/breakfast area with sliding glass doors to patio and backyard, a kitchen/butler's pantry with appliances & cabinetry, a 1st floor home office/bedroom with full bath & mudroom with access to 2 car garage & side door entrance. The 2nd floor has 9 foot ceilings & an owners suite with a spa bath and closets. 3 secondary suites feature en suite bathrooms & 2nd floor laundry. Enjoy recreation in the lower level including a playroom, gym, wine room or 2nd laundry area, bedroom, & full bath.
Sale Price: $3,300,000
Real Estate Taxes: $100
Assessed Value: $1,175,000
75 Griffen Avenue
Colonial in the heart of Scarsdale. With details and streamlined features throughout, this home affords a Colonial charm that blends with finishes for the discerning buyer. Entertain in the dining room, or unwind in your family room before preparing a meal in the kitchen. Master bedroom with en-suite master bathroom. Large sized bedrooms allow for flexibility in both rest and work spaces - work from home and have the whole extended family over for the weekend! Backyard lends itself to relaxation and entertainment possibilities. Endless potential on a tranquil street. With style and grace, this is a must see home!
Sale Price: $1,550,000
Real Estate Taxes: $29,586
Assessed Value: $1,165,840
242 Nelson Road
Colonial in Scarsdale.... 4 bedrooms/3 baths with 2500 square feet of living space! Amenities include Central Air, Generator, 9 foot Ceilings, Primary Bedroom with Bath, Jacuzzi tub, two closets and tray ceilings, Hardwood Floors, Floor Plan with kitchen and granite counters which leads to a family room with gas fireplace! Basement for music lovers, playroom, office, den etc. Walk out to the yard! This house has it all!
Sale Price: $1,380,000
Real Estate Taxes: $22,743
Assessed Value: $950,000
175 Clarence Road
This is it! Move-in ready suburban in Scarsdale school district. This 3 bed 2 full bath colonial has been maintained and updated and is in the heart of Edgewood, one of the most desirable Scarsdale neighborhoods. Main level offers flow with spaces for today's way of living. Enter into a renovated mudroom adjacent to the full bath, continue to the renovated island kitchen with cabinet and counter space, dining area, living/family room with wood-burning fireplace, built-ins, and wall of windows. Upper level includes three bedrooms, each with closet space, and a full bath. Renovated lower level checks all the boxes: sunken family room, playroom/gym, home office space, and storage. Private backyard. Updates and upgrades include: new roof and siding (2015), refinished floors, driveway and gutters (2015), new sprinkler system, windows and refrigerator (2016), renovated kitchen, mudroom, full bath, and pantry (2018), new storm doors and washing machine (2020-2021). Tesla solar panels (2019) cover a significant % of annual electric bills. Don't miss out - this house represents value for the space, light, excellent condition and a most sought after location - great for indoor & outdoor entertaining, working from home and today’s living - move in ready for your most discerning buyer!
Sale Price: $1,100,000
Real Estate Taxes: $19,814
Assessed Value: $775,000
145 Lyons Road
This 4 bedroom, 2.1 bath Tudor home has space, generous rooms, and a .17 acre property. First floor-Entry vestibule with closet, living room with wood burning fireplace/2 walls of windows and French doors that open to dining room. Kitchen with breakfast area, family room that is open from the kitchen and dining room with sliders out to stone patio/yard. Second floor- Primary bedroom with en-suite bath/WIC, 3 additional bedrooms and a full hall bath. Power-washed and painted exterior, professional landscaping.
Sale Price: $999,000
Real Estate Taxes: $21,718
Assessed Value: $850,000
Featured Listings
69 Penn Boulevard, Scarsdale
5 Bedrooms, 5.2 Bathrooms, 5,768 Square Feet
Mid-century contemporary Ranch situated on a bucolic 1.2 acre double lot on gorgeous Penn Boulevard exudes elegance and warmth in the Quaker Ridge neighborhood of Scarsdale. Set back from the road, this home offers a peaceful setting as well as a wonderful layout for everyday living and luxurious entertaining. A pretty patio for entertaining and striking front doors open into a modern foyer with slate floors, leading to a sun-filled gathering area with floor-to-ceiling windows and fireplace adjacent to a spacious formal living room with fireplace for entertaining large groups. An impressive formal dining room boasting floor-to-ceiling windows easily seats 24 and opens to a bright kitchen with lacquered custom-built Poggenpohl cabinetry, oversized island, premium appliances including Bosch, Subzero and Miele, 2 sinks, and a sunlit dining area with sliding glass doors to the patio with outdoor fireplace. Faux painted ceilings adorn many entertaining spaces and a private office with custom built-in desk/cabinetry plus a formal powder room complete this side of the first level. Enter the private family area and relax in the den/family room with fireplace and glass doors to a pool room containing a "resistance" or "endless" pool with automatic cover, 4 large skylights and powder room. Through a set of French doors, enter the expansive primary bedroom suite boasting a faux painted vaulted ceiling, 2 full bathrooms, one updated in 2019 with jacuzzi tub, double vanity and glass cabinetry just off a dressing area, the other with glass enclosed shower. There are many closets in the primary bedroom area including Poliform custom-built-in cabinetry along one entire wall, two outfitted walk-in closets and 2 other outfitted closets. Three additional bedrooms (one with built-in desks is currently being used as an office) and two full baths, complete this side of the first level. The lower level includes a legal bedroom, legal full bath, three versatile rooms; ie: recreation room, play room and office, laundry room, an oversized cedar closet/storage, additional storage space plus access to the two car attached garage. This sweeping property consists of two separate lots. One containing the house is .59 acres and the other is .63 acres. Walk to elementary school and enjoy a free school bus to Scarsdale Middle and High School. Close to worship. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy one-level living on park-like property on sought-after Penn Boulevard!
Click here for more information
Sale price: $2,999,000
8 Cotswold Way, Scarsdale PO/Edgemont
5 Bedrooms, 4.1 Bathrooms, 4,511 Square Feet
Bright English country Colonial in the sought-after Cotswolds neighborhood in Edgemont, a short walk to elementary school, park, Scarsdale Village and train for a 32 minute commute to Grand Central Terminal. The first level features a fabulous open plan chef's kitchen with adjacent family room with large glass sliding doors to the patio and private, landscaped yard, an elegant living room with fireplace, sun room/office, formal dining room, powder room, mudroom and garage. The second level boasts an impressive primary bedroom with fireplace, large walk-in closet and luxurious primary bath with steam shower, double vanity and roof deck, bedroom w/ensuite bath and two more bedrooms w/hall bath. The third level includes a recreation room and bedroom. The lower level features a sun-filled playroom, full bath and laundry room. This corner property provides a level yard with ample entertaining space on the patio, great privacy and wonderful curb appeal. Don't miss this Edgemont gem!
Click here for more information
Sale price: $2,195,000
Contact Us
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- Written by Chad Criswell
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Please email us your feedback at ScarsdaleComments@gmail.com.
We would love to hear from you. Thank you!
Music That Matters - Live-Streamed Concert
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Emily Hansen, SHS senior and opera singer, is organizing a musical fundraiser to combat COVID-19. She'll be collaborating with Jack Silvers, a Scarsdale grad and pianist on a gap year before attending Harvard. They'll be performing a range of pieces from Baroque arias to contemporary showtunes.
Music that Matters will be live-streamed on Sunday, March 14th at 6:30 pm. All contributions will be donated to the CDC Foundation's "Crush Covid-19" Campaign, which works to address the pandemic through health equity, frontline support, and health protection efforts.
To view the concert program, which includes links to the donation site and live-stream, click here:
George Latimer Scores Big Win in Race for Westchester County Executive
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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State Senator George Latimer pulled off a big victory in Westchester County, defeating two-term incumbent Rob Astorino to become Westchester County Executive. Though Astorino was initially in the lead, the margins narrowed in the weeks before the election. Latimer's supporters knew the vote would be close and a committed group of volunteers organized to bring out the vote. Latimer surprised everyone by winning 57% of the 206,230 votes cast, soundly defeating Astorino's 43%. Astorino, a former radio personality and producer was a rising star in the Republican Party and challenged Andrew Cuomo in the race for NYS Governor in 2014.
Latimer rode a wave of Democratic Party support across the country as voters expressed their frustration with Trump's policies. Key issues in Westchester include taxes, gun control, water safety, women's rights and the proposed privatization of Westchester County airport. A controversial $1 million donation to Astorino's campaign by Breitbart supporter Robert Mercer brought national politics to the local level and may have swayed some voters.
According to results from the Westchester County Board of Elections, Latimer won 66.79% of the vote in Scarsdale, getting 2,561 of the 3,834 votes cast for county executive.
Myra Saul headed up the volunteer effort in Scarsdale with Deborah Porder, Stephen Sherman and student Jack Greenspan. Commenting on the results, Saul said, "Many volunteers from Indivisible Westchester, Democratic clubs and local advocacy groups greatly helped Latimer, who never had the financial resources available to the Astorino campaign. People power was Latimer's secret sauce. Many people in Scarsdale volunteered for phone banks, postcard writing and canvassing events. Many of the volunteers had never been politically active before. A Scarsdale high school contingent was also active. While much of this activity reflected a desire to rid Westchester of a very conservative Republican who is associated with the Trump brand, there also was a deep desire to change the course of the county's policies. For example, many in Scarsdale were horrified at the gun show held last year at the County Center at which racist and anti - Semitic literature was available. Latimer has pledged that no gun shows will be held on county property. We can expect that Latimer will stop privatization of the airport and will be more diligent in addressing environmental concerns. Finally, Latimer has promised a return to a pragmatic, non-ideological county government. After the contentiousness of the Astorino era, many are looking forward to an administration that believes in government and a desire to get things done competently and in the public good."
Mark Lewis, who chairs the Scarsdale Democrats provided the following analysis of the race for County Executive and the Board of Legislators, where Scarsdale's representative Ben Boykin ran unopposed. He said, "Scarsdale went for George Latimer by a 2 to 1 margin. The win means that we will be going in a new direction in the County. George will be more supportive of helping non-profits who get funding from the County. The Democrats also won three more seats in the Legislature, probably signaling a change in leadership in January when the newly elected legislators and the new County Executive begin their terms in office."
He continued, "All the unions need new contracts and Astorino has not negotiated with them. George will have to find a way to settle new contracts. Astorino has let our County roads and other infrastructure deteriorate. George will be proactive in fixing the County infrastructure. He has pledged to increase the Planning Department so they can plan and implement improvements to the County infrastructure. He will not let bridges wait eight years, while pieces of the bridge fall on cars passing under them before repairing them, which is what happened on the Ardsley Road Bridge going over the Thruway in Greenburgh. He will not wait eight years to repair swimming pools such as the Sprain Brook pool, which had to be closed down for three years due to ill repair, before fixing them."
He concluded, "Rob Astorino is presenting his last County budget so we do not know what that will look like. The new budget will be coming out in the next few days. George will have to live with an Astorino budget which will be passed before he takes office in January. Ben Boykin, who represents Scarsdale and White Plains, also won as he ran unopposed and will be one of the more senior legislators. Ben is a CPA and is very knowledgeable about budgets."
As for the three propositions on the ballot, here's how Westchester County voted:
Proposition One to convene a NYS Constitutional Convention was defeated 81% to 19%.
Proposition Two to allow courts to reduce or revoke the pensions of public officers who are convicted for felonies was approved 73% to 27%.
Proposition Three to permit the use of preserved forests for health and safety needs was approved 60% to 40%.
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