Come to the Kabaret
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Greenacres resident Nancie Schnur has been delighting children with her songs for 23 years in Scarsdale. She performs her “Kiddie Kabaret” at birthday parties, in schools, libraries and wherever young children can be found. She is a local legend and here is her story:
When did you first start singing and learn to play the guitar?
I have been singing my whole life though I am not trained nor do I read music. I write all my songs by singing the tunes into a tape recorder and writing down the lyrics as I go along. I learn everything by ear. (I did play guitar in college but don't anymore.)
What is your educational background?
I graduated from SHS and I have a BA from Sarah Lawrence College.
How long have you lived in Scarsdale?
I moved to Scarsdale from New Rochelle in 1968.
When did you start singing for children?
I started singing for young children when my kids were in nursery school. That was almost 23 years ago. My previous career was as a product and package designer for Avon Products and Sigma Marketing systems. I switched to children's entertainment so I could work my schedule around my kid's schedule and spend more time with them.
Do you write original songs or sing the classics?
I do both. I have many original songs and I also add verses and write music for old nursery rhymes that are in the public domain. Many of these appear on my album, Kiddie Kabaret. I also perform the classic kid's songs that we all grew up with like Old MacDonald, however, I like to give them a little lyrical twist or a more contemporary arrangement.
What are some of the favorites for kids?
Young children all seem to enjoy a song I wrote called "Four Luckie Duckies" where I wear puppets on my hands and feet. They love songs where they can participate too. I have another original song called "Nobody Sings a song about their Elbows" where we point to all the things about us that never get a song (elbows, knees, noses, sneezes, etc.) and they get a kick out of that. Of course, by the time we finish the song we actually DO sing about all those things!
Describe the parties you offer:
I perform Kiddie Kabaret at public libraries, schools and private events like birthday parties. The show generally runs 30 - 40 minutes depending on the age of the kids. I use lots of fun, colorful props to make the songs I sing come alive. These include hand puppets, finger puppets, puppets on sticks, puppets made out of gloves where each finger is a different character and many other whimsical objects. I make many of these props myself, especially when they accompany songs I have written.
Have children changed with the advent of new technologies?
Kids really have not changed in the two plus decades I have been doing this but technology has. I started out using cassette tapes and have moved onto CDS for playing the music that I sing to. Since my hands are busy using puppets, etc. I cannot also play an instrument so I sing live, and the music, which has been fully orchestrated in a studio, is recorded and played on a CD to back up all of our voices. The most fun is when all the adults who accompany the kids join in as that makes for a big intergenerational sing-along!
Where can Scarsdale kids find you?
I have been performing Kiddie Kabaret in The Scott Room at Scarsdale library for the past 22 years. The program is offered once a month from October through June at 10:30 AM usually on Tuesday mornings. Check the library schedule for upcoming dates if you'd like to join in the fun!
Anything else you would like to add?
I have a CD for sale that has 19 songs on it and gives a good taste of what the show is like. It is called Kiddie Kabaret with Nancie Schnur and can be purchased from me or at The Scarsdale Women's Exchange for $15. I offer a special discount on CDs when they are bought for favors in conjunction with a party.
Where can readers find you?
I can be reached at 914-723-2510 or at nanciejane@optonline.net
Scholarship Aid Available to Scarsdale Students
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Students who graduated from Scarsdale High School and/or live in Scarsdale and who have completed their first, second, or third years of college are invited to apply to the Scarsdale Foundation for tuition assistance. For the 2010-2011 academic year, $76,000 was awarded to 24 students attending private and state-supported colleges in their second, third, and fourth years.
Applications should be submitted online on the Scarsdale Foundation’s website, scarsdalefoundation.org (click on the College Scholarships link). Completed applications must be submitted by Friday, June 3, 2011. Late applications will not be accepted. Inquiries regarding scholarship applications should be directed to Susie Rush, at srush76@gmail.com or call 472-7797.
The Scarsdale Foundation is the presenter of the Scarsdale Bowl Award, given annually to a citizen(s) who has contributed outstanding voluntary service. Emily Sherwood, former president of the Board of Education and exemplary community volunteer, will receive this year’s award at a dinner to be held at the Lake Isle Country Club on Wednesday, April 6. All members of the community are invited to attend.
The Foundation welcomes contributions from the community to augment the funds available for distribution each year. Contributions may also be donated to a specially earmarked scholarship fund of the Scarsdale Foundation, with monies to be used for 2011-2012 recipients, allowing the Foundation to carry on the Scarsdale tradition of helping our students in need to pursue a college education. Donations may be made online by visiting the Foundation’s website, scarsdalefoundation.org , or mailed to the Foundation at P.O. Box 542, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
The Scarsdale Foundation was established in 1923 to raise funds for the family of a slain Scarsdale police officer. Since that time it has grown and expanded activities as a nonprofit community trust.
In addition to the granting of college scholarships, the Foundation provides aid to Scarsdale families who may need assistance in sending their children to the Scarsdale Rec Camp and also funds scholarships for children from Mt. Vernon to attend the same day camp program.
In past years, the Foundation has granted project assistance and seed money for other community organizations, including the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp., the Scarsdale-Edgemont Family Counseling Service, Scarsdale Citizens for Senior Housing, the Scarsdale Public Library, the Task Force on Drugs and Alcohol, Partners in Youth, Scarsdale Student Transfer Education Plan (STEP), the Scarsdale Historical Society, Friends of Music and the Arts, the League of Women Voters, the Tercentenary Celebration Committee, and Hoff-Barthelson Music School. The Foundation also helped to fund the "University of Scarsdale" program held by the Scarsdale-Edgemont Family Counseling Service and the WESTHAB "Make a House a Home" project that refurbished the former Village Hall Annex building on Post Road for continued occupancy as a residence for a homeless family.
The Foundation administers several funds, including the Luella B. Slaner Scholarship Fund, the Scarsdale School Personnel and Family Assistance Fund, the Kathy Froelich Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Stefan E. Corbin Fund, the Robert Delany Memorial Scholarship Fund, the Frank J. and Ruth P. Galvin Fund and the Billy Safian Humanitarian Fund.
For more information regarding the work of the Foundation, please contact Foundation President Jacqueline Irwin at 472-2311 or visit the website, scarsdalefoundation.org .
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Tread-X at Bodyfit - Try Your First Class FREE
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Cold weather and icy streets pose a challenge to my exercise routine. Tennis is out, and the winter chill had made it difficult to get myself outside for a walk or a game of platform tennis. Though time on the treadmill or the elliptical does the trick, it quickly get’s boring and that’s why I was happy to find a new way to get an endorphin rush.
Bodyfit on Scarsdale Avenue has recently added a new interval-training program to their mix. Tread-X combines the use of treadmills and suspension training with traditional floor exercise and aerobics. The routine changes with each class to alleviate the ennui and time passes quickly as you burn calories walking, running and doing exercises that tone your entire body.
One of the Bodyfit studios has been refitted with sparkling new equipment and you don’t have to be in top shape to benefit. Each phase of the one hour program allows you to work at your own level of ability without the pressure of meeting set standards.
In the class I attended, we did three ten minute sessions on the treadmills, along with an aerobic warm-up, a session on the bench and a workout session for chests and arms using suspension pulleys. During the treadmill intervals, the instructor had us vary the incline and speed on Bodyfit’s new custom-made machines to raise and lower our heart rates for an effective workout. Floor exercises included lunges, squats, leg lifts and pushups designed to sculpt the entire body.
After an hour I emerged feeling invigorated and well toned – and to my surprise I didn’t have any aches, pains or pulled muscles the next day.
Another benefit of Bodyfit is that you pay as you go. You can pay by the class or buy a series, but there is no monthly fee or annual commitment. However, since space is limited you do need to call to reserve your class in advance. Tread-X is offered on weekdays at 8:30 am and 9:45 am and at 11 am on Mondays and Fridays. For early risers there’s a 6 am session on Wednesdays. On Saturday, you can try a Tread-X Class at 8:15 am or 9:30 am.
And if you do call, let them know you read about it on Scarsdale10583 and receive your first class free!
Bodyfit Studio
858 Scarsdale Avenue
Scarsdale New York 10583
(914) 725-9400
email: GetLean@Tread-X.com
URL: http://tread-x.com/
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Here Today Gone Tomorrow
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Reading, Writing and Wrapping is finally history. The store has been winding down operations for several years and is now officially closed. The bookstore served Scarsdale since 1939, first on Garth Road and then moving to East Parkway in 1990. Competition from big retail chains, online sellers and the introduction of e-books undoubtedly contributed to the store’s demise. Readers who favor traditional books have lost another place to buy them, and the Village is left with two more empty retail spaces in a very prominent location. Hopefully the Village’s new relaxed parking requirements will help the landlord to attract a restaurant to downtown Scarsdale.
Also gone is the Citgo station at the Heathcote Five Corners. The gas pumps and tanks have been removed to make way for construction of the large retail building planned for the site. The identity of the tenant for the new space is being kept under wraps, but our bet is that a drug store is soon to open there.
However, there is also positive real estate news for Scarsdale where Patisserie Salzburg of Rye plans to open in the Christie Place complex, pending approval from the Planning Board. The Viennese pastry shop in Rye sells sumptuous croissants, pain au chocolat, strudel, baguettes, breads, pastries, tarts and cakes all freshly baked. There’s a good selection of coffees, and sandwiches and salads are sold at lunchtime. For breakfast, lunch or a snack, there will be ample seating inside and out when the weather allows. Par Shakiban who recently opened Eclisse Meditteraneo Cucina on East Post Road in White Plains owns the bakery.
In Hartsdale, Bosphorus Mediterranean Cuisine has submitted an application to open a restaurant on East Hartsdale Avenue at the site of the defunct Hartsdale Cheesery. Bosphorus will join Vega, Frankie and Fanuccis, Masala Kraft, Hunan Village II, Harry’s, Azuma and Jamba Juice, making East Hartsdale Avenue a virtual restaurant row. According to Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, the application for Bosphorus will require a special permit and a parking variance from the Town Board. Feiner promises to speed the process along to make way for their opening.
In White Plains, Dick’s Sporting Goods has leased the first floor of the space once occupied by Fortunoffs. Dick’s sells clothing and gear for a wide variety of sports in addition to exercise equipment and camping supplies. They are sure to put the heat on the Sports Authority across the street.
Annual Martin Luther King Shabbat Service at WRT
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Westchester Reform Temple (WRT) will hold its annual Shabbat service honoring the legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 7:45 p.m. Rev. Dr. Dennis V. Proctor, a bishop in the Pennsylvania A.M.E. Zion Church of Baltimore, Maryland, will be the guest speaker. Bishop Proctor will be joined by the voices of choir members from Greater Centennial AME Zion Church, Mt. Vernon, NY.
Bishop Proctor has held three pastorates, St. James A.M.E. Zion Church in Massillon, Ohio, where he led the congregation in the building of a new church and purchased a parsonage. His second pastorate was the St. Luke A.M.E. Zion Church of Wilmington, North Carolina. There he led the congregation in remodeling the church, purchased a new parsonage and commissioned a life-size mural. He currently pastors the historic Pennsylvania A.M.E. Zion Church in Baltimore, Maryland. He was elected bishop on July 18, 2008 at the 48th Session of the General Conference as the 97th bishop in succession of the A.M.E. Zion Church.
Bishop Proctor is the Founding President of the Congress of National Black Churches (Baltimore Affiliate) and serves on the Connectional budget Board. He co-authored Christians under Construction with Dr. Staccato Powell. He is the Chair of the Finance Committee of the Philadelphia-Baltimore Annual Conference (Mid-Atlantic II Episcopal District) and an active member of the International Minister’s and Lay Association of the A.M.E. Zion Church. His extensive educational background includes receiving his Bachelor of Arts (Summa Cum Laude) from Livingstone College, Master of Arts in Pastoral Care and Counseling, from Ashland Theological Seminary, with a C.P.E. Diploma from Western Reserve Psychiatric Habilitation Center, a J.D. from The Ohio State University college of Law, and a Doctor of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary, where he was named a Samuel D. Proctor/Otis Moss Fellow. He was inducted in Martin Luther King, Jr., Board of Preachers at Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia. He was honored by his Alma Mater by receiving the Doctor of Divinity from Hood Theological Seminary and Livingstone College. Bishop Proctor has also been a featured lecturer at the prestigious Hampton University, Hampton Minister's Conference. In addition one of his sermons is published in the book of Outstanding Black Sermons Volume 4, Judson Press.
This event is free and open to the public at Westchester Reform Temple, located at 255 Mamaroneck Road in Scarsdale, NY. For directions or information, call the Temple at 914-723-7727, email to office@wrtemple.org , or visit the web at www.wrtemple.org.
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