Jan. 5, 2012 One of Howard Arden's first official acts as supervisor was to meet with the North Castle Highway Department's crew at their first meeting of the year at 7:00 a.m.
"One of my first priorities is to get the remaining debris from the October storm cleaned off the town's roadsides,” Arden said. Arden added that we are working on borrowed time, if and when we have a snow storm.
"I met with Jamie Norris, Foreman of the Highway Department, last week. We have three crews of between three to five men working all day. We have not had any outsourcing done on this project for awhile, since it costs $10,000 per week,” he said.
"For hurricane Irene, we got Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money. Even though we had twice the damage during the October snowstorm than we had during the prior storm, Hurricane Irene, we are not getting any FEMA money for the Halloween Storm. The way FEMA works is that they set a threshold of statewide damage. With the hurricane, there was $30 million of damage throughout New York, because of the flooding issues in the Catskills. The October snowstorm only affected the ban in our area. There is still some discussion for state aid, but most likely we will not receive any state aid. We are on our own and have to fend for ourselves.
"In many areas of town, piles of tree limbs and brush remain on the edge of roads, with a lot of them sticking out into the road. This creates a hazardous situation, especially if we get a snowstorm and the snowplows come through and hit the edge of the piles. The limbs will be scattered all over the road.
"In the long term, this is not our most important issue, but it is a very important safety, aesthetic and morale issue for the Highway Department. The Town's code permits a fine to be served when debris is placed in the road, but with such a big clean up, people were not careful.
"My block is rural, and there are areas of the road that are entirely lined with brush from the Halloween storm. Before we put the full-court press on, we were talking about the cleanup not being complete before the spring. Hopefully, we will be ahead of that. We are about 40 to 50% done and will continue working every day until it gets done, weather permitting,” Arden said.
Naturalize Your Land
Landowners and landscapers can improve wildlife habitat quality by naturalizing manicured lawns and gardens. The following are suggestions to do so: grass lawns are considered ecological deserts, reducing the lawn's size in favor of preferred natural grasslands or wetland, decrease the use of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, especially near waterways. These suggested buffer zones of shrubs grow benefit different bird species such as the brown thrasher, chestnut-sided warbler, and blue-winged warbler. Infrequent mowing of the fields every three-to-five years instead of annually creates a habitat that species such as pheasant, yellow warbler, blue-winged warbler, and ruffed grouse. It also reduces the maintenance needs of pruning and raking.
Source: North Castle Biodiversity Plan, by Danielle T. LaBruna, M.A. and Michael W. Klemens, Ph.D. Metropolitan Conservation Alliance Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, Michael W. Klemens, LLC
Shore line of Byram Lake from the pumping station of the Village/Town of Mount Kisco, 588 Byram Lake Rd.
Armonk/Mt. Kisco Byram Lake Reservoir is the source of drinking water for 10,000 Mount Kisco residents.
Bryam Lake Road looking towards Byram Lake Reservoir, near Baldwin Road, Armonk.
Byram Lake Reservoir from Byram Lake Road, Mt. Kisco.
Dubos Property In the News Again
June 22, 2009
The Dewitt Wallace Fund and Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation donated $275,00 to The Rene Dubos Center. With the donations the center purchased 30 acres in 1979 adjacent to Byram Lake. In 2002 the non-profit center attempted to sell the property to developer Michael Cappelli for $1.2 million.
After many years in court the property will be sold to North Castle, Mount Kisco and the Westchester Land Trust. The Supreme Court ruled this decision and recently the State Attorney Generals office had no objection of the sale to the municipalities.
The land will remain in its natural state as open space upholding the original intent of the donors.
In a combined effort, The Mount Kisco Village Board of Trustees and North Castle municipalities and The Westchester Land Trust will purchase the property at $475,000 to keep it from being developed. The property is in the town of North Castle, adjacent to Byram Lake, which provides the water supply to Mount Kisco residents.
North Castle’s Supervisor Reese Berman, she said when the opportunity came about, “With not a moments pause they offered to split the purchase.”
“It was a bargain at less than half the price and it was the right thing to do with North Castle’s open space funds.”
North Castle’s Town Board was unanimous on the decision. Berman had anticipated objection from the public, however, there was no voiced objection at the public hearing.
The purchase price is $475,000 with Mount Kisco and North Castle putting up $230,000 each and the remanding $15,000 being covered by Westchester Land Trust. This is the first time in the history of the Westchester Land Trust that they will contribute to purchase private property in partnership with municipalities.
What is greatly needed is a space to put the town’s accumulated fall leaves, while Berman “explored the possibility, it’s not going to happen on the Dubos property.” She adds, “There are too many barriers.”
The State Attorney Generals office reviews all but small asset transactions for non-for-profits consistent with buildings and property sales.
For further information about the Dubos property go to:
So often we hear, “I am afraid to get an orchid, I kill them.” Little by little we are breaking down that myth at Naturescapes. Our customers come in now and rave about how long the blooms on their orchids have lasted that they purchased in our shop. Many have even been had their orchids rebloom!
What’s the secret? Here are a few tips: 1. First, buy florist quality orchids. Yes, there is a difference. Our orchids are grown and handled professionally in order to deliver exceptionally healthy and well- rooted plants. 2. Choose an orchid that fits your need. If you are entertaining tonight, or going to visit someone in the hospital, you may want an orchid that already has most of it’s flower buds open. Depending on the orchid, they may last a few weeks or up to two months at this stage of blooming. A nearly open bloomed orchid will make the statement for these types of situations. 3. If, however, you are looking for an orchid to enjoy for many months, you may want to purchase an orchid with just a few blooms open and a few buds yet to bloom. These orchids generally last 2-4 months, depending on the environment they are put in.
4. There are many “tips” on orchid care. You may find one that works best for you, but here is what we generally recommend. For a 6” Phaleonopsis orchid: 5. Water every 6-10 days in order to keep the moss around the roots moist. Important: never let the roots sit in water, the plant will do best in a container with a drainage hole that allows excess water to drain out. 6. Water by adding water from the sink and let it sit in the sink for a few minutes to thoroughly drain. You may also water by using a water bottle with a squirt top and give the plant a few squirts of water directly into the root area. 7. While blooming, keep the plant in indirect light or low light. Direct sun will hasten the flowering process. 8. If possible, keep the plant where there is airflow. Remember, these plants are used to living in a tropical environment with lots of humid air and flowing breezes under a tropical canopy. Hence, why they love the bathroom! 9. If your home is very dry, misting the plant may help. 10. Enjoy! Phaleonopsis Orchids (the most common) are elegant, low maintenance plants.
Republished Nov. 1, 2011 Can Trees Be Pruned in winter? The answer to that question lies in what pruning actually is. Pruning is a horticultural practice that improves the form and growth of a plant. The primary reasons for pruning are safety, tree health and integrity, amenity values and aesthetics. Pruning trims away any unwanted, unnecessary and undesirable plant parts and promotes health by removing dead or dying branches that have previously been injured by disease, insects, mites, animals, storms or people. In addition to enhancing plant appearance, tree pruning is also used for developmental maintenance, especially in young trees, to improve future tree growth.
Pruning trees is both an art and a science. As an art, the person pruning must be able to instinctively see the natural tree architecture and coordinate their pruning methods to the tree’s normal growth pattern. As a science, tree structure, function and overall morphology must be understood in order to preserve and maintain tree longevity. Too many times trees are pruned improperly, which results in a shortened tree life. Unfortunately, the homeowner may never know the tree was improperly pruned until it is too late. You will be amazed at how many problems can be prevented by pruning correctly!
In many cases, the ideal time to prune is often during winter before spring growth begins. During the winter, structural problems are more visible, allowing an arborist to make easier pruning decisions without leaves obscuring branch structure. Trees pruned in the winter have a tendency to grow over pruning cuts much quicker then during any other season due to the quick onset of spring growth. Winter pruning allows fresh pruning wounds to be exposed for only a very short length of time before new growth begins a wound sealing process. Pruning in winter can further reduce the risk of snow and ice damage.
Many arborists are in favor of winter pruning because they have better access to the land when the ground is frozen. The frozen ground enables the arborist access with equipment into areas which they are unable to get into during any other season. Damage to under story plantings such as perennials and annuals is significantly reduced as well. There is also an economic benefit to the client! Many companies run special winter pruning promotions in order to evenly disperse business out between seasons.
On the practical side, it is easy for a homeowner to be inundated with outdoor projects in the spring. Pruning in the winter will aesthetically improve your garden, will promote plant health, and will be one less thing to worry about come spring. From the trees vantage point, winter pruning is performed while the tree is dormant or in winter rest, allowing minimal loss of food production by the leaves since there are no leaves present.
So, can trees be pruned in the winter? Pruning of large trees can be performed at any time of year. Based on this information given above, winter is the optimum time to prune large trees. You should consider this as an option for your future tree pruning maintenance plan.
Published June 1, 2011 If you are an active gardener then you are probably planning several activities as the spring is springing and the sun is out giving you an invitation. You may have a long “to do” list in your gardening journal scheduled for this spring season. But at the same time you need to know that gardening has, surprisingly, been identified as a major cause of back pain. So if you are not prepared then it is more likely that your increased activities in your own yard could hurt you. It is always better to take certain precautions in order to protect yourself from back pain problems. Here are some tips:
Take Time to Warm Up First Warming up is the most important pre-activity requirement. When someone starts playing sports or beginning workouts, it is sensible to warm up before. The same is true with gardening. It is a very physical activity and requires a quick walk and a little gentle stretching of your back, legs, arms and hands before you start working in your garden. Do not start hunkering down to your flower beds without a warm up.
Change Your Positions Frequently It is important to understand that prolonged static positions could be devastating to your health. While working close to the ground, as you do while weeding, you should sit, kneel, half-kneel, and get on all fours often. Frequently changing your working positions will give your body small breaks, prevent overuse injuries and provide support to your back.
Rotate Tasks Don’t concentrate on only one activity for too long. It is better if you keep rotating through your day’s tasks. You can weed for ten minutes and then switch to raking for another ten minutes, next go to clipping and then come back to weeding. This rotational task management will give your body enough support. Apply Correct Body Mechanics It is important to avoid bending your back. You should be careful when you are lifting. Keep your back straight and keep your abdominal muscles tightened. Bend only at your hips and knees. You should never try to lift a load you are not comfortable with at one time. Instead, divide the whole load in to several parts. Use a small spade to dig. You should move your feet only and do not try to move and make unnecessary twists with your back while digging.
Use Ergonomic Gardening Tools Use of ergonomically-designed tools is strongly recommended. Light-weight tools will help ease the load on your back and facilitate good posture. You can work in a standing position instead of bending over, thereby sparing your back. Such ergonomically-designed gardening tools are available on several websites. Hand grips to modify conventional gardening tools are also available.
A good physical therapist can help you with proper body mechanics and teach you exercises specifically designed for gardening. If you have any questions on body mechanics while gardening or any aches or pains you are experiencing, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help! Access Physical Therapy
Green Acres Garden Club
December 2010 We can thank Green Acres Garden Club for over 70 years of flowers and shrubs in North Castle's public gardens. These include the gardens by Byram Hills school yards, the North Castle libraries, Wampus Brook Park, the eagle on Route 22, and High Street's historical marker for John Andre.
The next project on the Green Acres agenda, is to redesign the entrance to the hiking trail at the Betsy Sluder Nature Preserve on Old Route 22. Betsy Sluder was a long-time Armonk resident, a garden club member and a principal founder of the North Castle Conservation Board.
The club's goal is to beautify our town. Its current members include Presidents Carolyn Salon and Susan Bohm, Secretary Eileen Herbert, Corresponding Secretary Lynn Watson, Treasurer Terri Lobermann, and Nanette Naderio, Peggy Kerner, Maggie Limburg, Kathleen Cetra, JoAnne Hendersen, Judy Early, Kay Dubiel, Anne Schaller, Connie Quarrie, Mary DiBernardo, Carol Capone, Cardlee Metroka, Joan Klonsky, Maretta Gay and Irene Sandford.
The garden club's traditional holiday wreath-making and displays are in full bloom this season. With fresh tree trimmings from Benedict Nursery, the group deftly assembles the holiday wreaths to display around town, with the queen wreath hanging at the Armonk Library.
Another tradition of the garden club is to recognize the holiday decorations of others. This year, the Town of North Castle, in conjunction with the North Castle Beautification Foundation, received first prize for Main Street's display of old fashioned street lights decorated with wreaths sparkling with holiday light bulbs. It's a breathtaking display of holiday spirit, especially in the evenings. Susan Blake and Lv2beFit earned second place, Mariani's Garden earned third prize, and honorable mention was given to Moderne Barn.
Tree Work Whether you’ve just moved to Armonk from a city where the only trees you saw were in a park, or you’re a long time resident familiar with trees on your property, there is always something to learn about them. Two certified arborists, Thomas Marino, who holds a Masters of Forest Science from Yale, and Dan Moore, who has over twenty years experience in the field, offer advice. Both men advise not to call just anyone, but to do your research before you call someone. Read more
Eugene & Agnes Meyer Nature Preserve in North Castle.
Easement to Oregon Road is in litigation between Seven Springs LLC and The Nature Conservancy.
The private road through the Nature Preserve has been closed.
Entrance to Seven Springs property.
Access road runs through the preserve to Seven Springs property.
Autumn Splendor
Country Road
Flower Show September 20, 2011 Sunday's Green Acres Garden Club Indian Summer Flowers Show displayed a variety of members' arrangements. Visitors voted for the best arrangements in two categories. The "September Song" category had three classes: free-style, 28" hoop design, and staged pedestal. The "Small Is Beautiful" categories were: no larger than 3", no larger that 5", and no larger than 8". The size restriction applied to all directions.
Five-year member Eileen Herbert shared her display of the prize winning "Autumn Splendor." Although Herbert didn't follow the standard rule of design of a five-flower display, her free-range style of a vertical arrangement of yellow spider mums, red berries, and oasis-sponge daisy mums kept in theme with the autumn colors of rust and yellow, with a splash of red and green. The vertical design is larger at the bottom, gets smaller at the top, giving a lift to the arrangement.
The Garden Club holds an annual Indian Summer flower show in the Fall, holiday wreath decorating in December, and a plant sale the Saturday before Mother's Day. The club contributes to gardens planted around town at the North Castle Town Hall, the Armonk eagle and flag, Armonk Library's reading garden and the seniors' raised vegetable garden at Hergenhan Center.
President Carolyn Salon presented a display of preserving flowers and shares some methods of how to dry flowers.
HOW TO AIR-DRY FLOWERS Just as they are beginning to flower, cut flowers on a dry day. Tie with stretchy material in small bunches and hang upside-down (traditional way) or leave right-side-up in a warm, airy place away from direct sun. Drying takes up to 3 weeks. Choices for air drying: Culinary herbs like oregano, mint, basil Pussy willows Yarrow Grasses Hydrangeas (remove leaves) Goldenrod Button zinnias
HOW TO DRY FLOWERS OR LEAVES WITH SILICA GEL +MICROWAVE This method is a 21st century innovation. Flowers look fresh but are brittle and dry. To use this method you need: 1 lb of silica gel (looks like sugar and can be purchased at craft stores) Microwaveable glass dish – round or square Instant-read thermometer Tiny paintbrush 1 glass full of water in the microwave (otherwise you risk a fire!) Step 1. Put ½”of Silica Gel in your glass dish. Step 2. Cut the plant material at its PEAK BEAUTY and place it immediately on the silica gel. Step 3. Cover the plant material with the rest of the silica gel, using a spoon. Try not to mash or distort the plant material. Step 4. Microwave uncovered for 3 minutes on HIGH with a glass of water in the microwave. Step 5. Immediately insert the thermometer without destroying the plant material. It should read about 160 degrees F. If it has not reached that temperature, microwave it for 30-second intervals until it does. Step 6. Remove dish from the microwave and allow it to cool to room temperature – about 2 hours. Step 7. Carefully pour off the silica gel into another container and gently lift out your delicate dry plant material. Save the silica gel for re-use forever. You may want to sift plant particles out of it. Choices for Silica Gel +Microwave Drying: Small and delicate flowers Small roses Leaf sprays or single leaves {Flowers with thick fluids like Petunias or Milkweeds do not work with this method.}
PLANT GLYCERINIZATION This method is good for foliage preservation. Leaves and vines stay pliable for years. Method: Step 1. Pick a small branch with good leaves, berries, etc. Wash, if necessary. Step 2A. Strip leaves from the base and crush 3” of the stem with a hammer. Step 2B. At the same time, mix in a jar: 1 part glycerine to 2 parts of very hot water. {Glycerine is available in pharmacies and natural food stores.} Mix well because the heavy glycerine will stay on the bottom. Step 3. Put the crushed end of the stem into the hot glycerine solution IMMEDIATELY. Step 4. Keep in a cool,dark place for 2-8 weeks. Check each week to add more glycerine solution if it is used up. Leaves may turn brownish, but will feel pliable in your fingers. Step 5. Remove from the glycerine solution and cut off the crushed end. Step 6. Store in cardboard boxes – not plastic. These keep for years and can be carefully washed and dried if needed.
Gardening Tips from the Green Acres Garden Club
When planting bulbs, adding a handful of bone meal will produce larger flowers.
Two inches of mulch will keep your plants moist and save water.
Spring flowering plants should be pruned after blooming. Summer and fall flowering plants should be pruned in early spring.
If a plant is not doing well, simply try moving it to another location. It might surprise you.
Learn about the best plants for your garden. Become the best gardener you can be. Join the Green Acres Garden Club. They meet on the second Wed. of each month (except Feb. & Aug.) at 9:30 am in the Hergenhan Center in Armonk. Lectures and workshops run till 12pm. Refreshment are served after the meeting. For more information call: 273-8095.
Pruning Notices Jan. 21, 2011
Con Edison, in conjunction with Lewis Tree Company, is identifying North Castle properties with trees which have grown close to electrical lines, and as a result, may potentially cause an interruption in electrical service. Homeowners will receive notices in their mailboxes identifying trees that have been designated for pruning or removal on their properties. The power line right-of-way uses a method called "Natural Directional Pruning". The amount of tree pruned away from the power line depends upon the growth cycle of the species. Fortunately, there will be no expense to the homeowner for the tree work performed. In addition, according to Superintendent of Public Works Rich Fon, North Castle is not responsible for costs associated with the line clearing service, since the contract is between Lewis Tree Company and Con Edison.
Dangerous Tree Program
June 15, 2010
At a past town board meeting, allegations that the town could be involved in a scam were made by developer Mike Fareri. As a result, town attorney Roland Baroni began investigating the relationship between Lewis Tree Company and Con Edison. Baroni reported that The Dangerous Tree Program provides municipalities with shared services, allowing Con Edison and the highway department to identify potentially dangerous trees. First, Con Ed approves and pays for the inspections; following these inspections, Lewis Tree Company takes down the dangerous trees, theoretically leading to less power outages. Baroni says, "They have taken down hundreds of trees for the Town. The program is not new, and is a great value as a reciprocal arrangement." Lewis Tree Company rotates parking their trucks throughout Westchester County. They are currently parked at the North Castle Highway Yard, adjacent to the Town Annex building, but will not continue to stay there indefinitely. They plan to move into another community, as Baroni was told that the North Castle program is coming to a close.
The root cellar located near Cranberry Lake. The lake is the source of most of the stone used to build Kensico Dam.
Stones from Cranberry Lake were used to build Kensico Dam in 1914.
Waterfalls along the hiking trails at Cranberry Lake Preserve.
Cranberry Lake is located at 1609 Old Orchard St., North White Plains, NY.
Nearby Cranberry Lake Preserve
Located in North White Plains, Cranberry Lake Preserve includes 190 acres that are great for hiking. The lake is the source for most of the stone used to build the Kensico Dam. Located just off Old Orchard Street across Route 22 from the Kensico Reservoir, the preserve is administered by the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation. Cranberry Lake itself covers 10 acres and runs into Kensico Reservoir. Click here for more information on Cranberry Lake. Source:Westchestergov.com
Oregon Road, North Castle Feb. 2009
At the North Castle Town Board meeting of February 25, 2009 the Town Board acted to defend the town in a difficult situation and, as it was legally advised to be in the best interest of North Castle, voted unanimously to sign a negotiated settlement releasing North Castle from two legal actions initiated by Seven Springs LLC in the amount of $600M.
At the meeting, after a summary of the circumstances, much discussion and requests from several residents, the Town Attorney, Roland Baroni read the negotiated document. The statement included the concession that The Town of North Castle will not contest the easement or private ownership of Oregon Road, North Castle. This would release the Town of any and all claims and to expedite, when submitted, the completion of the review of the Seven Springs project.
The Nature Conservancy owns the Eugene & Agnes Meyers Nature Preserve adjacent to the Seven Springs property.
Several residents, neighbors to Oregon Road, requested the Town Board delay the signing of the document and commented with disappointment “that after working with its citizens toward a common goal of keeping the road closed for so long, the town board members made a decision affecting all of us without so much as a conversation or an explanation.”
