Halloween Day Sightings

Here are Halloween Day Sightings in the neighborhood.

Halloween Night Sightings

Here are some Halloween Night sightings in the neighborhood.

Katonah Area Fall Foliage Update

Katonah area is still seeing low levels of color change and are at midpoint.

New York Fall Foliage Forecast

Week of October 10-16 2007

In the Katonah Area green leaves still predominate with hints of red and orange beginning to emerge.

Katonah Avg Home Sale Price Highest In New York State

According to the 2007 Coldwell Banker ® Home Price Comparison Index (HPCI) released September 26, 2007, in the New York markets surveyed, Katonah ranked as the most expensive with Rye ranking as a close second.

According to the HPCI, the average home sale price of a home in Katonah is $904,750.


Here is the link.

Presently, Realtor.com list 119 available properties in the Katonah zip code (10536) ranging in price from $477,777 to $9,985,000.

An instant appraisal (two) of your home can be determine at Yahoo Real Estate.

Since it is an "instance appraisal" your real home value will vary - more likely downward.

Local realtors can be very helpful in establishing your real home value in today's real estate market.

MARTHA STEWART SONG BY MARC BLACK (ascap)

Here is the Martha Stewart video song by Marc Black (Katonah resident) that is getting a lot of views (28,000 plus) on YouTube (posted about a week ago). Runs a little over 6 minutes.



Here is a link to Marc Black's website.

KVIS Campaign - Nobody Owns Katonah

Katonah Village Improvement Society has underway a campaign to prevent the name of Katonah from becoming a registered trademark of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

If you would like to help their efforts to block the trademark applications by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia you can send a contribution made payable to KVIS:

Nobody Owns Katonah
Katonah Village Improvement Society
PO Box 263
Katonah, NY 10536

Here is the link for more info on the KVIS campaign.

1914 Children's Book With Katonah Poem Up For Sale on Ebay

The book is Grandma's Country Life Stories for the Children, by Mrs. Emmet Smith, put out by the Methodist Book Concern, New York, 1914. The first poem is titled Katonah, and it is a poem to that town.

Named from tribe, and Indian chieftain, In the Valley of the Croton, With its lakes and sparkling water, and its hills and towering summits, and its roadways, so inviting, With their flowering shrubs and grass plots, Such is beautiful Katonah.

Here is the ebay link auction ends June 7th.

About the Indian Chieftain:

Chief Katonah

Chief Katonah was a Native American tribal chief from whom the land of the town of Bedford, New York was purchased. The hamlet of Katonah, New York, located within Bedford, is named for him.

Chief Katonah lived in the area in the late seventeenth century. Records show that in 1680 he sold local land to settlers. Legend has it that he died of grief after his wife, Cantitoe, and their son were killed by lightning. Chief Katonah is said to be buried with his wife and son in Katonah Woods, off Rt. 22. The Chief, as the story is told, is said to be buried beneath a giant boulder, and his wife and son are buried beneath two smaller immediatley ajacent boulders. It is said that on a warm summers night, when the moon is full, you can hear the Chief and his family weeping for the land that the white man has abused and disgraced.

Source: Answers.com

Local Writer Starts a Newsletter to Lampoon Katonah Trademark Issue

Bill Tisherman a local writer has started a satirical newsletter, The Marthometer, a comic put down on Martha Stewarts attempt to trademark the Katonah name.

Here is the
link.

CBS News Video: Katonah Says No Thank You Martha!

The Monday CBS News evening broadcast did a piece on the Katonah Trademark issue.

Here is the video link. You may need RealPlayer to view this video.

If you do not have RealPlayer you can download it here - it is free!

Martha Stewart Plan Trademark Katonah Collection May Not Be Legally Possible

Martha Stewart is planning to trademark a line of furniture – “Katonah Collection”.

Some resident’s of Katonah thinks this is not a good idea.


Reasons giving:

“We don’t think it’s a good idea for her to assert trademark rights over a name that’s been in use as a place name since 1852,”

“Doesn’t mind that Stewart uses the name for furniture but doesn’t understand the need to trademark it.”

“I don’t think that someone should actually own the word ‘Katonah.’ ”

Martha Stewart’s spokesperson response:

“Martha Stewart, number one, loves Katonah; number two, seeks to honor the town and the hamlet by using the word Katonah.”


Martha Stewart has associated the name Katonah also in the home building business.

KB Home and Martha Stewart Living launched a project to build 650 houses, which will come in many different variations. The homes, which KB says are "inspired" by three of Ms. Stewart's own houses in New York and Maine, have names such as “Katonah” and "Lily Pond."

Here is a link to the Katonah Model Homes

http://www.kbhome.com/martha/katonah.aspx


I was curious as to what the US Patent Office web site indicated on this point:

Under U.S. trademark law, geographic terms or signs are not registrable as trademarks if they are geographically descriptive or geographically misdescriptive of where the goods/services originate. The theory is that other producers in that area would need to be able to use a geographic term to describe where their goods/services are from and that one person should not be able to prevent others from using that term. If a term is misdescriptive for the goods/services, consumers would be mislead and/or deceived by the use of the term on goods/services that do not come from the place identified.

It would seem to me as a layperson that since the “Katonah Collection” of furniture is not made in Katonah it cannot be trademarked.

The residents of Katonah taking issue that you cannot owned the word Katonah look to be 100% correct under the US Patent laws.

Christmas Eve 2006

Here are some photos taken around the area on Christmas Eve.

101 Classic Christmas Videos Online

For this holiday season, someone has taken the trouble and time to list (in categories) 101 Classic Christmas Videos that you and your family can look at online. Here is the link enjoy!

Season's Greetings

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Bedford Road And Katonah Avenue

Katonah, New York

A Walk Along Maple Avenue In The Fall

 

I come across many walkers, runners and folks out walking their dogs along
this great area to walk in Katonah - Reservoir Road and Maple Avenue. This shot is the incline on Maple Avenue that goes toward Route 22. It is about 5 miles to make the round trip walk/run from Route 22 at Reservoir Road to Route 22 at the end of Maple Avenue. An excellent calorie burner- hilly, slight inclines, straight sections. It is an especially delightful walk in the middle of the Fall season. 

Circular Spider Web

Sometimes you get lucky and the beauty of nature pops up in your own backyard.
I was eating breakfast on my deck last week and notice this beautiful circular
pattern being spun by a spider.

I grabbed my digital camera and captured this wonder in the making.

Any Local Filmmakers Out There?

Today, I came across this site TurnHere that is asking filmmakers to send them a 90-second video about a place – a neighborhood, a landmark, a bar, a street or trail . If they like your video they will put it up on the site.


You will also be on their talent roster when they commission new projects this fall.
The downside is the deadline is August 15, a week from today. Best submission will win $1,000.


Know of any local or aspiring filmmaker that might be interested in doing a video about the Katonah area?

Here is one video done about Poughkeepsie, NY. that is posted at Turnhere.

1910 Postcard Katonah Avenue Up For Sale on eBay

If you are or know someone who is a collector of local history,up for auction on eBay is this 1910 postcard of Katonah Avenue.

Auction ends July 1st.

Katonah Artist Needs Models For Series Of Religious Canvases

This weeks Record Review (June 23, 2006) has an interesting piece on Katonah's premiere portrait artist Mark Hass.

Mr. Hass needs to find models with a specific kind of look for a series of large religious canvases the he has been commissioned to paint for an Ohio businessman.

Mr. Hass has an on going search for models as:

A) Adult Jesus
B) 12-14 year old Jesus
C) Angel Gabriel. "I'm not sure what I am looking for with Gabriel. Someone androgynous looking, I think" Mr. Hess stated.

Potential models can email their photographs to Mr. Hess for consideration.

Find the Trend of Gasoline Prices at Katonah Gas Stations

Here is a link, provided by Westchester County of the trend of Gasoline Pricing here in Katonah.
Enter Katonah Zip Code 10536 and you will get the trend of Gasoline Prices here in Katonah by month.

Spring 2006 Trout Stocking Targets For Katonah Area

Brown Trout

The New York State DEC recently listed the Spring 2006 Trout Stocking Targets for DEC Region 3 of which the Katonah Area (Town of Bedford) is a part of.

The targeted Trout Stocking Targets for the rivers in the Katonah Area are over 8,000
Rainbow and Brown Trouts.

The rivers include:

• Cross River Reservoir
  
• Cross River Outlet
  
• Mianus River
  
• Stone Hill River
  

Here is the link to the detail to the Trout Stocking targets.

Other links of interest to local fishermen:

Although it seems not to have been active since last November, Bedford Sportsman.com message board is where you can post your local fishing reports, stories and other fishing talk.

Here is aLink to the Croton Watershed
Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Enjoy & Happy 2006 Fishing Season!

Use GoodSearchcom to Raise Money For Katonah Charities & Schools

GoodSearch is an Internet search engine with a simple concept and unique social mission. GoodSearch enables you to help fund any of hundreds of thousands of charities or schools through the simple act of searching the Internet.


It's simple. You use GoodSearch.com like any other search engine but each time you do, money is generated for your favorite cause.

How?

Each time someone searches, GoodSearch gives half of the advertising revenue that it earns from the search to the person's charity or school of choice.

Only some of the people who search actually click on an advertisement and thus generate income for the site, so the company averages only about 2 cents in revenue for each search conducted.

By that math, a charity with 1,000 supporters using the site twice a day would generate about $7,300 in total donations annually.

GoodSearch users need not worry about the site collecting potentially sensitive information about their charitable endeavors, because the company does not require users to register or otherwise identify themselves. Rather, the site's visitors specify a beneficiary before they search, and the site designates an anonymous donation for that search.


Think of local non-profit organizations e.g Katonah Village Library, Katonah Community Center ,Katonah Fire Department, Katonah-Bedford Hills Ambulance Corp, local churches and schools that might benefit from GoodSearch.com when supporters of these organizations use GoodSearch.

I have no vested interest in GoodSearch.com just think it is a good idea for
raising money for local non-profit organizations.

To learn more  about GoodSearch.com go here

8 Principles Of Having Fun!

Here is a link to eight wonderful principles of having fun...enjoy.

Bedford Audubon Society Scholarships To Be Awarded To High School Students

Bedford Audubon Society Scholarship Awards


Two scholarships to be awarded to high school students

for environmental science research with Audubon Vermont



Again this year, Bedford Audubon Society, located in Katonah, New York, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of two full scholarships for high school students to participate in Audubon Vermont’s “Take P.A.R.T. Program of Audubon Research for Teens.” This program is a unique opportunity for high school students (ages 15 -18) to be immersed in conservation research. It is a wonderful college preparatory experience for those interested in the biology, ecology or conservation fields of study. And it’s a great way for teens to enjoy the summer with like-minded young people!



1. HERPETOLOGY RESEARCH:
Led by one of Vermont’s leading herpetologists, your team will inventory several locations in Vermont for reptiles and amphibians. Working in a variety of habitats, from deep forest to vernal pools, you’ll learn about, search for, handle and document nearly all of Vermont’s “herps.” You’ll explore areas with few or no historical records for many species, some of which are rare or endangered, and your work will add much needed data to the State Atlas of Reptiles and Amphibians. July 24- Aug. 2, 2006.



2. WILDLIFE OF THE NORTHERN FOREST RESEARCH:

In partnership with the NorthWoods Stewardship Center, located in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, this team will work on contributing data to the Center’s Ecosystem Management Project. Staff ecologists will guide participants in monitoring and habitat restoration projects on their 3,000-acre property. Discover the richness of the northern forest, as you band birds, monitor salamander activity, improve wildlife habitat, and live-trap small mammals. Your contribution to the management project will enhance the understanding of wildlife populations and habitat health in the region. Aug. 10 - 20, 2006.



Student Criteria
High school student ages 15-18 years old
Preference to students planning to study the environmental sciences at the college level
Preference to students who have written a relevant scientific paper or have done relevant research
Preference to students who have done environmental and conservation-minded community service


Application Process

Each applicant must submit:

Completed application form
Personal statement of one page regarding his/her commitment to the environmental sciences
and how the trip or internship fits with his/her goals

One letter of recommendation from a high school science teacher.


Students may also submit any relevant research or a resume with a list of relevant research projects and/or community service.



Application deadline: MAY 5, 2006




For application and questions, contact:

David Albano, Bedford Audubon Education Committee

(203) 739-0846, email:dalbano@bedfordaudubon.org

Instant appraisal of Your Katonah Home

I just came across this new home site, Zillow.com that allows you to enter your
street address and city, state or zip code and gives you an instant appraisal
of your home. I tried it and was surprised at the results (in a good way) It is still in beta, but what a cool tool for getting some idea of what your house is worth or other houses in your neighborhood are worth right away! If any local realtors come across this post, would be interested to hear their comments re:
Zillow.com.

Katonah Resident Wins White Lie Short Story Contest

Here's a link to
the winning entry in the My White Lie short story contest, from Judy Blundell of Katonah, NY, called "Infrequent Flier"...striking up a conversation of little white lies at an airport bar, where nobody really knows your name or what you really do.

Vintage Katonah Fire Department Badge Up For Sale On Ebay!

Vintage 1930's Katonah Fire Department Badge 393 with old pumper truck on front,marked on back C.G. Braxmar Co 216 East 43th st NY,2 3/4" x 1 3/4" eBay Item No.7737133698
Auction Ends Jan-17-06 15:31:48 PST

Upcoming Bedford Audubon Events January 22 & 28

Winter Hike at Bedford Audubon’s Hunt-Parker Sanctuary
Sunday, January 22 at 9:00 a.m. Meet at Bylane, 35 Todd Road, Katonah

Bedford Audubon’s 318-acre Hunt-Parker Sanctuary is a beautiful place in winter. Wintering birds like nuthatches, chickadees and goldfinches are foraging in the trees for food, and red fox and coyote patrol the field edges for small mammals. Join Tait Johansson for a brisk winter walk and some hot chocolate afterward at Bylane, Bedford Audubon’s headquarters, located on the property. Bring binoculars.
Reservations: (914) 764–4320.


“Birds of the Adirondacks”
with nature photographer Jeff Nadler
Saturday, January 28, 2006, 2:30 p.m., Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah



Jeff Nadler's, "Birds of the Adirondacks," is a breath-taking show of big screen digital photography and relaxing music featuring the birds, wildlife, and wilderness scenery of New York State's Adirondack region. The program gives you intimate views of the many bird species found on wilderness lakes, mountain summits, boreal bogs, Lake Champlain, as well as those winter visitors from even further north. Enjoy intimate views of Common Loon, Spruce Grouse, Boreal Chickadee, Great Grey Owl, and numerous warblers, hawks, wading birds, and more. Jeff will also have an assortment of large framed and double-matted prints available to purchase, that were recently on display at art centers in the Adirondacks.



About the Speaker
Jeff is a part-time freelance professional nature photographer who specializes in bird photography. His work has recently appeared in Audubon New York's IBA book, the new Hudson-Mohawk Bird Guide, Adirondack Life, the Conservationist, Adirondack Explorer, and the Hamilton County birding guide. He is a regular contributor to Natural New England magazine, based in Portland, Maine. Jeff's work is used by the Cornell Ornithology Lab, the Boreal Songbird Initiative, the Wilderness Conservation Society, National Wildlife Federation, Lake Champlain Birding Trail, National Geographic Books, and NatureServe. He lives in Saratoga County and is employed as a financial analyst.



For more information and directions to Bylane Farm, visit www.bedfordaudubon.org or call (914) 232-1999. You can also email the Communications Committee, hraheem@bedfordaudubon.org.

Season's Greetings

St. Luke's Episcopal Church

Bedford Road And Katonah Avenue

Katonah, New York

A Site To Put A Smile On Your Face This Holiday Season

Here is a link to cuteoverload.com. Highly recommended as a happy fix this Holiday Season and beyond!

Bedford and Beyond

Here is a link to a publication - Beford and Beyond a guide to Northern Westchester. Some interesting stuff. Check out the Dining Guide.

Autumn Leaves

 
Time is like an arrow ------> oh so fleeting. This was shot less then two weeks ago and now all the leaves are gone from this tree. This moment is now a distant memory. Site: First Presbyterian Church of Katonah
 

Bedford Audubon Society Upcoming Golden Eagle Trip November 19, 2005

Bedford Audubon Society is scheduling a trip to
Franklin Mountain, near Oneonta, NY Saturday, November 19 / weather alternate Sunday, November 20, 2005 Departure (car pool) from Bylane Farm 7:00 a.m. The summit of Franklin Mountain are impressive. What is more impressive, however, is the number of golden eagles that migrate by this popular hawk watching spot every autumn.
Here is the link to find out more about this upcoming trip.

Post Card of Katonah Train Station 1910 Up for Auction On eBay!

This 1910 photo of the Katonah Station is up for auction on eBay. Here is the link Auction Ends Oct-30-05 17:20:12 PST

Katonah Museum Rated Best Small Museum In Hudson Valley

Katonah Museum has been rated the best small museum in the Hudson Valley. To learn more
go to this link.

Multimedia Presentation - History of "The What Me Worry Kid" Oct 25 7:00 P.M.

Comics historian Craig Yoe will present a multimedia presentation on the history of "The What Me Worry Kid" at the Yorktown Museum 1974 Commerce St. Yorktown Heights, NY on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 at 7:00 pm. This talk will take a fun look at the history of America's favorite grinning idiot without a care.
Yoe recently authored the book MODERN ARF, where the origin of Mad's mascot was one of those revelations covered in graphic detail.

Katonah Village Library Annual Fall Book Sale

Katonah Village Library Annual Fall Book Sale Begins October 22, 2005. Here is the link for details.

Budding Local Video Film Makers @ John Jay School

Here is a link to
students at John Jay High School that are taking a video art course and works produced to date. Video Art is a class that is offered in the Art Department, where students are introduced to video as an art form and means of personal expression - possible future Steven Spielberg's in the making.

Meet John Farr – Area Resident Online Film Enthusiast

I read a piece in the September 16, issue of Record Review about Bedford Resident John Farr, a life-long movie enthusiast.

John along with his wife, Olivia, have launched Farr On Film, with the byline Best Movies By Farr (he was an ad executive at one time) to share his knowledge and passion for timeless movies with others.

Here is great resource for that proverbial question “Have you seen any good movies lately?”

Katonah Area Residents Offering Housing for Hurricane Survivors

I just came across this link of Katonah area residents offering housing for victims of the Katrina hurricane.

Craigslist>Hurricane Katrina

Here are Cragislist links to the following Gulf Coast Region cities that one can post what they can do to help or review all kinds of help to the Hurricane Katrina survivors in the Gulf Coast Region.

• Austin
  
• Baton Rouge
  
• Houston
  
• Jackson
  
• Mobile
  
• Montgomery
  
• New Orleans
  
• Pensacola
  
• Shreveport
  

I have seen posting on Craigslist for jobs in other states for Hurricane Katrina survivors. Also, I have seen postings from people throughout America to provide housing for folks who have lost their homes as a result of Katrina. The bottom line is here is a way you as an individual can make a difference. It goes beyond giving dollars to really doing something to help people rebuild their lives.

This resource is limited only by your imagination of what one can do on an individual level.

Hurricane Katrina - How To Help

Here is a link to the American Red Cross to donate online to help those who have been displaced by hurricane Katrina. Also, here is the link to the local chapter of the Red Cross if you want to volunteer your services to help in the days and months ahead.

For updated information regarding aftermath of Katrina, go to National Public Radio's Katrina blog.