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About Bedford Hills
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ORGANIZATIONS - ARTS AND CULTURE
Bedford Central School District
http://www.bedford.k12.ny.us/
Bedford Hills residents are in the Bedford Central School District, which serves more than 3,000 students in Mount Kisco, Bedford Village, and Pound Ridge, as well as Bedford Hills. Bedford Hills Elementary School (666-2708) students go on to Fox Lane Middle and High School, which are located on a 90-acre campus on South Bedford Road (Route 172) in the Town of Bedford.
Recognized as among the leading school districts in the country, on average, 85 percent of every Fox Lane graduating class continue their formal education. Fox Lane High School has nearly 30 clubs, dramatic and musical organizations and some 25 sports teams in which close to 90 percent of the student body participate.
The Bedford Central School District office is on the Fox Lane Campus. The main number is (914) 241-6000.
THE BEE-LINE BUS SYSTEM
http://transportation.westchestergov.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=634&Itemid=126
Westchester County's Bee-Line Bus System operates throughout the county. Timetables, system maps, and rider's guides can be obtained by sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to The Westchester County Department of Transportation, 112 East Post Road, White Plains, NY 10601. Phone (914) 682-2020.
METRO-NORTH COMMUTER RAILROAD
http://www.mta.info/mnr/
The Bedford Hills Train Station is located in the center of the hamlet's downtown area. For general information on fares and schedules, call Metro-North toll free at (800) 638-7646, or at (800) 724-3322 for the hearing impaired. Call the Bedford Town Clerk's Office at (914) 666-4534 for information on commuter parking permits.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT
http://airport.westchestergov.com/
http://whiteplainsairport.com/
The Westchester County Airport is at Exit 2 off Interstate 684 and services several major airlines and commuter airlines as well as corporate and private aircraft.
HIGHWAYS
The Saw Mill River Parkway has northbound and southbound exits into Bedford Hills. Interstate 684 is accessible from the Saw Mill River Parkway and Route 117.
STATE ROADS
The Bedford Hills section of Route 117 begins at the Mount Kisco limit and continues northward through Bedford Hills and Katonah to Route 35.
The Katonah - Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides emergency care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In the coordinated Town of Bedford Response System, the Corps responds to the medical emergencies for both Katonah and Bedford Hills, and provides mutual-aid services for surrounding communities, as well as coverage for large sections of Interstate 684 and the Saw Mill River Parkway. More than fifty active members - all volunteers- are paged out by the police to respond to medical emergencies in one of the Corp's two fully equipped modern ambulances.
The Corp responds to approximately 600 calls per year and in addition to providing emergency medical care, provides many other services, including free CPR training, free blood pressure readings at events, "stand-by" at parades, athletic events and instruction at schools and camps.
The Katonah Lions Ambulance Corps was founded in 1953, under the sponsorship of the Katonah Lions Club. The donation of a 1947 Cadillac ambulance by the Katanah Fire Department made the Corps a functioning entity which answered sixteen calls the first year.
In October of 1964, the Corps purchased a newer ambulance and in 1967, the present property on Route 117 was purchased from the Town of Bedford, and an ambulance garage was constructed. By 1968, communications with the Bedford Police Department was established. The next few years witnessed tremendous growth. A paging system was initiated, and the number of calls answered increased rapidly. A second ambulance was purchased to handle additional emergencies.
In 1980, the name was changed to the Katonah - Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and in 1987, through donations of labor and materials from the community, and many hours of hard work by the Corps members, a new building was completed on the site of the old garage.
Today, the Corps is one of the leading EMS agencies in the county, with excellent response times and a strong record of service to the communities it serves. Currently, the KBHVAC has a strong need for daytime members - i.e. people who are able to help out between 6 AM and 6 PM daily. A vast majority of the current Corps members work outside of the community or have jobs that do not allow them to volunteer during the day. The KBHVAC is looking for individuals willing to volunteer a day or half day during the weekdays. The individuals can be at home or their place of business; they just should be able to leave when the police pager goes off and to go to the ambulance garage. No training is needed (new members will receive CPR training within six months).For more information and an application form, call Tina Foster at (914) 241-5872 and leave a message.
The Katonah - Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps offers free CPR training for community residents and groups at its headquarters on Route 117 in Katonah. Participants in these courses will receive lifesaving skills for use in respiratory and cardiac emergencies. Anyone who completes the course will receive an American Heart Association CPR card good for two years.
The Bedford Hills Community House was conceived in 1919 as a memorial to the men and women who served their country in World War I. It provided a central meeting place for homecoming soldiers, their families and friends. Later, the by-laws were amended to honor and perpetuate the memory of the men and women who served in the armed forces of the United States in any of its wars with other countries or in the defence of the Union. Today, the Community House is still overseen by a volunteer board of directors.
Over the years, the Community House has grown and changed with the times and needs of the community. The building remains available to members of the armed forces and their families but is also available to members of the community for a variety of other activities. These include Boy and Girl Scout events and ceremonies; Bedford Hills Women's Club meetings and luncheons; regular meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous; Bedford Hills Lions Club meetings, parties, annual fundraising Pancake Breakfast; and other civic organizations hold seminars, workshops and meetings.
In addition, the building is used by the Town of Bedford as a polling place, for meetings and forums, and a variety of recreational programs including senior citizen meetings, preschool programs and holiday events. Further programs and events are offered to the mentally and physically challenged population in our community.
Other local organizations use the Community House every week for a wide range of programs including ballet, jazz, modern dance, exercise and yoga classes; weaving group; piano instruction; and Irish folk dancing and instruction. There are also concerts, church services and lectures. Finally, individuals and organizations can rent the building for weddings, parties, christenings, and other events.
In summary, the Bedford Hills Community House is a center for people of all ages, interests and ideas. For more information, contact Liz Bailey at (914) 241-0436.
http://www.bedfordhillsfd.org/
The first official volunteer fire department in Bedford Station (now Bedford Hills) was formed in 1903. Twenty-seven men and one boy joined. A pumping engine and a hook and ladder were purchased.
In 1929, a new pumper was acquired. The department was constantly on the alert to obtain betterequipmentt as they developed. In 1958, residents were asked to vote on a bond issue to build a new fire house. The $250,000 bond was approved and workbegann immediately. The new building was completed and dedicated on December 5, 1959.
The annual firemen's parade is a tradition dating back many years. It is a popular event that delights residents. The fire engines, some quaint old ones, and the newest apparatus show preparedness of the fire brigade, are in the parade.
After the parade, there is usually a carnival in the town where many amusements and stands, designed to raise money, add to the fun. Other fund raising events are spaghetti dinners and pancake breakfasts served by fire fighter volunteers.
Due to increasing numbers of house alarms systems in the area, which sometimes malfunction, the number of fire calls have been increasing. In 1995, there were 138 calls. In 1996, 204 calls.
Back in 1960, the 1929 pumper was sold to a lady in New Hampshire, who bought it for her husband as a toy. Thirty-seven years later, the owner donated the pumper back to the Bedford Hills Fire Department. Now members are restoring this antique.
There are more than seventy-five members of the Bedford Hills Fire Department, and they protect approximately 5,330 people in an area of fourteen square miles, primarily residential.
For more information, call (914) 666-8253.
http://www.bedfordhillsfreelibrary.org/home
The Bedford Hills Free Library first opened in 1915 in two rooms above a shoe store. It moved to its current location, a 140 year old building at 26 Main Street, in 1952. Rhoda Gushue is the library director.
There are more than 41,000 books, magazines, CDs, videos, on-line Netscape and a computer for use by the public. Special programs include a children's story hour every Friday at 2PM. There is also a Wednesday Mom and Tot program at 10:30AM when school is in session.
Bedford Hills Free Library hours are Monday through Wednesday, 1 to 8PM; Thursday and Friday, 10AM to 5:30PM; Saturday (Sept. through June) 10AM to 1PM. The telephone number is (914) 666-6472.
BEDFORD HILLS WOMAN'S CLUB
http://www.bedfordny.com/community/16.htm
The Bedford Hills Woman's Club was organized Sept. 28, 1926. During the year there are fund raising events to help support many community projects. Funds are used to give deserving students from Fox Lane High School and John Jay High School a donation toward college. Donations are also made to local agencies, including: A-Home, Making Headway Foundation, Westchester School for Exceptional Children, Country Children's Center, Community Center of Katonah and others. The club meets on the second Tuesday of each month from September to May at 12 noon at the Bedford Hills Community House. For more information, contact the Bedford Hills Woman's Club, attn: Dorothy Sebesta, Box 433, Bedford Hills, N.Y. 10507.
BEDFORD HILLS LIONS CLUB
http://www.bedfordhillslions.org
The Lions Club of Bedford Hills is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The Lions help to support many community projects and causes, including the Bedford Hills Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, the Bedford Hills Library, Bedford Hills Community House, Katonah-Bedford Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Guiding Eyes for the Blind. The club collects recycled eyeglasses and lends walkers and wheelchairs to those in need. Citizenship Awards are sponsored at Bedford Hills Elementary School and scholarships are presented to Fox Lane High School students, and the club participates in the annual Senior Citizen Christmas Party and Meals on Wheels. The Lions Club meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Bedford Hills Community House at 7:30 p.m.
BRLA (BEDFORD RIDING LANES ASSOCIATION)
www.bedfordridinglanes.com
In 1920, a group of horsemen and large property owners established the Private Lanes Association. Their aim was to preserve, protect and maintain a system of country lanes and trails on private property for the convenience of equestrians so they could avoid the paved roads and increasing automobile traffic. The Private Lanes Association became a publicly supported, non-profit organization now known as the Bedford Riding Lanes Association under the auspices and leadership of Marilyn Simpson. Today, the BRLA still preserves more than 150 miles of beautiful trails in the Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, Katonah, Mount Kisco and Pound Ridge areas. The BRLA currently has more than 300 members and 180 landowners who work to stimulate the interest of the community in the preservation of "horse country" and our area's unique rural character. One of the many aspects that makes this system extra special is that approximately 80% of the trails are privately owned. Through the extraordinary generosity of landowners, the BRLA has been able to connect some of the most exquisitely scenic properties to create an unparalleled trail system. Its close proximity to New York City has in no way changed the system's "Best Kept Secret" status; it is rare to see more than one or two equestrians or hikers per day, if any at all, on most of the trails. The trails are open to all BRLA members whether they are equestrians, hikers or walkers. The BRLA sponsors a Spring and a Fall Hunter Pace as well several other social events for its members and landowners during the year. For more information, call 914-234-BRLA (2752) or write to BRLA (Bedford Riding Lanes Association, Inc.) at Box 178, Bedford, NY. 10506.
ALDO SAMMARCO
PO Box 252
Bedford Hills, NY 10507
666-2631
Teaching children the game of soccer and having fun while playing, is what this group takes pride in accomplishing. There are currently 275 children and 7 teams taking part in the program. Both boys and girls may join beginning at the age of four. (Four-year-olds must have a copy of their birth certificate available at registration) There is also one team of girls under 19 years of age. Seven coaches complete the league. Aldo Sammarco, the group's founder, started to teach soccer in Bedford 33 years ago. There were no other clubs in the area at that time. The area teams use the Bedford Hills Field for their games and in 1995 lights were installed there through the efforts of the Bedford Soccer Club. The extensive funds for this project came from the fees paid by those who joined teams over many years. A number of children who began in this program became so proficient at the sport of soccer, that they have won scholarships to colleges all over the country.
Bedford Hills Neighborhood Association
http://www.bh-na.org/
Northeast Westchester Rotary Club
http://www.katonahrotary.org/
Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester
http://www.boysandgirlsclubnw.org/
Caramoor
http://www.caramoor.org/
Katonah Museum of Art
http://www.katonahmuseum.org/
John Jay Homestead
http://johnjayhomestead.org
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