Bedford Neighbors Notes

Hurricane Irene certainly took its toll in the Town of Bedford--so much so that a state of emergency was declared on Sunday afternoon. That morning, our street looked like a war zone. After waking bright and early (6 a.m.), having half-slept while hearing creepy, cracking sounds throughout the night, the first major damage we saw was in our own backyard where a huge branch had split off from the trunk of an oak tree and was being supported by the branches of a neighboring oak tree, which is now on a tilt. Upon further inspection, there were more downed branches by the driveway but no damage to the cars or the house.

Our neighbors—Bill and Marie Dunn--fared worse. A large oak by their driveway cracked and hit the family room area where one son was sleeping on the couch. He had a bruise across the bridge of his nose and cheeks, since he was so startled that he jumped up in the dark and banged into something while fleeing the room. The other side of the branch hit a dormer window in the top floor of their garage—just above the spot where another son was sleeping. Scary! But both Dunn boys are fine and they were helping their dad clear debris when a friendly neighbor, Rob Cavenaugh, dropped by with his chainsaw. In no time, Rob and a friend helped the Dunns clear an exit path for at least one of the cars parked in their garage. And miraculously, the cars parked in their driveway were spared.

What a contrast from one week to the next—the previous Saturday night was a perfect evening for an outdoor birthday celebration. Former Bedford resident, Mary Berol, returned from Memphis to celebrate her birthday with Phillis and John Warden of Bedford Hills. This year was super-special, since her 95th birthday was on August 20. At least 70 guests attended the party, which featured a delicious barbecue dinner prepared by the host, a barbecue connoisseur, followed by toasts to Mary and two large and scrumptious cakes. Before the candles were extinguished on the cake, Phillis made a wish of her own that Mary would return in five years for her 100th birthday celebration. Dinner was followed by music, provided by friends. The ambiance could not be surpassed.

To submit information for this column, send an email to Nancy Dexter at nancydexter@verizon.net

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