Five Things You Need to Know Today: Rock Performances, Medicare Basics and 'Gardens of the Hudson Valley'

1. If you’re a female job seeker, look no further than Westchester Jewish Community Services for free, non-sectarian workshops on how to mine productivity and purpose out of your everyday life. Today’s session, entitled “Living Your Life With Purpose in 2011,” runs from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Rosenthal Jewish Community Center of Northern Westchester. Register for today’s seminar or future workshop opportunities by contacting WHW Project Director Lenore Rosenbaum at (914) 761-0600, X308.

2. Learning CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver is a quick, easy way of ensuring that you possess the skills and know-how to save a life in peril. Starting in May, the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SVAC) will offer CPR/AED training from the American Heart Association. Classes will run for four hours and cost $45 per person. Classes will be held at SVAC headquarters on 5 Weaver Street. Call (914) 722-2288 and leave your name, number and the date and time you wish to take a class.

3. It’s Thursday night, meaning that you can either wind down from the week’s stress by staying in with a good book or start your weekend fun a bit early. Starting at 9:30 p.m., local band “The Big Onion” will be performing a free show at The Bayou Restaurant in Mount Vernon. Bring your best dance moves, a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility and a designated driver if you plan to be ragin’ like a Cajun. Who says spring break’s coming close to an end?

4. Medicare Basics can sometimes be, well, anything but basic when it comes to understanding the fine print. However, if you attend the Medicare Information Session at the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS), you can educate yourself on Medigap insurance, cost-sharing, preventative benefits and Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) for the greatest savings. The seminar begins at 10 a.m. and is free for seniors. Visit the DSPS website for more information.

5. The Hudson Valley is full of beautiful homes and lush, carefully tended gardens. Learn more about the region’s iconic and historic gardens, ranging from the elaborately hedged Edens of Gilded Age moguls to today’s sanctuaries of natural tranquility, by attending a talk hosted by the Garden Conservancy and the Friends of Rocky Hills Valley. Experts Susan Lowry and Nancy Berner, co-writers of “Gardens of the Hudson Valley,” will lecture and present photography by Sue Daley and Steve Gross. The seminar will be held at the Chappaqua Public Library at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (914) 238-4779.