Hear From Experts In Geothermal Heating, Solar Energy At Scarsdale Sustainability Fair Saturday

This weekend's Sustainability Fair--the second in three years--will bring together the Scarsdale community in sharing knowledge and taking steps toward a more eco-friendly way of life.

Co-sponsored by Scarsdale's Board of Education and Village Trustees, this free event will be held from 9a.m. to 1p.m. on Saturday, May 15 at Scarsdale High School.

The event's organizers, BOE Vice-President Jill Spieler, Trustee Dan Hochvert, and Scarsdale schools' Director of Sustainability Steve Frantz, said the fair will offer the community ideas for using "the Earth's resources in ways that will permit future generations to be able to meet their needs while reducing carbon emissions and saving money."

The fair will culminate in a tree planting ceremony--one tree for each of Scarsdale's five elementary schools--in honor of the 225th anniversary of Scarsdale schools.

According to the organizers, throughout the morning, "experts from consulting firms, contractors, architects, and neighbors who have already headed down the green path will share their knowledge and experiences in workshop format."

Here's a rundown of the day's events:

Geothermal heating and cooling will be the topic of discussion during one of two major workshops at the fair. The workshop will include presentations by geothermal heating consultant Judy Martin, local archtects Bjoern Kuhn and John Cotugno, and local contractors Bill Seguin and Rob Feuer.

Scarsdale resident Alan Garfunkel will also share his reasons for implementing geothermal heating into his home.

Another Scarsdale resident, Carol Silverman, will talk about her decision to install solar panels on the roof of her house and what impact it has had thus far.

Susan Boyle, SHS alum and co-owner of Big Sue Construction, will talk about her project "installing a huge solar array on a NYC building and becoming the first project to sell electricity back to the grid."

A representative from Mercury Solar Systems, Anthony Conklin, will discuss the installation process and benefits of solar panels.

Scarsdale realtor Lynne Clark will offer thoughts on the effects of energy-saving installation on the buying and selling of homes.

This workshop will include talks by landscape architect Earl Govern, as well as members from the Conservation Advisory Committee, Friends of Scarsdale Parks and the Scarsdale Woman's Club.

Al Krautter, owner of Scarsdale's Sprainbrook Nursery, will share his knowledge on improving water management and offer techniques for improving the health of trees.

Students from each of Scarsdale's schools will hold exhibits throughout the day detailing what they've learned in their sustainability studies.

Scarsdale's Girl and Boy Scouts will also offer demonstrations for practical sustainability initiatives.

Representatives from the school district and village will also "share some of the sustainability actions taken in the past few years."

As part of Scarsdale schools' ongoing 225th Anniversary celebration, the sustainability fair will culminate with a tree-planting ceremony. Five trees will be planted, honoring each of the district's elementary schools.