Progress Report

To Our Community

This report is not about what we are doing at Bedford 2020 — it

is about what you are doing to address climate change, reduce

greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve our natural resources.

• Hundreds of you attended the Bedford 2020 Environmental

Summit and Solar Action Day in January.

• Hundreds have completed energy efficiency upgrades on your

homes.

• Hundreds have inquired about solarizing your residential and

commercial buildings.

• Institutional purchases of locally sourced food increased from

$45,700 in 2013 to over $500,000 this year.

• Many of you pledged to protect our water by limiting chemical

use and pharmaceutical disposal on over 4,400 acres in Bedford.

It is truly astonishing how quickly our community has progressed

from talking about change to implementing it.

Thank you for making small adjustments in your lives that make

a big difference in our community’s future. Thank you for your

financial support. Thank you for your collaboration.

For all the significant accomplishments you will see in this report,

we applaud you.Sincerely,

Ellen Rouse Conrad, Co-President

Mary Beth Kass, Co-President

Olivia H. Farr, Sr. Vice President

OCTOBER 2015

Countdownto the end of 2020

Progresstoward reducinggreenhouse gasemissions by 20%(as of 2014)

MONTHSYEARS

79%5 3

DirectorsBOARD OF DIRECTORSEllen Rouse Conrad, Co-PresidentMary Beth Kass, Co-PresidentOlivia H. Farr, Sr. Vice PresidentCaroline Niemczyk, Vice President,

Special AdvisorLee Roberts, SecretaryKaren Sabath, TreasurerRobin AshleyKirtley CameronPeter KuniholmDiane Lewis, M.D.Stuart E. MarwellVickie MorrisRabbi Jason NevarezVeronique PittmanMark ThielkingJames Wood

ADVISORY BOARDJim DiamondDrew Patrick

FORMER DIRECTORSReese BermanRussell HernandezKathryn HoenigShirley LindefjeldLeslie NeedhamLisa SchwartzHeather V. Wolf

STAFFMidge Iorio, Executive DirectorEllen Calves, Program Assistant

bedford2020.org

B2020 Recognized for Environmental LeadershipOn September 26th, Bedford 2020 was honored to receive the Federated Conservationists of Westchester Award which recognizes an organization whose work “exemplifies a conscientious environmental ethic and the promotion of a greener future.”

Over 550 people gathered on January 29th to learn about New York State’s progressive, visionary program to promote clean, renewable energy as a cost saving way

to eliminate fossil fuels and the greenhouse gas emissions they create. Attendees included res-idents, businesses, civic organizations, community leaders legislators, media, and experts. The event also launched the Solarize Bed-ford-Mt. Kisco program.

“It really is about communities and you, [Bedford], are really the leader and so the rest of the state will be following you…Other states are looking to New York…to show the rest of the world how this can be done… That is the path to the solution to climate change.”

— Richard Kauffman, NY State Energy Czar leading the

NYS REV, Energy Revolution

“Bedford 2020’s effort in fulfilling its mission to create a sustainable community that con-serves natural resources is exemplary and has been an inspiration for individuals, organiza-tions and communities.”

— Sara Goddard, Board Member, Federated Conservationists of

Westchester County

B2020 Marks 5-Year Anniversary at Environmental Summit and Solar Action Day

Community PartnersThe Climate Action Plan was conceived to be a community-wide, collaborative effort. B2020 would like to recognize and thank Task Force Members and the many organizations, businesses and special friends who have worked to achieve our collective goals.

TASK FORCE VOLUNTEERS

Energy Task ForceMark Thielking, Chair Jason BlackLauren BriosWendy BreitnerMichael DeCandiaJim DiamondAlec GuettelNick GutfreundKathryn HoenigPatrick McManusDan Potash

Food & Agriculture Task ForceOlivia H. Farr, ChairRobin AshleyAnnie FarrellAlexandra ForresterMargaret GiffordAnne KronenbergMimi LinesVicki MarwellVickie Morris Kate SannKaren SimonsAnita StockbridgeHatsy VallarJim Wood

Transportation Task ForceMichael BlakeneyRobert Funicello Heather FlournoyRussell HernandezCaroline NiemczykNat RockettDennis RowanMark ThielkingMary TobinLuke Vander LindenHeather V. Wolf

Environmental Summit &

Solar ActionDay

Summit leaders, including Amory Lovins (front, 2nd from right) and Richard Kauffman (top, 1st on left).

“BCSD and Bedford 2020 are excited that the Greenlight Award competition will inspire students throughout the district to come up with ideas to improve comfort, health and cost of living in this beautiful place while helping the environment.”

— Drew Patrick, Assistant Superintendent,

Bedford Central School District

Bedford Students Compete for Greenlight AwardBedford 2020 has partnered with the Bedford Central School District to engage students in achieving our Climate Action Plan goals.

The Greenlight Award competition is underway at Fox Lane Middle and High Schools. In this pilot program, students, working with faculty and community leaders, are developing creative ideas and solutions for addressing climate change. Bedford 2020 will provide financial support to develop ideas and a scholarship grant for the contest winner.

Waste & Recycling Task ForcePeter Kuniholm, ChairLauren BroisEd CampbellDan ColleluoriNeil CutlerUrsula La MotteDiane Lewis, M.D.CJ MitchellFiona MitchellLeslie NeedhamVeronique PittmanAnita StockbridgeBetsy Weir

Water & Land Use Task ForceDiane Lewis, M.D., ChairElyse Arnow BrillRod ChristieLori EnsingerAmy GallenPat KeeseeNancy KronenbergHeather LanghamMimi LinesVirginia MaybankVickie MorrisMarian RoseKaren SabathGlenn Ticehurst

Business Task ForceStuart E. Marwell, ChairCynthia BrennanJim DiamondDan GinnelLeslie LampertGreg RileyMichael SchechterPhyllis TunnellDiana TylerJim Wood

Civic Task ForceLee Roberts, Chair

Religious Entities Task ForceRabbi Jason Nevarez, ChairRev. Dr. Paul AlcornRev. Lucia P. BallantineRev. Melissa BoyerRev. Terrence L. Elsberry

Schools Task ForceVeronique Pittman, ChairKirtley CameronAlexandra ForresterMelanie GambinoNick GutfreundJanet HarckhamDrew PatrickRyan Smith

“Buying local is now a permanent part of our ‘Food is Care’ program. As a community hospital, it is exciting to have veggies being freshly served to our patients and staff, grown nearby from surrounding communities.”

— Maria Hale, VP of Patient Advocacy and Patient

Centered Care at Northern Westchester Hospital

Our goal is to build an economically viable, high-quality, locally sourced food system for institutional buyers through the Northern Westchester Local Food Project. Progress is measured by calculating the dollar amount of food purchased through the project, increasing from $45,700 in 2013 to $497,034 in September 2014. Currently 14 hospitals, schools, daycare centers, senior and rehabil-itative facilities are enrolled, and Northern Westchester Hospital reports that it now purchases 90% of its produce from the local food aggregator, who fulfills orders with local food whenever possible.

Bedford 2020’s VegOut website (bedford2020.org/

veg-out) is a virtual hub for buying, growing, and eating local food in and around the Bedford community.

Food and Agriculture

TASK FORCE REPORTS

LOCALFOODPROJECT

ORGANIZATIONSBedford AudubonBedford Central School DistrictBedford Farmer’s ClubBedford Free LibraryBedford Garden ClubBedford Hills Chamber of

CommerceBedford Hills Free LibraryBedford Hills Historical

MuseumBedford Hills Neighborhood

AssociationBedford Historical SocietyBedford Energy Advisory PanelBedford Village Business Assn.Boys and Girls Club of

Northern WestchesterBranch OutCaramoorCommunity Center of Northern

Westchester Community Watershed Clean

Water CoalitionElectric Automobile Assn.,

Southern NY ChapterEnergize NYFederated Conservationists of

WestchesterGreen Schools Alliance John Jay HomesteadHopp Ground Garden ClubKatonah Chamber of

CommerceKatonah Lewisboro School

DistrictKatonah Museum of ArtKatonah Village LibraryKatonah Village Improvement

SocietyLeave Leaves AloneMarsh SanctuaryMianus River GorgeMount Kisco Childcare CenterNorthern Westchester HospitalPound Ridge Land

ConservancyRippowam-Cisqua SchoolRiverkeeper Rusticus Garden ClubSolarize WestchesterSt. Matthew’s ChurchStone Barnes Center for Food

and AgricultureSustainable WestchesterTeatown Lake ReservationTemple Shaaray TefilaThe Harvey SchoolThe Nature Conservancy,

Eastern NY ChapterVote SolarWestchester Green Business

ChallengeWestchester Land TrustWestmoreland Sanctuary

“We decided to install solar because it makes a tremendous amount of sense. In addition to having a positive impact on our footprint, we’ll be saving money right away, and we’ll be saving progressively more and more every year.”

—Kim Lapple, Mount Kisco resident

Energy EfficiencyIn 2010, Bedford 2020 launched Energize Bedford, a home energy efficiency program to work with

homeowners to complete energy efficiency upgrades that on average, save 30% of total energy usage that is wasted by leaking out of homes that are not energy efficient. 785 homes in Northern Westchester have been “Energized”! The Energized homes in Bedford alone are saving an estimated $334,400 in annual energy costs and have reduced carbon emissions equivalent to taking 74 cars permanently off the road.

EnergyRenewable EnergyRenewable Energy is the most significant way to reduce GHG emissions. To that end Bedford 2020, in partnership with Sustain- able Westchester, is working to pilot New York State’s first Community Choice Aggregation program. This pioneering energy-buying program will enable participating Westchester communities to buy electricity and gas in bulk, thereby increasing the amount of renew-ables in the mix (up to 100% for those who “opt-up”) and to lower costs. If successful, this could make a significant difference in the shift away from fossil fuels in our area, and it could be replicated throughout New York State.

Additionally, in January, Bedford 2020 hosted the Envi-ronmental Summit and Solar Action Day and launched the Solarize Bedford-Mt. Kisco program. The 18-week effort generated awareness of and interest in clean solar energy, with over 300 inquiries among residential and commercial building owners. The campaign drove a 43% increase in residential installations, and laid a strong foundation for further adoption of solar and renewable energy in our community.

The Ziegler Family in front of their Energized home.

“Single-stream recycling is simple and easy. The more waste that is recycled, the less trash and the less cost to the homeowner from waste disposal. Single-stream recycling is good for us, it is good for Bedford, and helps us get to our goal of reducing our carbon footprint 20% by 2020.”

— Chris Burdick, Town of Bedford Supervisor

Waste and RecyclingMuch activity is underway to reduce waste by increasing recycling and composting.

On May 13, Bedford 2020 partnered with Rippowam Cisqua School to host the Be-yond Waste Forum to share ideas, solutions and actions for reducing waste in Bedford and beyond. Over 100 residents, representatives from five different Bedford/Westchester schools, and leaders from various religious entities, businesses and organizations participated.

Bedford 2020 continues to work closely with the Town of Bedford to increase compliance with the single-stream recycling law. Efforts to make it easier to recycle have yielded an increase in recycling from 16% to 30%. Our goal is 40% by 2020. Plans are in development for future reductions in waste and increases in recycling, including a public recycling bin pilot and further educational outreach and events for residents and businesses. Additionally, Bedford 2020 will continue to provide information on simple backyard composting as one of the best ways to reduce our waste.

Bedford 2020 strongly supports the efforts of Bedford’s Conservation Board, The Town of Bedford and Westches-ter County government to ban single use plastic bags.

The Great Healthy Yard Project is an easy way to protect our drinking water. Synthetic pesticides are harmful to our health. They leach into groundwater and drinking water sources. By simply taking the Healthy Yard Pledge to eliminate use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers on our yards and not dispose of pharmaceuticals down the drain, Bedford residents have protected over 4,400 acres in our town. These homes and yards help keep our water clean. They are also healthy yards for our birds and pollinators!

“Taking the Healthy Yard Pledge was a no-brainer. It is important to me that people and pets are not exposed to harmful pesticides and fertilizers and that our water supply is not taking on any more chemicals.”

— Charity Brotman, Katonah resident

BUSINESSESArroway Chevrolet CadillacBedford MagazineBedford PostBedford Village FloristCafé of Love and Ladle of LoveCaptain Lawrence Brewing Co.City Carting and RecyclingCounty Waste ManagementCurtis InstrumentsDiamond PropertiesGinnel Real EstateGrand Prix New YorkHealthy Home Energy and

ConsultingHickory and TweedKelloggs and LawrenceKatonah Wine and Liquor La Maison FeteLloyd Bedford CoxLong Run MediaMill River SupplyMt. Kisco Chbr. of CommerceMount Kisco SeafoodMount Kisco Wine and SpiritsNorthern Westchester HospitalReally Social StrategiesRecord ReviewRobison Oil/Bright HomeRoss Solar Group Sav-A-TreeSunrise Solar Solutions Table Local MarketTesla MotorsThe Paint BoxThomas Fox Catering Trustco BankT-Square PropertiesVine and Co.Winter Brothers CartingWizard Studios

SPECIAL FRIENDSTown Supervisor, Chris BurdickJill BrookeBrett CameronAlison ChernowMayor Michael Cindrich and the

Village of Mount KiscoDan CohenBoo FumagalliPeter GrunthalJere HochmanHeather IannucciJoe LoveringWilliam Louis-DreyfusRJ MarksMichael MilliusDeanna MoranoGeoffrey MorrisJohn MorrisLisa PapernikChristopher RobertsMatthew SaravayBrian SiscoDeborah WhiteJosephine ZieglerTown of Bedford Board,

Department Heads and Staff

Water and Land Use

Join the Recovery Revolution in

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Pledged chemical- and pesticide-free Bedford yard and veggie garden.

Total Pledgedto date

ACRES44 0 0

B2020’s mission could not be fully realized without the many generous financial contributions from friends and community members. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the following individuals who made donations to B2020 over the past year. These gifts allow us to continue to improve the environment and preserve natural resources in Bedford and beyond.

Dale and Noriko Akinla  Linda Alziari Alan and Judith Appelbaum Peter and Kathi Arnow James Attwood and Leslie

Williams Anthony and Grace BardinelliTimothy and Kathryn

Barefield  Richard and Joan BarickmanRalph and Jean Baruch  Jon and Nancy Bauer and The

Bauer Family FoundationJohn and Marilyn Beck  Steve and Pat BeckwithSkip and Michaela Beitzel  Daniel Benton  Stan and Reese Berman ▲Steven and Sheryl Bernhard  Ralph and Yasmeen BernsteinGeorge Bianco  Wing and Cathy BiddlePaul Bird and Amy Parsons Jason and Meredith Black ▲Robert Blacker  Jeffrey and Sherry BlackingerTom and Nancy Blaney  Allison BlinkenDavid and Mary Boies  Philip and Suzanne BowersRobert and Katie Boyd  Bill BradsellDrs. Erich and Cynthia BraunAndrew and Kathleen BrennerStephen and Charity

Brotmann  Charles BrownAlli Brydon  David BuchwaldChris and Illyria Burdick  Coley and Susan BurkeKirtley and Seth Cameron  ▲

George CaratzasMark Carson and Molly

Friedrich Leslie Cecil and Creighton

Michael Vincent CelenzaCarol Christian  Florence ClarkDonald and Margaret CoeEdward and Joan CohenWilliam and Patricia ColavitoWhit and Ellen Conrad ▲Joyce CorriganDeirdre Courtney-Batson  Lloyd and Tori CoxWalter and Tatsie Curley  Pierre and Christian DavironPaula Desperito and The

Desperito FoundationJim and Ashley Diamond ▲James and Fran Dowling  Douglas and Suzanne DurstJonathan and Michaelene

Durst  Selby EhrlichPhilip Eifert  Ted EmersonLinda Rodgers Emory  Lori Ensigner and Bill

Kuebler ▲John and Olivia Farr  ▲David Fenton and Sylvie Erb  Kirk and Robert FergusonSteve and Sue Fields  Robert and Polly FinnDavid and Sally Firestein 

Nick and Edmee FirthBill and Wendy Foulke  Molly Friedrich and Mark

CarsonJeanette Galvin  Donna GarrDavid and Nancy Gernert  James and Deirdre GlascottVirginia Gold  Jerry and Dorothy GoldsteinRandy and Evelyn Goodhue  Cecily GrandGoogle Matching Gift FundPenelope Graves  Evan and Sascha GreenbergBill and Susan GreeneIra and Amy Greenstein  Daniel GriffinRobert and Ellen Grimes  Peter and Eve GuernseyNick Gutfreund and Mary

Duncan ▲Eric HadarJoseph and Susan Handelman  Janet Harckham ▲Anthony HassBambi Hatch 

George and Marina HatchWhitney and Tizzy Hatch  Carla HawrylukSusan Heller  Andrea HerronMelissa Hoglund  John and Kate HornDavid Howell and Susan

AlportAndre and Kelly HunterChris Stern Hyman  Mark and Gail ImowitzMidge IorioRaymond Infarinato and Lisa

Cribari  Tom and Barbara IsraelRobert and Patricia Ivry  Bill Jackson and Linn SageBarbara Johnson  Charles and Carolee JonesWard and Jackie Jones  James Kane and Jeannie LaneBilly and Joan Kantor  Joel and Laura KaplanEvan and Mary Beth Kass ▲Herbert and Nancy KaufmannPatricia Keesee ▲

Donors, September 2014 – August 2015

WHY I SUPPORT BEDFORD 2020

“We love that we live in a community that is committed to making fundamental environmental changes and to making ours a better, cleaner place to live. And it’s all happening because of Bedford 2020.”

— Wendy Breitner and Ken Kirshenbaum

Tabling at the pool this summer, B2020 taught residents about saving energy and had some fun getting people to pose as the Energize Energy Man.

THANK YOU!

Henry KensingAshley Kidd and Julie and

Wilmot Kidd and The Endeavor Foundation

Kenneth Kirshenbaum and Wendy Breitner  ▲

Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg and The Kohlberg Foundation

Alison Koppelman  Stanley and Barbara KravitzEric and Anne Kronenberg  ▲Lewis and Laura KrugerPeter and Jane Kuniholm  ▲Carol KurthRoy and Lydia Landesberg  Ted and Karen LernerBenjamin & Hope Levene, Jr  Drs. Blair and Diane Lewis ▲Shirley Lindefjeld ▲Susan Lodge William Louis-Dreyfus  Joe and Lisa LoveringTatiana Lowe and The Tatiana

Lowe FoundationHarry and Rosemary

MacLaughlinBeatrice Maguire Stuart and Vicki Marwell  ▲Cynthia and Paul MasJoseph and Virginia

Maybank  ▲ Douglas Maynard and Kathryn

Hoenig ▲

Bill Mayo-Smith  MBIA Foundation Ann McDuffieMichael and Courtney

McGinnis 

Patrick and Maureen McManus ▲

Mianus River Gorge, Inc.  Michael Minard and Phyllis

RossJiri and Hilda Minarik  Hans Morefield and Helene

KopalMary Morgan and David

Callard Jefferson MorrisGeorge and Linda Moskowitz  Rabbi Jason and Nicole

Nevarez ▲Caroline Niemczyk  ▲Bruce Niles and Bruce K.

Niles, Inc.Tricia O’Donnell  John OramAlison Overseth  Foxhall and Helen ParkerSteven and Carol Parker  Richard and Muriel PearlFred and Marjorie Piker Robert and Veronique

Pittman ▲Leslie and Yvonne Pollack  Oscar and Nan PollockRicardo Pou and Vivian Song Christopher and Didi

Raxworthy  David and Katie RedalieuDonna ReimerJohn and Diana Rice  Frank and Kimba RichardsonAndrew Richter  Andrew and Lexann RichterKen and Lee Roberts ▲Christopher and Mary Ann

Robinson 

Nat and Courtney Rockett ▲Philip and Dorinn Rodman  Jeff and Janice RodnerDaphne Root  George and Joanne

RosamondMarian Rose  ▲Mark and Rochelle RosenbergPaul and Nancy Ross  Stuart and Wendy RossJohn Rudge and Sara Weale Bruce and Karen Sabath ▲Richard and Maureen Sabo  Joel Sachs and Keane and

Beane Elizabeth SachsPaul and Elizabeth SanderRoger Savitt  Wallace and Elizabeth

SchwartzJohn and Susan Scofield  Richard and Doris SeidlitzMona Shapiro and

Christopher Parke Ted and Mary Jo ShenKarin Shiel  Heide ShilstoneJoseph Simonetti and Carol

Goldman Louis SorellNick Sourbis and Karen LuciaSteven and Judith SpitzNicholas and Martha Spofford  Jonathan and Debbie StanleyMark Stanley  Stanley and Elizabeth StarrThe Stepping Stones

FoundationBeth SternJohn and Anita Stockbridge ▲

Suzanne Sunday  David SwopeElizabeth Taggart  Jeff Tannenbaum and Nisa

GellerMichael and Sandra

Tannenbaum  Mark and Moira Thielking  ▲Cheryl ThomsenJames A. Tilley  Rod and Marilen TiltWilliam and Dookie Tingue  Peter and Ginny TobeasonBarbara Trotta  Truck RestaurantBart and Diana Tyler  Norman and Melissa VailHatsy Vallar  ▲Jean and Carol VallesRoger and Nancy Vincent  Leo and Barbara VircilloGerard and Stacey Virga  Lee Manning VogelsteinJohn and Phyllis WardenWilliam and Teresa Waterman  Neil WattlesJonas and Sharon Weiner  Fred and Trina WhitridgeNorman and Vera Winskill  Joanne Witty and Gene KeilinJim and Twink Wood  ▲William and Catherine ZieglerPaul Zofnass and Renee Ring 

Thank you to the hundreds of members of our community who have contributed to our progress by participating in Bedford 2020 programs and events.

For more information, please contact B2020 Executive Director Midge Iorio at midge.iorio@bedford2020.org. Go to bedford2020.org to obtain the complete details of the Climate Action Plan Progress Report published in June 2014.

▲ = Board Member▲ = Former Board Member▲ = Task Force Member

WHY I SUPPORT BEDFORD 2020

“Bedford 2020 is a great resource! We have learned about buying and growing local food, energy efficiency, alternative energy options, better recycling practices, and how to be better environmental citizens from this wonderful organization.”

— Karen Lucia and Nick Sourbis

WHY I SUPPORT BEDFORD 2020

“Bedford 2020 has been a powerful leader and a persistent driving force for carbon reduction and environmental sustainability in Bedford and beyond. With other communities following Bedford’s example B2020 is making a real difference in the fight against climate change.”

— Skip and Michaela Beitzel

P.O. Box 812Bedford Hills, NY 10507

bedford2020.org OCTOBER 2015

Actions You Can TakeParticipate in Single Stream Recycling bedford2020.org/single-stream-recycling/

Compost food and yard waste bedford2020.org/get-the-dirt-on-composting/

Energize your home! bedford.energizeny.org

Look into solar for your home or business Take the Healthy Yard Pledge (at right) →

Consider an electric vehicle for your next car purchase

Use public transportation Eat local and sign up for VegOut! Newsletter  bedford2020.org/vegout

The Great Healthy Yard PledgeI, , pledge to help protect the quality of our local drinking water by managing my lawn and garden without synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, except on rare occasions to improve habitat or resolve an infestation. I also promise to dispose of pharmaceuticals responsibly.

Address

Email

Acreage pledged

Include my name on your pledge list.

Fill out and sign this pledge, then take a picture of it and email it to us at info@bedford2020.org

Look how far we’ve come!