the Witches' Brew
Staff Spotlight: Officer Saunders
Kylie Young
For the month of November Officer Saunders has been chosen to be featured. When being featured you learn a little about that staff member, for example officer Saunders joined the state police in January of 1996.
Mr. Saunders was chosen this month because he is new to the Greenwich faculty and I believe he is someone who helps others and deserves to be recognized. He is someone who has that personality that likes to help people, which is the reason he chose the profession of officer. “What better way to do it,” he said.
He was in the police force for 20 years before retiring in July of 2016. After retirement, he came back for S.R.O (school resource officer) training. He was asked if he wanted to do this position and he agreed.
We know what he does now, but no one really knows what he did previously. Before becoming an SRO he was a state trooper, but even before that he served our country. He started serving in 1987 and served for 26 years in the National Guard before retiring in 2013 with the title of Major. He was stationed at the Watervliet Arsenal. Before he joined the state police and while he was still active in the service, he went to college in Potsdam. He graduated in 1992 with a degree in environmental science.
There is much to say about his life outside of work. He didn’t grow up in Greenwich, but he did grow up closeby in Mechanicville. Mr.Saunders is happily married and is supported by his three children - all boys; Reece Saunders who is in 8th grade this year and then his twin boys, Kyle and Ryan who are 22 years old and have left their family nest to attend college. The last family member is their dog, Lax, who is a border-collie mix. He told me that they named him Lax due to all the boys in his house playing lacrosse. But, when he isn’t spending time with his family or working, he gave me an insight on activities he likes to do in his free time. He enjoys woodworking, flipping houses, and of course, outdoor sports, which I guess would come in handy with three boys.
Our BAE is Back!
Avery Smith
Greenwich Music Students had the honor of working with Bridge Arts Ensemble November 5th - November 8th. Bridge Arts Ensemble is a group of 40 or so professional musicians that split up into groups and travel upstate NY spreading their love of music and bridging the arts into education. BAE has been around for 4 years, and has been coming to GCS for 3 years. They worked with our K-12 music students on many different skills. Steve, who is one of BAE’s founders and is a professional opera singer, says that their main goal is to spread the message that music is always relevant in life, no matter what path you plan to follow.
This year our music students had the honor of working with Shaleah, a singer who has acted on Broadway and manages BAE’s social media (hey music students! Follow @bridgeartsensemble on instagram!), Mark, an extremely talented clarinet player who tours with a clarinet group in his free time, Daniel, who plays the trombone (and LOVES roast beef sandwiches), Joe, a marathon running drummer, who believes that you should, “BAE yourself” and Major, a talented pianist. The team all loves their job, and say that they are, “privileged, and that the pros list of the job is very, very long.”
The group left me with many wise words of music that can apply to any interest, from music to sports to math. Daniel says that you have to, “work hard to do things you like, and that the more time you put in, the better the outcome.” Shaleah shared that you should always, “be kind, and that you always should be learning stuff.” Mark says that if you simply, “stick to your instinct and do what you love, the rest will fall in place.” Take their advice: be kind, stick to your instincts, and always work hard.
(pictured left-right: Shaleah, Avery, Daniel, Joe, Mark, Steve)
Riddle #1
What has many keys, but can't even open a single door?
The Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade...2018!
The Greenwich Lighted Tractor Parade is an annual celebration in November that has been going on for six years. Making a float involves time and hard work. Each tractor has to have at least 1,000 lights! Tractors with a float have to have a minimum of 2,000 lights! The tractors, wagons and floats follow the route from the Greenwich Central School to Church Street and then east along Main Street through the village of Greenwich. Thousands of people come to watch. Residents, farmers and businesses in our community make floats to celebrate our agricultural history and thriving business district!
Holiday Traditions
David Gabriel, a student in 10th grade, says he likes to have beef stew with his family on Christmas Eve. For Christmas morning, David has Battenkill chocolate milk and bread pudding. David also goes to a Christmas church service. Ben Sova, a student in 10th grade, says that he and his family have pasta for Christmas Eve dinner. Ben says his house is always very crowded on Christmas Eve. Mrs. Baker, a math teacher, says that she and her family like to go drive around Saratoga and see the lights on all of the houses. On Christmas Day, Mrs. Baker and her family build a fire. They always have a big breakfast and they have a sledding party with a cookout in the snow. Mrs. Wilson, the reading teacher, says that she and her family get together and they have a big meal. Mrs Wilson and her family also watch the holiday shows. Many people have different traditions for the holidays. These traditions originate throughout different times of the year. What are your family’s favorite holiday traditions? Happy Holidays!
Many people have family traditions. Usually, these traditions stem around this time of year, from what people celebrate during the holiday season. I have interviewed a few people, asking them about the traditions that they celebrate and here are the results:
Favorite Recipes: Sweet Potato Casserole!
Lauren Reynolds
Background
My family usually makes this recipe for Thanksgiving, if not Christmas, too. A lot of people shy away from sweet potatoes, but personally, I love them. They offer a blank palette to make sweet and savory dishes of all kinds. This recipe is simply a single recipe out of thousands. Sweet potatoes by themselves aren’t much, but add a little butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup… and the taste completely changes! The recipe I’ve shared with you today is one I will be making for years to come. The sweet potatoes with the marshmallows and different spices is sure to please anyone who gives it a try. So this holiday season give sweet potatoes a chance with this recipe. Happy Holidays!
Ready in 20 minutes.
Serves 6-8 people.
Filling Ingredients
Sweet potatoes, 3lb
Brown sugar, ⅓ cup
Melted unsalted butter, 6 tbsp
Heavy cream, ¼ cup
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
Ground cinnamon, 1 tsp
Nutmeg, ½ tsp
Kosher salt, ½ tsp
Eggs lightly beaten, 2
Pepper, to taste
Ginger finely grated, 1 (1”) piece
Topping Ingredients
Rolled oats, ½ cup
Flour, ½ cup
Brown sugar, ½ cup
Finely chopped pecans, ¼ cup(optional)
Kosher salt, ½ tsp
Unsalted butter chilled and cubed, 5 tbsp
Mini marshmallows, ¼ cup
Preparation
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place sweet potatoes on parchment paper lined baking sheet(s) and bake until soft, 1 ½ hours. Let cool for 30 minutes, and remove skins. Put potatoes in a food mill into a large bowl. Stir in sugar, butter, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, eggs, ginger, and pepper. Pour mixture into baking dish and smooth top.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, oats, sugar, pecans, and salt in bowl. Add butter and rub butter into flour mixture until large crumbles form( Use your hands!). Mound crumble topping over filling, dot with marshmallow. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool before serving.
Tips
You can mash your potatoes if you lack a food mill!
The Results Are In!
Isaac Sievers
Riddle #2
They have not flesh, nor feathers, nor scales, nor bone. Yet they have fingers and thumbs of their own. What are they?
Favorite Recipes: Spiced Apple Macarons
Molly Morse-Belcher
Makes: 16
Prep Time: 40 minutes, plus 30 minutes standing time
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
¾ cup ground almonds
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large egg whites
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Filling
3 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
1. Place the ground almonds, confectioners’ sugar, and
cinnamon in a food processor and process for 15 seconds.
Sift the mixture into a bowl. Line two baking sheets with
parchment paper.
2. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat until
holding soft peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar to make a
firm, glossy meringue.
3. Using a spatula, fold the almond mixture into the
meringue one third at a time. When all the dry ingredients
are incorporated, continue to fold the mixture until it forms a
shiny batter.
4. Pour the mixture into a pastry bag with a ½ inch plain tip.
Pipe 32 small mounds onto the prepared baking sheets.
Tap the baking sheets firmly onto a surface to remove air
bubbles. Sprinkle with the grated nutmeg. Let stand at
room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the
oven to 325°F.
5. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then carefully peel the macarons off the parchment paper. Let cool completely.
6. To make the filling, place the apples, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until soft. Mash with a fork to make a puree, then let cool. Use to sandwich together pairs of macarons.
This recipe is a fun way to change up the traditions of Thanksgiving desserts and can be a good way to spend time with family. Cooking and baking with my family is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving, and in those moments I find something to truly be grateful for. Hopefully this recipe provides a way for you to give thanks for your family and the time spent together, as well as offer a delicious treat at the end!
Riddle #3
Jessica Newell
Steam Systems
I know it sounds almost too good to be true, but there is a catch! Sometimes the steam system will have a little “incident”. One of the most famous ones is the 2007 New York City Steam Explosion. Imagine this: It’s a hot summer day, your wife packed you a bag of assorted seeds, and you start on your walk to work through the bustling streets on NYC. Then, out of nowhere, you hear an explosion and get completely covered in mud! Yuck! Sounds like a nightmare to me. The explosion was due to an outdated, 83-year-old steam pipe below a bustling intersection in Manhattan. It made a 40-foot steam cloud and sprayed mud and debris everywhere in sight. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Hmm, what are the environmental impacts of the New York City Steam System?” then you are in luck. Roughly 50% of New York’s steam is Cogeneration, meaning it reduces emissions of pollutants such as CO2 and NOx, thus reducing the city’s overall carbon footprint. That is all I have to say about New York’s steam system. Tune in next time for my thoughts on ice sculpting!
When you think of New York City’s skyline, I’m sure you think of the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty. But if you look closely, you’ll notice that there are little to no chimneys etched into the profile of the city. That’s due to a little something called the steam system. New York City, overtime, has made itself a city running entirely on a steam system. Now I’m sure you’re wondering, “Bruce! For the love of god what is a steam system!” Scattered across New York City are various locations of steam plants, such as The Ravenswood station in Queens and the East River Station on 14th Street. At these plants, electricity and heat are powered through oil or gas. This creates steam, which is distributed to the plants. The plants take the steam, dilute it beneath the streets of New York, and release it through street pipes and into buildings to regulate humidity.
Riddle Answers!
The Witches' Brew
Annabel Gregg
Contributors
Bruce Gregg
Molly Morse-Belcher
Jessica Newell
Lauren Reynolds
Isaac Sievers
Avery Smith
Kylie Young
Advisors
Robin Bristol
Nicole Carner
Email: greenwichlmc@greenwichcsd.org
Website: http://wps.greenwichcsd.org/
Location: 10 Gray Ave, Greenwich, NY 12834
Phone: (518) 692-9542