
By Staff
Sep. 19, 2018: Marilynn Wood Hill and Robert M. Riggs were honored at the annual Bronxville Women’s Club gala on Sunday, September 16, 2018, for their many years of service to the Bronxville community, foremost among them as co-founders of The Bronxville Historical Conservancy.
Over 150 guests attended the dinner in the ballroom of the historic 1920s clubhouse on the corner of Midland and Tanglewylde Avenues to see Hill and Riggs receive the Distinguished Community Service Award presented to them by club president Mary Westmoreland and members of The Bronxville Women’s Club. Mary Ella Crane served as the chair of the gala.
As stated in the booklet handed out to all at the dinner, “Marilynn and Bob’s lives were fused together after the 1998 Centennial Celebration of Bronxville’s incorporation as a village. As a legacy of the Centennial, they were inspired by a love of history and community which resulted in more than 100 villagers readily responding to a call of interest to form the new organization--The Bronxville Historical Conservancy, now celebrating 20 years.”
Marilynn and her husband, John, moved to Bronxville with their two daughters in 1976. A resident of Bronxville for nearly forty years now, Dr. Hill has spent most of her career studying and researching American history, especially in Westchester County and New York City. She was the first chair of the Bronxville Board of Ethics; chair of the Bronxville Adult School; and a co-founder (and is life co-chair) of The Bronxville Historical Conservancy, where she is the editor of The Bronxville Journal, the conservancy's publication.
Bob, a native of Bronxville, grew up in the oldest house in Bronxville and graduated from Bronxville High School. After earning a bachelor's degree from Amherst College and a law degree from Columbia Law School, Bob served as a B-47 pilot. He returned to Bronxville with his wife, Wendy, to raise their two daughters. Among his many civic endeavors, Bob served as Bronxville Village counsel and as a Bronxville Village trustee.
In commemorating the two honorees, club president Mary Westmoreland wrote in the booklet: "The two people that we are honoring tonight are deeply embedded in the Community and have devoted their life to preserving and protecting our local legacy. We are so fortunate to have among us such expertise. Expertise that they have voluntarily shared with all of us by documenting our past through The Bronxville Historical Conservancy, writing for the BWC Villager, or through their steadfast commitment to our history."
Click here for photos of the event.
Pictured here: Honorees Marilynn Wood Hill and Robert M. Riggs.
All photos by N. Bower
HOME & GARDEN
Bronxville Beautification Council
Organized in 1982, the Bronxville Beautification Council (BBC) is a not-for-profit organization administered by a volunteer Board of Directors. The mission of the BBC is to enhance and maintain the natural and man-made beauty of the village of Bronxville, with an emphasis on the downtown business district.
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Boulder Ledge Garden Club
Founded in 1966, the Boulder Ledge Garden Club is rooted in a mission to inspire a deeper appreciation and love for gardening and flower arranging. The club is dedicated to fostering and promoting interest and knowledge in gardening.
The Club maintains Bronxville’s Bicentennial Park and other civic gardens. In 2019–2020 the club raised $18,000 to replace trees in the village, reflecting its active role in community beautification. It also holds garden therapy projects and educational garden trips for members.
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Bronxville Giving Garden
The Bronxville Giving Garden is a community-centered garden that donates organic produce to Eastchester Community Action Partnership in Tuckahoe and Community Service Associates in Mount Vernon. The garden is also a gathering place where school children and volunteers can discover the joy of tending plants and growing food.
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Bronxville Green Committee
The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. It proposes and implements environmentally sustainable programs in our community.
You can contact them HERE.
SCOUTING
Bronxville Boy Scouts
The village of Bronxville has a long tradition of scouting. “The troops and packs of Bronxville have maintained the finest scouting organizations and have taught the boys of the Bronxville area to be leaders and outstanding members of the local, national and global communities.”
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Bronxville Girls Scouts
The Girls Scouts is “the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world.” In Girl Scouts, “girls discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together. Through the many enriching experiences provided by Girl Scouts, they can grow courageous and strong.”
Here is more information about girl scouts.
HISTORY
Bronxville Historical Conservancy
Inspired by the highly successful Bronxville Centennial Celebration in 1998, the Bronxville Historical Conservancy was founded to record and preserve Bronxville's history and life in the village today.
BRONXVILLE SCHOOL
Bronxville School Foundation
The Bronxville School Foundation, founded in 1991, is a non-profit organization independent from the school with the sole purpose of supporting the school.
The mission of the Bronxville School Foundation is to enhance the quality of public education in our community by engaging the support and energies of educators, citizens, parents, students and alumni.
The Foundation awards grants for projects
CLICK HERE to learn more.
LECTURES, EXHIBITS, CONCERTS
Bronxville Women's Club
The Bronxville Women’s Club offers lectures, exhibits and concerts. It also has a beautiful clubhouse which is available for rental for events.
135 Midland Avenue
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-3252
Concordia Conservatory
Concordia Conservatory, a preeminent center for music education in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, is a welcoming community where children and adults find lifelong inspiration and joy through learning, performing, listening to, and participating with others in music.
The Conservatory’s mission is to inspire, instruct, and enrich lives through music offering excellence in education and performance.
CLICK HERE for more information.
COUNSELING
Counseling Center
Founded in 1971, the mission of the Counseling Center “is to provide a wide range of psychotherapeutic and counseling services to individuals, couples and families by a staff of highly trained, experience and dedicated psychotherapists.
The Counseling Center
180 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-793-3388
www.counselingcenter.org
SERVICE & VOLUNTEERISM
Community Fund of Bronxville, Eastchester & Tuckahoe
The mission of the Community Fund is “to support broad social services in Bronxville 10708, Eastchester and Tuckahoe through grants and technical support to local agencies and community projects. All money raised here in our community stays here in our community.”
15 Park Place
Bronxville, New York 10708
914-337-8808
www.thecommunityfund.org
Junior League of Bronxville
The Junior League of Bronxville is “an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.”
Rotary Club of Bronxville
The Rotary Club of Bronxville is part of a national network of 1.25 million problem-solvers. They see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
READING & LEARNING
Friends of the Bronxville Library
The Friends of the Bronxville Library is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to focus attention on the “Library’s services, facilities and needs” as well as sponsor projects and provide materials that are beyond the reach of the Library's regular budget and perform other services.
SENIORS
Gramatan Village
Gramatan Village is a unique community model offering programs, services and social connections that help members continue to live independently in their homes as they age. In addition, GV offers one-on-one consultations and counseling with our experienced staff to guide members through life’s transitions.
Senior Citizens of Bronxville
Senior Citizens of Bronxville is a not-for-profit organization that provides services and programs to seniors within the 10708 zip code area. “Programs cover a wide range of activities from educational seminars and cultural enrichment to community services, bridge classes and exercise.”