the magazine for mount pleasant & beyond | …€¦ · expert physicians in primary care,...

Cycle for SurvivalOur Walkable Town Playgroup Lifesaver

ROCKEFELLER PRESERVE’S

Majesty & Milestone

PLANNING THEPLEASANTVILLE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Arc Stages Springtime Surprises

HAWTHORNE, THORNWOOD & VALHALLA

BURNS FILM CENTER:Creating A Local & Cultural Mecca

THE MAGAZINE FOR MOUNT PLEASANT & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.C0M | MARCH/APRIL 2019

1stedition!

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Featuring

MARCH/APRIL 2019 | INSIDE PLEASANTVILLE | 01

HAWTHORNE, THORNWOOD & VALHALLA

cover story10| The BurnsJacob Burns Center theater staff include (L-R): Alex Kononenko, Adrienne Frank, Sara Haber, Imani Humphries, Tommy Olszewski, Evan Seligman, Sara Farley

STORY BY STACEY PFEFFERPHOTO BY LYNDA SHENKMAN www.oxygenhousephoto.com

MARCH/APRIL 2019THE MAGAZINE FOR MOUNT PLEASANT & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.COM 15| Rockefeller Preserve

26| Arc Stages

just between us4 Enjoy our debut editionBY GRACE BENNETT

features15 Bucolic Jewel: Rockefeller PreserveBY SHAUNA LEVY 21 Cycle for Survival TriumphsBY BETH BESEN 24 Kick Start to the Next Pleasantville Music FestivalBY DAVID PROPPER 26 The Magic at Arc StagesBY ELLA ILAN 29 Gap Year Options BY CONNIE WHITEHOUSE

inside thoughts6 Our Walkable TownBY CAROLINE ROSENGARDEN

31 My Idea of Beauty-Then and NowBY DANIEL LEVITZ

happenings6 Hudson Valley Fermented at Pace University

8 • Axial Theater Benefit • White Plains Hospital Stroke Center

28 • Think Fit for Kids • National Pediatric Cancer Foundation: Fashion Show Fundraiser

etcetera32 Finding Your VillageBY CHRISTINE PASQUERALLE

Mailing address: Inside Press, PO Box 643, Millwood Road, NY 10546Telephone: 914-238-2600

Inside Pleasantville is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse or not endorse any advertisers, products or resources referenced in advertisements appearing in this publication. The Inside Press shall not be liable to any party as a result of any information, services or resources made available through this publication.The Inside Press is published in good faith and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in advertising that appears in this publication. The views of advertisers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher’s.

Opinions and information presented in all Inside Press articles, such as in the arena of health and medicine, strictly reflect the experiences, expertise and/or views of those interviewed, and are not necessarily recommended or endorsed by the Inside Press. Please consult your own doctor for diagnosis and/or treatment.

Editorial or Press Release Submissions: please email: [email protected] Inquires: please email: [email protected]

For more information, rates and advertising calendar, go to www.theinsidepress.comGeneral Counsel: Brian Hand

© 2019 All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.Reproduction of any portion is prohibited without permission by the publisher.

March/April 2019Volume 1, Number 1

THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTH CASTLE & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.C0M

Accounts ManagerANALIA BOLTUCH

Web Design RYAN SMITH, RICK WATERS

Advertising Manager CAROLINE ROSENGARDEN

Art DirectorLISA SAMKOFF

Contributing EditorSTACEY PFEFFER

Publisher & Editor-in-ChiefGRACE BENNETT

02 | INSIDE PLEASANTVILLE | MARCH/APRIL 2019

FOLLOW US IN SOCIAL MEDIA!Along with visiting

theinsidepress.complease also check our announcementsand activities on social media, including:

facebook.com/theinsidepress

instagram.com/insidepress

grace@theinsidepress

Please know that a lot of heart and soul went into producing this first issue of Inside Pleasantville! If you have lived in the area long enough, many of

you may already have seen an Inside Press publica-tion in a neighbor’s home, or perhaps at a real estate office–where the magazines make a giant impression (I’m told!) with area visitors considering a move here.

I’ve been publishing for 16 years after launching the first edition of Inside Chappaqua, The Magazine for New Castle and Beyond in April 2003. Five years ago, following that success, I decided to get two Castle pubs underway and pro-duced our first Inside Armonk. And now here we are delighted to be covering your vibrant Mount Pleas-ant communities too with this first edition of an Inside Pleasantville!

I’m always grateful to my Inside Press team, including Caroline Rosengarden who lives ‘Inside Pleasantville’ with her beautiful family. She is positively a most enthusiastic proponent for the community (see page six to hear her thoughts on Pleasantville too!). Also, enjoy the work here by Lisa

Samkoff, our consummate professional designer who brings a special flair to every page. Wonderful Stacey Pfeffer edits our Chappaqua and Armonk editions from which you may see some relevant articles appearing here too. First and foremost, as a publisher, I under-stand no community’s residents live in a bubble, so I do share from other communities, and will continue to as much as I can. I also so appreciate Ryan Smith and Rick Waters, who designed and maintain our site theinsidepress.com. You can find all the stories here online too, a down-loadable edition, along with other ‘in between post-ings,’ all as much as time and energy permit! Behind the scenes, we have Analia Boltuch, our invaluable account manager, and always a rotating group of talented ‘regular’ freelance writers and photographers. This issue’s cover work plus the photos for the Pleas-antville Music Festival, for example, are from Pleasant-


ville’s very own Lynda Shenkman, who shot many of my first Inside editions too.

Ultimately, this pub comes to you after 22 years of happy Westchester living, having raised two terrific children: my daughter, Anna, 26, and son Ari, 22, both living in the city. I also visit my dad a lot in Yonkers. He’s going on 97 and still in good health at a senior residence. Being empty nest, and having this amazing Inside Press team in place, I’m expanding our publish-ing efforts. Chappaqua’s also is just a hop, skip and jump to Pleasantville. In fact, when I think of ‘fun times’ in Westchester, Pleasantville elicits those feelings enor-mously, whether it’s at gorgeous Rockefeller Preserve, or enjoying countless movies at the incomparable Jacob Burns Film Center, or even acting classes I discovered with Rachel Jones at the Howard Meyer Acting Studio/Axial Theater! In the meantime I can live vicariously enjoying others performing in stellar shows such as those at Arc Stages, or setting aside a day to dance or sing along with the mega talented musicians at the Pleasantville Music Festival. All these places and institutions and more–don’t miss a terrific story on Cycle for Survival!–are covered in this debut edition, which I hope you will treasure and keep as a collector’s item. We will be ‘back again’ with a back to school September/October 2019 edition arriving in your home by late August too. Remember, you can read us online too at theinsidepress.com and follow our assorted musings primarily on Facebook and Instagram. I am aiming for at least four editions in 2020, so stay tuned for more fun and meaningful coverage in which we will keep on ‘Sharing the Heart of Your Commu-nity.” And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also communicate a resounding THANK YOU to all the generous sponsors and contributors who made this edition and future ones possible. ENJOY!

Grace Bennett Inside Press Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

just between us

ENJOY our Debut Edition

Grace’s cut and blow dry by Lisa Koebbe Bevan, owner and Master colorist at BELIEVE Beauty Lounge, a full service salon on 95 Manville Road in Pleasantville,believebeautysalon.com Makeup (and photo!) by Kara Delfino, karadelfino.com.

Our Doctors.YOur NeighborhooD.White Plains Hospital Medical & Wellness provides comprehensive care for the entire family, conveniently located in the heart of Armonk.

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The Pleasantville Rotary Club will be holding their wildly successful charity fundraiser, Hudson Valley Fermented, again this year. This tasting event of New York craft beverages and samplings from the best Hudson Valley restaurants will take place Saturday, March 16. The Rotary Club raises funds for local and international charities; last year alone, $30,000 was raised and hopes are high to top that

this year. Major beneficiaries of Hudson Valley Fermented 2019 will include Team Fox for Parkinson’s Re-search, Pleasantville Fund for Learning, and Break the Hold (suicide prevention and mental wellness).

Hudson Valley Fermented will be held at Pace University's Kessel Student Center in Pleasantville. This upbeat, festive event will feature over 30 cutting-edge breweries, wineries, distilleries, cideries, as well as delicious food offerings from over a dozen of the finest restaurants from the greater Hudson Valley region. In addition, there will be live music, dancing, raffles, auctions, and more. For more info, visit hvfermented.com

Festivities Galore in Store at‘Hudson Valley Fermented’


inside thoughts

happenings

Our Walkable TownJust part of the magic of

Pleasantville!BY CAROLINE ROSENGARDEN When we moved to Pleasantville in 2007 it was only because there was a house for rent here that was a new construction. Coming from a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, we decided that we weren’t going to pass that up. “But there are no school busses in Pleasantville,” a long-time friend new to the suburbs said to us. As parents of a young child, we wondered why no one had ever mentioned that to us and quickly came to realize that it was because… in Pleasantville, it simply doesn’t matter. And the longer we lived here we believed that the absence of those busses was actually a little part of the magic. Living in a town where people walk to and from school, to meet friends for coffee, to go to the movies, out to dinner or the local book store enables us to create and maintain connections that make life special. Running into a friend or neighbor while out walking Ruby, our golden-doodle, results easily in knowing who needs dinner delivered or what issues are being discussed at the village board meeting. This walking town has also been and continues to be an integral part of Lucy and Sadie’s childhoods. Being able to walk home

from school by themselves or in to town after school on a Friday with friends is not only fun but it’s also a boost to their confidence and self-esteem; small gifts all because of some well-maintained sidewalks and a lovely community. “If I could get paid to be the Pleasantville Welcome Wagon, I would!” is what I’m often telling people I meet who are new to our little town. I’m so excited for them, for the greatness that they don’t really know they’ve found. Caroline Rosengarden and her husband Andy have lived in Pleasantville since 2008. She is the advertising manager at the Inside Press and when she’s not working can be found baking, reading or catching a movie at the Jacob Burns.

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Pleasantville-based Axial Theatre will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on March 30 at its annual benefit by paying tribute to its founder, Howard Meyer. Meyer, the original artistic director of Axial and an award-winning playwright, is also the founder of the Howard Meyer Acting pro-gram, the County’s first major multi-tiered acting program for children through adults. Last year, Meyer turned the keys of the ensemble company over to Catherine “Cat” Banks and Linda Giuliano, now Axial’s co-artistic directors, who form a trio work-ing closely with managing director/general

counsel Elizabeth “Betsy” Klampert. Giulia-no remains the company’s literary manager. The benefit will offer a cornucopia of gour-met bites, savory and sweet, plus libations and a silent auction featuring a one-week getaway in Cinque Terre on the Medi-

terranean coastline of the Italian Riviera, Broadway tickets, and other exciting items. Past and present members of Axial Theatre will pay tribute to Howard Meyer through a variety of entertainment formats.

For more info, visit axialtheater.org

AxialTheaterBenefitMarch 30

happenings

(L-R): Boris Chulpayev, M.D, Holly Hensley, M.D.

Stroke is the #1 cause of disability and the #5 cause of death in the U.S. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke and nearly 800,000 suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. With stroke, medical experts agree – “Time is brain.” So, to meet the increasing demand

for immediate, life-saving care in Westchester, White Plains Hospital is expanding its already robust stroke treatment program to now include two highly specialized physicians.

Boris Chulpayev, M.D., is leading the expansion of clinical services for patients at The Ruth & Jerome A. Siegel Stroke Center at White Plains Hospital, Westchester County's first New York State-designated Regional Stroke Center. Both he and his partner, Holly Hensley, M.D.—are neurohospitalists skilled at managing the care of inpatients who have suffered from or who are at risk for a stroke, or who have other neurologic disorders.

“Our patients now have an even higher degree of specialized care to protect them from the damaging effects of stroke,” said Michael Palumbo, M.D., Chief medical

Officer and Executive Vice President at White Plains Hospital. “As we expand our Hospital’s advanced neurology capabilities, Dr. Chulpayev and Dr. Hensley will stay at the forefront of the latest evidence-based practices to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality of stroke care.” For the past 13 years, White Plains Hospital has been recognized with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for success in ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.

In 2018, White Plains Hospital also made the Association’s Target: StrokeSM Elite Honor Roll for meeting stroke quality measures that reduce the time between a patient’s arrival at the Hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, the only drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ischemic stroke.If administered within the first three hours after the start of stroke symptoms, tPA has been shown to significantly reduce the effects of stroke and the chance of permanent disability.

For additional info, visit wphospital.org

White Plains Hospital Expands Stroke Treatment Services

Becoming County’s First New York StateDesignated Regional Stroke Center


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Programming Reigns Supreme

“The breadth of programming is what makes us so unique,” explains Andrew Jupin, a Senior Programmer at the JBFC who started working there in 2006 as a projectionist. The movie thea-ter landscape has changed significantly in Westchester in recent years with the Saw Mill Multiplex in Hawthorne shutting down and an anticipated closing of the Greenburgh Multiplex in Elms-ford later this year. In addition, new players such as ultra-luxe iPic in Dobbs Ferry and a recently renovated Bedford Playhouse have been attracting moviegoers.

But Jupin argues that seeing movies at these places is an “anonymous experience.” And he’s right. It is not uncommon to see people milling about in the JBFC lobby post-scree-ning discussing a film they just saw. As a program-mer, Jupin also works on planning

director Q & As and curating films that engage moviegoers throughout Westchester. Each year more than 200,000 people visit the JBFC to see more than 400 films from over 40 coun-tries. Since it opened in 2001, three million people have walked through the doors of this Spanish mission-style theater to see cutting-edge cinema.


Behind the Scenes with Andrew Jupin at

The Jacob Burns Film

Center:Creating A Local &Cultural Mecca for

Film Lovers of All AgesBY STACEY PFEFFER

Back in the day when I lived in the city and was child-free, I had plenty of options to see independent or foreign films. I could traipse downtown to the Angelika Film Center to catch the latest Merchant Ivory film or head crosstown to Lincoln Plaza Cinemas to immerse myself in the latest Pedro Almodovar release. There

were a few other art houses and independent movie theaters that I could go to but the Angelika and Lincoln Plaza still stand out vividly in my mind.

Fast forward to a decade later and as a suburban mom with kids, I am lucky enough to live mere miles from the Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC), a five-screen cinema offering a full range of programming from films, events, community screenings, visiting artists and special guests. I like to think of it as an art house theater with 92 Street Y caliber lectures and classes all rolled into one. And al-though I don’t get to go there as often as I like, I have been known to sneak in an early movie while the kids are in school or plan a date night to catch an indie film with my husband. I’ve even taken my kids to Family Saturdays at the Media Arts Lab just a stone’s throw away where they’ve made amazing hands-on projects.

Bo Burnham and Andrew Jupin in Eighth GradePHOTO BY ED CODY


Carefully Curated Series

One of Jupin’s responsibilities is program-ming an ongoing series called Retro Revival sponsored by Wine Enthusiast. It is now in its third year and Jupin is passionate about selecting the films that become part of the series. We discuss a recent showing of I Am Cuba and Jupin’s excitement about the movie which he dubs a “lost treasure” is palatable. “This movie from the former USSR was virtually unseen here.” Martin Scorcese and Francis Ford Coppola were champions of the film and Milestone Films had to fight legal battles to get it shown here.” Jupin loves introducing something like this to an audience. “They [the movie-goers] trust us and our selections.” Jupin likes to choose tried and true classics like It’s a Wonderful Life to offerings that are for “adventurous hardcore cinephiles.”

And Jupin is well-qualified to make those selections. He’s an adjunct professor at the School of Film and Media Studies at Purchase College and also teaches at Westchester Community College. In his spare time, he also hosts a popular weekly podcast called We Hate Movies with several friends where they discuss terrible movies. He’s seen hundreds of “trashy films” and likes the dichotomy of working at JBFC where he gets to “bring worthwhile films to an audience.”

Jupin laments that sell out crowds for a screening are often viewed as a barometer of success. “I’ve been to film screenings where there are ten people but those ten people are blown away and they want to see more films by that director or on a certain subject and they then tell their friends.” Jupin, along with other programmers at the theater, finds it incredibly rewarding when they can open their audience to new ideas or new films

Edie DemasExecutive DirectorEdie joined the JBFC as executive director in May 2014. Previously, she worked with the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles and was Director of Education at New York’s New Victory Theater, where under her direction, its education programs were honored with the Americans for the Arts award for Arts Education. She also spent several years in Ireland, where she worked as an education officer with Graffiti Theatre Company, founded UnReel, an international film festival for young people, developed scripts for children’s film and television, and served as an Associate Artist for Education and Outreach at The Abbey Theatre. Edie holds an MA and PhD from NYU’s Program in Educational Theatre.

Dominick BallettaManaging DirectorDominick joined the JBFC in May 2008, following seven years as General Manager of NYC’s Film Forum. Since 2011, he has served as an advisor to the DeVos Institute of Arts Management. As a producer his credits include Another Telepathic Thing and I’m Carolyn Parker, both directed by Jonathan Demme, and Moisés Kaufman’s 33 Variations, starring Jane Fonda (Tony Award nomination). He has served as a grant panelist for NEA, NYSCA, ArtsWestchester, and CEC/ArtsLink.

Brian AckermanDirector of ProgrammingBrian joined the JBFC as the Founding Programming Director in 2001, which followed several years in an advisory capacity assisting the plan-ning and development of the theaters. He designed the programming template that presents over 400 films annually to include special events, new releases, documentary, foreign-language, retrospective films, as well as thematic series, under one roof. He has worked for over 30 years in the New York cinema arts scene–building, programming, and operating art houses. He also serves on juries at film festivals including SXSW and Full Frame.

Judy ExtonDirector of DevelopmentJudy joined the JBFC as Director of Development in December 2001. Prior to this, she raised money for a number of nonprofits, including New York City Ballet, Caramoor, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Judy holds a B.A. in Communications from The College of Wooster.

Emily KeatingDirector of EducationEmily has overseen the JBFC education programs since their inception in 2001. She has consulted for non-profit film centers on the develop-ment of their school programs, and has presented at many national education and literacy conferences. She is an adjunct faculty member at Pace University’s School of Education.

Sean WeinerDirector of Creative Culture Sean received his M.F.A. from Hunter College in Integrated Media Arts and a B.A. in Cinema Studies from SUNY Purchase, where he is now a faculty member. At the JBFC, Sean is the director of Creative Culture, an initiative connecting emerging makers to creative careers through fellowship opportunities and residency programs.

Senso Retro Revival

Jacob Burns Staff


not seen in a mainstream moviehouse.Two other ongoing series at the Burns include Global Watch: Crisis and Social Action and Remix: The Black Experience in Film, Media and Art. “The films in these se-ries are often not the most easiest to wat-ch,” Jupin says but they hold true to board

WESTCHESTERJEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Mark your calendars for one of the most popular film series featured at JBFC- the 18th Westchester Jewish Film Festival.

The festival from April 2-17 features 42 entertaining, thought-provoking, and engaging film from documentaries to narratives. Plus, the festival will continue its tradition of

bringing some of Israel’s fantastic television programming–12 episodes of the hit comedy series The New Black (Shababniks) and all five episodes of the dystopian drama Autonomies.

This year for the first time, the festival will kick off with not one but two unique programs. One theater will showcase the New York premiere of award-winning Israeli filmmaker Yair Lev’s You Only Die Twice, a suspenseful documentary thriller with splashes of humor at just the right moments. At the same time, in another theater, we’ll screen the first four episodes of The New Black (Shababniks).

Continuing to feature stunning new films from around the world, we’re also showing Shoah: Four Sisters by the late Claude Lanzmann, which reveals stunning footage not used in his epic 1985 masterpiece Shoah. The festival centerpiece is Golda’s Balcony, the Film, a cinematic event about Golda Meir’s extraordinary life and legacy, featuring a stellar performance by Tovah Feldshuh, who will appear at a post-screening discussion on April 6.

All this, plus a very special tribute to the Carl Reiner!

“This is our most popular series and several shows sell out, so book early,” advises Jupin.

Opening Night with RECEPTIONApril 2

6:30 p.m. You Only Die Twice7:00 p.m. The New Black (Shababniks)

The New Black (Shababniks)

Goldas Balcony

member and curator Jonathan Demme’s vision of the JBFC “as a force for social change disguised as a movie theater.”

Thought-Provoking Q & As and LecturesAs part of his programming responsibi-lities, Jupin also conducts Q & As with

filmmakers, actors or other movie industry veterans. This past year he particularly enjoyed meeting first time director Bo Burnham of Eighth Grade and Alex Winter, the director of the documentary film, The Panama Papers. “The Q & As were so different. Burnham was a former come-dian and the discussion was funny and light-hearted. With Winter, we spoke about journalism ethics.”

An Economic Engine for 10570 and Beyond

Having worked in Pleasantville for more than a decade, Jupin loves the tight-knit community aspect of the neighborhood. The Inwood resident enjoys the restaurants, book store and small local shops nearby. The JBFC has strong relationships with se-veral local businesses offering discounts to JBFC members through a program called Reel Partners. This past summer, the JBFC released a study The Economic Close-Up showcasing how it is a cultural magnet and economic driver in the region. As we look out the windows of the Media Arts Lab, there are several multi-unit condos being built within walking distance of the JBFC. In 2018, 80 units of transit-oriented housing were under construction in Pleasantville and six new restaurants had opened within the past year.

An Exciting Future

It is an exciting time for the JBFC with a recent Regional Economic Development Council initiative from Governor Cuomo providing $506,500 to the JBFC for capital improvements. The theater requires a lot of upkeep and they hope to use some of the funds for new seating and other things that will continue to make coming to the JBFC a top-notch experience. “A flat screen TV or a film being screened on Netflix still can’t compare with seeing a film on the big screen.” Throw in the fact that the JBFC is a true cultural and community hub and you’ll know why this five-screen theater continues to be one of the most successful suburban art houses in the country.

Stacey Pfeffer is the editor of Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk maga-zines. She enjoys going to the JBFC and thinks that the exterior of the building has an uncanny resemblance to the theater featured in her favorite film, Cinema Paradiso.


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Tucked away in Sleepy Hollow, only 30 miles north of New York City, the beloved jewel known as the Rockefeller State Park Preserve is resplendent in the natural beauty for which Westchester is re-nowned. It is, however, distinguished by a storied history and the meticulous support of the Rocke-feller family.

The property, formerly the Pocantico Hills and Rockwood Hall country estates of the John D. Rockefeller family and William Rockefeller, dates back to 1886. In 1983, the Rockefeller Family generously donated over 1425 acres to the State of New York to safeguard these lands for future generations. Today, the Preserve is home to forests, fields, streams, and wet-lands that support a high diversity of native species of resident and migratory birds, mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish and aquatic species. Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the Preserve is open to the public year-round, sunrise to sunset. MARCH/APRIL 2019 | INSIDE PLEASANTVILLE | 15

A BucolicWestchester Jewel

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Friends WhoAre Family

In 1996, to provide additional support to protect the Preserve, George Gumina, established the Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Serving as president and founder, Gumina is also a Rockefeller family member as his wife is the grand-daughter of Nelson Rockefeller. Preserving the land is personal for him as he explains, “Since Uncle John donated the land to the state, Aunt Peggy acted as a steward of the land. It was her primary residence and she loved the land. When she passed, with the family’s support, I be-gan the ‘Friends’ group in her honor.” The organization actively supports educational programs, major exhibits and maintaining the preserve’s unique system of its lovely carriage roads. Those funds are instrumental in the upkeep of the extensive network of carriage roads that characterize the park. The well-en-gineered 16-foot-wide, crushed-stone, network of 65-mile carriage roads were designed by John D. Rockefeller Sr. and his son, John D. Jr., over a 40-plus year period from 1910 into the 1950s. The winding roads overlook stunning vistas and serve as the signature feature of the preserve. Gumina adds, “The carriage roads are what bring everyone here. From Day One, these roads were built for the public to enjoy–they were never just for the family. They are ideal for runners, pedestrians, horseback and carriage riding. You could walk on wide, manicured roads for miles and bring your dogs without worrying about ticks.” Over 400,000 visitors concur and visit the roads from all around the world each year.

NobleEndeavors

The Friends group hosts several fundrai-sing events throughout the year, but the Peony Celebration, an annual cocktail event held in May, is one of the largest fundraisers. The peony garden was do-nated by a town in Shimane Prefecture, Japan following the tragedy of September 11th to express a gesture of healing and solidarity towar-ds the United States. They sent a gift of 500 peonies, considered to be Japan’s “most noble of flowers.” Planting this garden was a culmination of true part-nership. The Friends initiated a major landscaping project around the park’s gateway to provide a worthy site for this generous gift, while garden-ers from Japan came to plant the flowers and teach the preserve staff how to care for them. Each year, it serves as the stunning backdrop to raise funds for the Friends’ ongoing initiatives. Gumina explains the importance of such events saying, “The state has an $8M en-dowment donated by the family that many parks do not enjoy that supplements bud-getary needs, but maintaining the intricate details of this special property is costly. That’s why the family remains present to provide as much support as we can with four family members actively on the board. This year, we hope to raise enough funds to refurbish Brother’s Path, named for Uncle David and Uncle Laurance, which circles Swan Lake.”

Preserving Beauty or Generations

Rockefeller State Park Preserve recently celebrated a major milestone! The New York State Historic Review Board unani-mously designated it as a State National Registry of Historic Places listed in Was-hington D.C., in recognition of the unique beauty and character of the carriage roads.



According to Gumina, the accolade is well-earned, “I call it the Central Park of West-chester, although I think it’s much nicer than Central Park–I’ve been there. From the carriage roads to Swan Lake to the wonder of its natural setting, it’s just absolutely stunning. It’s a beautiful backdrop for being active as well as those who simply wish to sit and meditate. It’s quite magnificent.” Shauna Levy is a writer and communica-tions professional. She is currently raising her three boys, ages 9, 7 and 5, alongside her husband in Chappaqua.

Continued from page 15

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BY BETH BESEN

Chances are, you know someone affected by cancer. Maybe a parent, a sibling, child, cousin, best friend. Maybe you, yourself. If so, you deeply understand that it’s a battle against a cunning and deadly foe. That said, through a combination of early detection and new and

better treatment options, these days it’s a battle people are winning.

But new and better treatment options don’t just happen; they’re based on years of research and development, followed by clinical trials with carefully selected patients. And, yes, all this science comes at a price.

While government spending and grants provide some of the necessary funding*, a huge piece of the funding pie comes from individual donations and fundraising. What’s more, government dollars aren’t allocated equally and rare cancers**, in particular, rely heavily on private fund-raising and donations.

Enter Pleasantville resident Justine Fonti-nell. Together with her husband Tom Beck-er and their ten-year-old son Hank, she moved to Pleasantville nearly nine years ago and, though a born-and-bred Manhat-tan girl, Justine shares that she could not be happier.

Among the reasons? “Pleasantville is an amazingly generous town filled with people who go out of their way to help each other.”

Justine first became aware of Cycle for Survival about six years ago. Both her parents are rare cancer survivors, and Cycle for Survival’s founders’ story, mission, and collaboration with top-tier cancer research center Memorial Sloane Kettering (MSK) - along with their commitment to use every dollar for research and allocate every one of those dollars within six months of every event – spoke to Justine’s desire to support others in their respective fights. Coincidentally, Justine discovered that co-founder Jennifer Goodman Linn suffered from the same rare sarcoma as her father. Feeling compelled to join and contribute to this worthy cause, Justine quickly put

together her first Sit and Spin team and, in 2013, raised over $8k. Since that first year, Sit and Spin has grown in member-ship and, importantly, grown exponentially in funds raised. To date, they have raised over $260k, and this year’s goal of at least $40k would bring the grand total to over $300k! As a former non-profit Director of Development, Justine knows that asking for money isn’t something that comes naturally to most people. She further acknowledges that a ‘personal ask’ feels and is different from a ‘corporate ask.’ That said, she points out that the common principle is a simple one: “people won’t give if you don’t ask.” And, in keeping with this philosophy, she asks every team member to remember that they are “giving people an opportunity to invest in lifesaving research, a donation that will have a direct impact on cancer

Spinning forthe Win – Against Rare Cancers

*Current Fiscal Year (FY 2019) Budget: The FY 2019 Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act included $5.74 billion for NCI, a $79 million increase over FY 2018. Source NIH/NCI website**Described by Cycle for Survival as: brain, pancreatic, ovarian, thyroid, and stomach cancers; leukemia and lymphoma; all pediatric cancers; and many others.For further Cycle for Survival information, please visit: cycleforsurvival.org

Team Sit & Spin 2018


treatments.” Sit and Spin’s success has been recognized for the last three years with a 10K grant from the Crimson Lion Lavine Family Foundation, as a bonus for achievement in recruiting new donors and increased gifts.

However cliché it may sound, giving to others truly does empower the giver. Justine describes every four-hour fundraising spin relay event as nothing short of extraordi-nary. A simple look at her accompanying photos leaves no doubt that there is fun and laughter, but, as she also

shared, then too there are tears. It’s an emotional as well as physical experience; every gym is tightly packed with bikes and riders, riders write and proudly “wear” on their bodies the names of those they’re honoring, speakers share their per-sonal stories between each leg of the ride, and the collective energy of working together for a cause is an overwhelmingly positive experience.

Justine counts old friends (from as far back as High School) as well as many Pleas-antville mom friends as regular participants of her annual teams. Karen McCarthy has lived in Pleasantville and known Justine since their two boys were in preschool together. This will be her fourth year with Cycle for Survival. “I ran into Justine and another team member on my Metro North train ride from NYC to P’ville; they were coming back from a pre-event and I had just seen my doctor at MSK for my six month visit. I always donated to the team, but thought my way of giving back would be to join them. In 2015, I had part of my thyroid removed at MSK due to Thyroid Cancer. Thyroid Cancer is a rare cancer without a lot of funding, but, when discovered early, has a very high cure rate. I now get checked once a year to make sure there is no recurrence.”

Adds P’ville teammate and survivor Vanessa Catalano, “I joined Justine's team three years ago as a way to celebrate the end of my fight with Stage III Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Throughout my operations and treatments I contin-ued to go to my step and spin classes at the gym. It was my part in keeping myself as healthy and strong as possi-ble. When I heard about Cycle for Survival I knew it would be a great match for me.” Thrilled to have celebrated two years in remission this past December, Vanessa, noting that she and her family received tremendous love and support throughout her battle, adds, “part of my survival is remem-bering that and paying it forward through this event.” To date, Vanessa’s brother is the only male to have joined team Sit and Spin. However, Justine welcomes all who are willing to work hard to join her!

Beth Besen, a writer/editor and student essay coach, is also a rare cancer survivor who knows first-hand the positive impact made possible by the generosity of people like Justine, and team Sit and Spin.

However cliché it may sound, giving to others truly does empower the giver. Justine describes

every four-hour fundraising spin relay

event as nothing short of extraordinary. “It’s an overwhelmingly positive

experience.”

Justine

Vanessa and Danielle

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BY DAVID PROPPER

W hen longtime Pleasant-ville resident Bruce Figler attended his first ever Pleasantville Music Festival,

it was in 2005. That happened to be the inaugural year for the event, and Figler, who has been in the radio business, helped the original founders hook in a music station to be part of the all-day affair. “I was perfectly happy sitting backstage with a beer hanging out with the radio sta-tion people, with the bands, going on stage introducing an act, hanging out with my family in the field for awhile,” Figler said.

“That was my life, it was a pretty easy life.” Fast-forward more than a decade later, Figler, who owns Creative Sound Works on Wheeler Avenue, is the executive director of the yearly music festival that brings about 4,000 people to Parkway Field to hear a jam packed lineup of musical talent per-form. His life is a little busier now than back in 2005 with months of planning going into the creation of the festival.

Armed with an executive staff of about ten people and a volunteer base of more than 100 that live in the region (mostly Pleasant-ville and Chappaqua) as tarp lays on a cold Parkway Field, the venue for the festival, Figler and company have been hard at work preparing since the dead of winter

Managing‘a zillion moving parts’to create an all-daymusic extravaganza

The Making of aMusic Festival

until the date of the festival, which is July 13th this year.

As soon as the previous festival is over, Fi-gler and other staff members discuss what worked and what didn’t work that year with the desire to be more efficient the following year. A survey is also sent to attendees so Figler can receive feedback.

Once a review of the previous year is over, finding a new set of bands gets underway as early as December. Figler said he and the other staff members try to nail down different musicians that will please a wide range of demographics with Figler com-piling a “wish list” of about 30 bands and musicians he’d love to go after.


ALL PHOTOS BY LYNDA SHENKMAN

But because the festival is a municipally run–rather than privat–event, there are limitations Figler has to grapple with. Other festivals can offer more money to perfor-mers and some festivals have exclusivity rights, which means a band can’t perform within a certain radius within a certain time frame. He estimated that for every ten more prominent bands/musicians he reaches out to, seven reject him. For the bigger bands, Figler said he tells them if they come to Pleasantville, it would be “an easier festival, it’s very manageable, you can be in and out pretty quickly.” Additionally, because the festival is involved with a radio station (The Peak 107.1), that station supports the booked musicians that result in airtime for them leading up to the festival. A band could find a new base of fans in the suburbs, Figler said. While the pursuit of big acts can be an arduous task, the festival also needs to find smaller bands and musicians, which begins two or three months before the festival.

Up and coming bands can submit through the festival’s website with staff members taking trips to hear different contending bands. “We’re becoming very diverse musically so I try to find something for everyone,” Figler said. Pleasantville resident Jim Zimmerman, who founded the music festival in 2005 with Bernie Gordon and the late Lisa Wenzel, said the first year he helped put it together, it was like a second full-time job. Part of his motivation to start the festival was to give smaller bands and musicians a larger stage to perform. Some bands have gone on to bigger and better things, he pointed out.

“I had to develop all the systems and recruit so it was quite a project nevertheless,” Zim-merman said. “Everything had to be done by scratch.” Figler joked he doesn’t have to create the wheel like Zimmerman did, only keep it spinning. While the music lineup is the most signi-ficant set to put together, Figler has to secure sponsors and vendors, many of which are eateries from Pleasantville and surrounding towns. There is also a push by a recycling group to ensure it is a zero waste event. Law enforcement and the department of public works are conferred with considering this is the largest public gathering in the small village each year. The day of the event, Figler said weather is always an uncontrolled variable that has to be monitored. The last three years there has either been rain or a threat of a storm so the village recreational offices become a makeshift weather station. Said Figler: “There’s a zillion moving parts to this thing.”

David Propper is a freelance writer who covers Westchester and Putnam counties. He resides in lower West-chester and the Pleasantville Music Festival is the only music festival he's ever attended.

Arc Stages –A Magical Place


BY ELLA ILAN

As a theatre lover, I could not have dreamt up a more perfect place for arts en-richment for the community. Arc Stages, whose tagline

is “theatre for every stage,” hits the mark in providing theatre education and op-portunities for every stage of your life and all stages of development. Arc Stages, located in Pleasantville, runs three theatre companies that currently share the same stage; the educational stage, the commu-nity theatre, and the professional theatre. It is a place where you can learn about theatre, be in theatre, or see theatre.

The Educational Stage

The educational stage produces youth productions and conducts workshops for kids ages 3-18 all year round, in addition to adult classes like the adult improv comedy

class. In the theatre workshop program, kids register for workshops by age group and are invited to audition. What differ-entiates Arc Stages from other children’s theatre groups is that the show is not chosen until after the students audition. No students are cut from the program. When students return for callbacks, the director tries different shows out on the students before selecting the most appropriate show for the group.

“It is about the students first. It’s not about vying for parts,” explains Adam Cohen, Artistic Director. “We usually have a list of shows and we try different songs and sides out on the kids and see what show fits this particular group of kids because our goal is to teach them something through theatre and challenge them.”

“We do theatre games and work different types of workshops into the rehearsal process so that it’s not only about the show but about building self-confidence through

theatre,” says Galit Sperling, the Director of Education. “We focus on positivity and let our students know that this is a safe space and an artistically and educationally fulfilling sanctuary.”

Since auditioning can be nerve-wracking for some younger first time students, no one is forced to audition. “They can sing happy birthday if they want. It’s about us getting to know them,” says Sperling.

All theatre workshops culminate in two or three productions with elaborate costumes and sets at the end of the session.

Arc Stages also runs an in-school play-writing educational outreach program, Visions and Voices, in which they work with local schools teaching kids how to write plays and then produce them. A festival of plays is presented at the conclusion of the program. Visions and Voices is in its fourth year and Arc Stages would love to add more schools to its program.

Teens during last year’s SummerStage production of Woody Guthrie’s American SongPHOTO BY LIZA MARGULIES


SummerStage Camp

If you are looking for something for your kids to do this summer, Arc Stages holds a full day summer camp in which different age groups work on different shows. Be-sides rehearsals for a show, classes during the camp day include Acting Technique, Choreography, Improv & Theater Games, Stage Combat, Music and Vocal Tech-nique, master classes and more. Campers can choose to enroll in a six-week session or a three-week session. There is also a one-week intensive course. Early registration discounts are available if you register before April 1st.

The Community Stage

The community stage is geared towards adults in the community, whether they are brand new to theatre, returning to theatre after many years, or are professional non-union actors who want to do something in the community. They put on three pro-ductions every year. Auditions are open to anyone who wants to participate.

“It’s a mix between people who are ac-countants, lawyers, dentists, and everyday people that want to get into acting. Some participants are incredibly talented but just happen to do other things for a living. We try to produce a professional looking show but we’re looking for all walks of life in it so it really is the community,” says Cohen.

There are also plenty of volunteer oppor-tunities for community members to assist backstage, design sets, work on costumes or help with technical services.

Rehearsals are currently underway for their next show, Avenue Q, which promises to

be a great performance. Avenue Q will run the first two weekends of April. The community stage will also perform You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown July 19th-21st. Tickets for all shows can be purchased at arcstages.org.

The Next Stage

The Next Stage is the professional theatre company, which operates under a Small Professional Theatre Contract with Actor’s Equity Association, an actors’ union. They produce two high quality productions a year. The actors in a Next Stage show are generally all union members. Auditions are held at an open call in the city.

The next show has yet to be announced for the professional theatre company. Traditionally, Arc Stages announces their upcoming shows for both the community and professional stage at their fundraising gala in April. The gala, scheduled for April 27th, is always a fun evening where a show written especially for that night is perfor-

med for the guests by a mix of community and professional actors. Students from the educational stage also perform a number in the show.

Working Towardsa Dream

Arc Stages’ facility has plenty of rehearsal spaces and its own dedicated 74-seat theatre. While having its own theatre has been incredible, a capital campaign is underway to raise money to build a bigger 175-seat proscenium theatre. They are probably a few years away from fulfilling this goal but it will surely add to the magnifi-cence of all that their students, actors and community members accomplish at this magical place.

Ella Ilan is an avid theatre goer and most recently thoroughly enjoyed Arc Stages’ Next Stage performance of Dancing Lessons.

Jed Resnick (center back) (from Broadway’s and Off-Broadway’s productions of Avenue Q) leading a puppet workshop for Arc Stages’ cast of Avenue Q.PHOTO BY SARAH BEYLER


FASHIONFundsthe Cure

happenings

The National Pediatric Cancer Foundation (NPCF) will be holding their inaugural event Fashion Funds the Cure at The Westchester on Saturday, March 23. The Fashion Funds the Cure events started 16 years ago in Tampa at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Raymond James Stadium. This year, they plan on having at least 13 shows across the country. The event at The Westchester will feature a fashion show, food, cocktail reception and a silent auction. The NPCF funds clinical trials by collaborating with a network of hospitals including The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore to fast-track less toxic and more targeted treatments to end childhood cancer. With 43 children diagnosed with cancer per day and more than 95 percent of those who survive childhood cancer having a significant health issue by the time they are 45 as a result of being treated with drugs designed for adults, NPCF hopes to discover safer and more effective treatments for children with cancer. To learn more about the event or to purchase tickets, visit NationalPCF.org.

The 9th annual Think Fit For Kids event, which supports pediatric brain cancer research, took place once again at Club Fit in Briarcliff on March 3rd. As always, the event brought the community together for a fun-filled day of fitness, while raising funds to support novel pediatric brain cancer research. Since the 2018 event, A Kid's Brain Tumor Cure Foundation has merged with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the largest pediatric brain tumor foundation in the country, in order to serve more families and find more promising treatments for children battling brain tumors. This merger would not have been possible without the success of Think Fit For Kids, which has raised close to $2 million over the last nine years. Think Fit For Kids funds are currently funding two clinical trials at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and an on-going research project at the Massachusetts General Hospital, as well as the first ever privately funded pediatric brain cancer research project at the Na-tional Cancer Institute. The non-profit is excited for this opportunity as it finally gives pediatric brain tumor research the recognition it deserves from the government. “None of this would be possible without the community support of the annual Think Fit For Kids event. The community's generosity has given hope to kids battling brain tumors who have run out of treatment options,” noted Kim Gilman, a Chappaqua resident and co-founder of the Think Fit For Kids event. To find out additional information or to donate, please visit thinkfitforkids.org.

PHOTOS BY RICK MAUPIN

Think Fit for Kids

PHOTO BY JODI BUREN, TRIPP STREET STUDIO


STORY AND PHOTOS BY CONNIE WHITEHOUSE

M ore than 100 students, parents and guidance professionals poured into Seven Bridges Middle School to learn more about gap year pro-grams on a cold wintry night this past January. The first in our area,

the gap year fair–hosted by the Horace Greeley PTA and organized by USA Gap Year Fairs, provided a wealth of information about this growing trend.

The idea of taking a gap year came into the spotlight in 2016 when the Obamas announced that Malia Obama had been accepted to Harvard but was taking a gap year. While it is not known exactly how many students opt for a gap year, TD Ameritrade reported in a recent survey that more than 35 percent of high school students are considering it.

Motivation for considering a gap year were as varied as the students in atten-dance who hailed not only from Chappaqua but also surrounding school districts including Somers, Byram Hills and Bedford. Students and parents perused sever-al booths at the fair and spoke with representatives offering the following options:

• Travel and adventure: Costa Rica, Beijing, Japan, Jordan, Bra-zil, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Borneo. There were literally programs for students to choose from anywhere in the world.

• Volunteer service work: It’s all about self-discovery and immer-sion. How about combining a thirst for travel with a service-learning project? Rebuild homes in the Galapagos Islands or assist with farming practices in the Amazon rainforest.

• Work on environmental causes: Students work in eco-tourism in Costa Rica or on installing solar systems in rural Kenya.

• Explore interests: Live in an artist community in Ireland, immerse in a language program abroad, or spend a semester at sea!

• Have a religious experience: Experience a Buddhist monastery or study Hebrew and dance in Jerusalem.

• Build college-readiness skills: Thirty percent of students won’t make it to their second year of college, according to the National Stu-dent Clearinghouse Research Report published in 2014. All programs provide students with a year of maturity, but some focus on college readiness and independent living skills in a more in-depth way.

Local Students Explore Options Abroadat First Ever Gap Year Fairin Northern Westchester

2018 Greeley grad Sophie Meinen speaks to parents and students about her gap year experiences

Carl Jaramillo of Nomad Planet


Students were not the only ones driving attendance. After four years of aca-demic rigor, juggling sports and activities, SAT prep, etc., some parents were pushing their kids to explore the fair. As one parent expressed “I just want her (my daughter) to take a year to breathe and just be.”

Sophie Meinen, a 2018 graduate of Horace Greeley who just finished three months in Bolivia and Peru, shared her experiences with the parents and stu-dents in attendance. The Inside Press wanted to know what motivated her to embark on her gap year adventure; “Chappaqua has very intense academics and I definitely felt burned out by the end of high school. I was really eager to just take a break from all of that before I went to college and I’m really glad that I did. I may have not been learning from a traditional model, but I do think that I have learned a lot and I’m eager to keep learning in college. I also think that I have a better sense of what I want to study which will make me choose classes that I’ll be really engaged with.”

The following resources may assist families in search of the perfect

gap year opportunity:

Links and Resources

Gap Year Associationgapyearassociation.orgUSA Gap Year Fairs – also provides lists and descriptions of about 50 programs: usagapyearfairs.org/fairsGap Matcher – enter your interests and preferences and Gap Matcher suggests programs that might be worth looking into: gapmatcher.com

How does a gap year impact how universities view applicants?The answer is almost universally positive. It does help to understand a specific univer-sity’s policies and procedures. Many have a statement regarding gap years right on their website, or you can search by state under “University Deferral Polices for Gap Years” on the Gap Year Association website at https://www.gapyearassociation.org/

Why would colleges and univer-sities encourage the gap year?The Gap Year Association provides some studies that indicate students who take a year off actually do better–with higher graduation rates and GPAs.

Connie Whitehouse is a 20-year resident of Chappaqua whose two boys attended Chappaqua schools from K-12. She has been active in various PTA roles and more recently chairs the special education committee on ADHD and Executive Function and is one of the Class of 2019 Liaisons. She works full time as a market research consultant.

Charlie Taibi of Year On

Salwa Sabaa of CET Academic ProgramsElissa Allen of United Planet and Alexis Jung-dahl of EF International Language Campuses Emily Greenblatt of Semester At Sea

Beth Warsof of LeapYear, Naropa University

Kelly Daniels of Seamester


My Idea ofBeauty at 19

BY DANIEL LEVITZ

It was the late 1980’s and a Grateful Dead cover band was playing it hot at a local college bar. Across the room I saw her. A classic Deadhead chick in faded jeans and a tie-dye, covered with a loose peasant blouse. She was balancing a beer in a plas-tic cup while un-self-consciously bopping to the music. To say she was an enticing vi-sion would be an understated lie. She was just outstanding. At 19, I probably fell in love at least twice a week but this moment stood out. I was not the type to approach a girl in a bar and I may have stared a little too intently but it definitely felt like lightning had struck.

As it turned out I eventually got to know this stunning hippy girl, just a little, and away from that moment in time the magic was gone. She was sweet and cute but there was no connection. In retrospect that moment at the bar, aside from my unwieldy 19-year-old ardor, was a great summation of my understandably naïve take on beauty.

Back then I was limited in my perception of so many things. If I were to consider my opinion of what was beautiful at that time it would now seem dated and superficial. I’ll present here, embarrassing as it may be, what might have been my vision of an ideal evening at that time even if it was, in reality, completely out of reach. I’d pick up my date (picture the hippy chick above but really into me) in my new red Porsche 944 (one of the company’s few failed models), we’d have a fine meal at TGI-Friday’s (who knew mozzarella could be deep-fried!) and then we’d head off to the movies to see the latest John Hughes teen angst flick (to this day I still don’t quite understand Eric Stoltz’s big plan in “Some Kind of Wonder-ful”). I know. This scenario is not appealing.

Cut to 2019 and the world is spinning wildly out of control and we the people are divided. Social media is pervasive and invasive and we’re clearly, as a society, mo-ving forward into unchartered territory in so many ways. As for me, I’m as immersed in the chaos as anyone else but I endure and now I believe, I have a more credible and learned perspective on the subject of what constitutes beauty.

I can now see beauty in so many things that had been inconceivable to me when I was a younger man. Obviously, watching our children grow and evolve is a no-brai-ner but is also a profound movement away from inherent pre-kids self-absorption. Having worked for many years, I now recognize the allure of someone doing a job, any job, with commitment, honor and excellence. I’ve been fortunate enough to have unexpected friendships that make life more fulfilling and fun. I’m also lucky to still be able to compete athletically at sports I loved as a child. Not to mention the plea-sure of good food be it a bacon and egg on a roll or fresh summer peach.

Undoubtedly, the most consistent and impor-tant aspect of beauty I’ve been fortunate to be exposed to is my wife. Laurie is the embodiment of gorgeous both physically and spiritu-ally. I’ve known her a long time and am completely secure in our relationship yet I still have moments where I shake my head and say, “How the hell did I achieve this”? On a typical morning, she’ll get dressed for

work and ask me how she looks. This daily exchange has occurred for years. My first instinct is usually to say “beautiful” because that’s the truth. However, I usually choose a more work-setting appropriate adjective. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I look forward to that interaction every day.

Way back, at 19, I had another one of those memorable moments not unlike at the bar with the Deadhead chick. A lovely girl pulled up in a funky orange European car wearing a red-sweater and blue jeans. She had stunning coffee-colored eyes that matched her long hair. My heart fluttered a bit as I caught sight of this beautiful young woman. It was years later that we got to know each other well. Of course, it was Laurie and the lesson I’ve learned is

that true beauty can even transcend the naivete of youth.

Dan Levitz is an art dealer, Chappaqua dad and frequent essayist for Inside Press publications.

I can now see beauty in so

many things that had been incon-ceivable to me when I was a younger man.

and now

inside thoughts

Author and his wife Laurie


Continues Johnson, “Eventually, this tiny idea became a reality with new parents joining everyday. Play dates, mom's night's, BBQ'S, birthday parties–we had our village. Jennifer Liddle, who runs the group now, has taken it to over 270 members! It's awesome!” As an introvert, it can be hard for me to get out of my comfort zone and take a chance in meeting new people. But sometimes you just have to do it and hope for the best. As Thomas Jefferson said, “With great risk comes great reward.”

I’m so glad I did. I’ve cultivated many new friendships through the group. We all want to feel like we belong somewhere. And it’s great to know that there are others you can turn to for camaraderie and support. I truly enjoy living in Mount Pleasant and really feel like I’ve become a part of the community-at-large. I’ve gotten to know my town and my community through local meeting places such as the library, farmers market, school events, and of course a Facebook play date group that I just hap-pened to click on that fateful day.

Christine Pasqueralle is a prolific freelance writer who has been living in Hawthorne with her husband and two kids for almost five years. She enjoys the performing arts, yoga and copious amounts of coffee.

etcetera

BY CHRISTINE PASQUERALLE

T he life of a mom who stays at home with young kids can be many things–exciting and fulfilling, yes, but also, crazy, hectic, and sometimes… lonely. Without the

proverbial village we all hear about, it can be hard for a mom (or dad) to find their way in a community without guidance. When my husband and I moved to Haw-thorne, our daughter was not quite two and I needed a way to get to know the commu-nity and meet other stay-at-home moms like myself. We joined a local music class and did some fun events at the library. Incidentally, if you have young kids, story time with Miss Debbie at the Mount Pleasant Library is absolutely wonderful. But then my daughter started pre-school and our son came along. After he was born, things were definitely frenzied. I felt like I was running around in circles everywhere but not really meeting people in the community. One day as I was perusing Facebook, I came upon a post from another local mom looking to meet others with similar-aged kids. Her name was Jenifer Johnson and she had created a group called Pleasant-ville Play Date Meet-up and right there, a new village was born! She was, just like me and so many others, a mom who simply wanted to get herself and her kids out of the house and socialize with others.

“I've always been a believer that being a parent takes "a village." Having just moved to Westchester all the way from the West Coast, and having limited support nearby, I was anxious to find my village–FAST,” said Johnson, who currently runs the Ridgefield, CT Playdate Meet-up. “Social media is an excellent tool to bring people together and connect with those who have similar interests. In my case, I was looking for other moms like me who lived close by and had an interest in making new friends and socializing our children. I created a group with a very basic name, stock photo of a playdate and posted it on some other, larger Parent groups.” The group took off, with members joining from all over the Mount Plea-sant area. Instead of just planning meetups at a local park, parents started hosting play dates at their homes, which evolved into special events like holiday parties, craft days, and more.

And then, it went from just getting the kids together to getting the moms out too. It’s important for moms to have some quality kid-free time. So one night a group of us got together to do a craft night and “Mom’s Night Out” was born. Cookie exchanges, baby showers, mani-pedi nights and many a birthday cele-bration followed. And the group also holds a monthly dinner at restaurants all around town. Jennifer Liddle, the group’s

current admin says, "As the admin, it is so rewarding to brainstorm and execute events for local moms and kids to meet. I’ve made some of my closest friends through this group–friendships that trans-cend the initial reason why we met in the first place, our kids. Additionally, I’ve seen several other friendships blossom and it makes me so proud that I have had a part in that. I remember when I moved to the suburbs, I was worried it would be impos-sible to make friends. This group of ours made it possible.”

FindingYourVillage

“Having just moved to Westchester all the way from the West Coast, and

having limited support nearby, I

was anxious to find my village–FAST,”

said Johnson.

Christine with her family

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