Inside Armonk PDF - Inside Chappaqua

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Inside Armonk PDF - Inside Chappaqua
Find us on
Armonk
Cider and Donut Festival/Jamie’s 5K Run for Love, Sept. 18
www.theinsidepress.com
Sept/Oct 2016
Inside the North Castle Public Library
NWH’s Junior Leadership Council
Affordable Housing: A Special Report
Coming to Town
on September 24 and 25
Please join us to “Spin for a Cure”
In 2015, the William Raveis Charitable Fund expanded its mission to
“Supporting Cutting-Edge Research Against All Forms of Cancer”
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
was founded in 1946 following the death of Damon
Runyon, a writer whose beloved Broadway stories
inspired the hit show Guys & Dolls.
Please join us at
EQUINOX GYM
in Armonk on
THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 15th
at 5:30 PM
Walter Winchell, renowned journalist and radio
personality, founded and led the fund with the help
of celebrities such as Marlene Dietrich, Bob Hope,
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.
Since 1946, the Foundation has invested over $300
million in more than 3,500 of the best and brightest
scientists in the nation. Twelve of their Alumni have
received the Nobel Prize.
It will be a fun filled, energetic
SPIN class taught by Lisa Gagliardi,
appropriate for all levels.
DAMON RUNYON BROADWAY TICKETS
Our unique service offers the best seats to Broadway’s most popular shows and the opportunity
to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to
cancer research at the same time. To order tickets,
simply call 212-455-0550
The cost is $75 per bike
and ALL proceeds go to the
Damon Runyon Cancer
Research Foundation
To learn more, visit
www.damonrunyon.org/broadway
To reserve your bike for “Spin for a Cure”
or to donate any amount to our Team Fund, please go to the link below
https://williamraveischaritablefu.regfox.com/spin-for-a-cure-armonk-office-event
395 Main St | Armonk, NY | 914.273.3074
•
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Thornwood
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The DelVecchio Scarano Team
Spacious custom built 1928 Colonial privately situated on 1 acre
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Private gated entrance to this stunning custom built brick Bedford Colonial
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Immaculate young sun filled Colonial great for entertaining
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395 Main St | Armonk, NY
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 1
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Perfect sunlit Split Level in Windmill Farm
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Stacey Sporn
New York City sleek & sophisticated
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Diane Freedman
Sun lit Colonial in The Estates
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Stacey Sporn
Warmth & sunshine define this home
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A. Schuler & J. Varvara
Armonk
Armonk
Charming Ranch with open floor plan
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Lisa Koh
Armonk
Whippoorwill Hills Gloucester Model
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Lauren Goldenberg
Chappaqua
Lakefront property on 5.5 acres
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Amy Singer
395 Main St | Armonk, NY
Ranked 5th in The Leading Real Estate Companies of The World, The World’s Largest Luxury Real Estate Network, 3,500 Offices
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2 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
A R M O N K OFFICE
Armonk
914.273.3074
Robert A.M. Stern masterpiece on 4+ acres
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Stacee Massoni
Armonk
Armonk
Armonk
Custom Colonial in Whippoorwill
$1,995,000
Amy Singer
Armonk
Renovated Whippoorwill Ranch
$1,749,000
Nancy Perito
Armonk
Rockland model in gated community
$1,075,000
Stacee Massoni
Turn-key Colonial completely rebuilt
$1,125,000
Lucille Liang
Elegant open-flow entertainer’s paradise
$2,699,000
S. Slotnick & A. Manson
Stately brick Colonial on private 4 acres
$1,995,000
The Costa/Looney Team
Armonk
Armonk
Beautifully maintained and updated
$699,000
Lucille Liang
Bedford
Custom built home has dock on lake
$1,300,000
Stacey Sporn
395 Main St | Armonk, NY
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 3
A R M O N K OFFICE
Armonk
914.273.3074
Mini-Estate with Guest cottage on 2 acres
$1,499,000
Jeanne Looney
Armonk
Armonk
Armonk
Renovated hideaway on 10.6 acres
$2,995,000
Lucille Liang
Armonk
Bright updated Contemporary Colonial
$939,000
Lucille Liang
Armonk
Windmill Farms waterfront home
$1,395,000
Amy Singer
Sunny open Ranch
$749,000 A. Schuler & J.Varvara
Prestigious Whippoorwill Ridge
$1,325,000
Lisa Theiss
Stone and shingle home on level acre
$849,000
Angela Schuler
Bedford
Corners
Armonk
Sunlit open flow Windmill Farms split
$749,900
Amy Singer
Armonk
Traditional Colonial on 1.25 acres
$1,080,000
Robyn Eckhaus
395 Main St | Armonk, NY
Ranked 5th in The Leading Real Estate Companies of The World, The World’s Largest Luxury Real Estate Network, 3,500 Offices
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4 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
Sept/Oct 2016
The Magazine for North Castle and Beyond
Features
Page 13
www.theinsidepress.com
10. Cider and Donuts
Whether you’re a runner or just into good food and music,
the Chamber’s Cider and Donuts Festival
this fall has something for you.
By Justin Ellick
COVER
STORY:
18. Summer Sounds
The Summer Concert Series brought a diverse array of
musical acts into the hamlet. Inside Press contributor, photo
journalist Marianne Campolongo stopped by one
and enjoyed the Swingaroos!
22. More than Books
Library Director Edie Martimucci explains what the North
Castle Public Library has to offer and how the library fits into
the community. By Deborah Raider Notis
26. Special Report on
Affordable Housing in our Towns
Fighting over the housing settlement between HUD and
Westchester County has gone on for seven years. We look at
how the settlement has affected North Castle and neighboring New Castle. By Andrew Vitelli
32. NWH’s Junior Leadership Council
Discovering creative ways to address
student anxiety. By Janine Crowley Haynes
This September, a small village will spring up in Armonk, with
some of the region’s best artists displaying their work.
By Brian Donnelly
16. Q & A with Anne Curran
The Executive Director of the Armonk Art Show explains
what goes into making the show a success. By Andrew Vitelli
Departments
Editor’s Note
6. A Local Perspective
By Andrew Vitelli
Just Between Us
8. The Capacity to Love
Reflections from Philadelphia’s
Democratic National Convention
35. Let’s Dance
Armonk Dance, located just off Old Route 22, has
something for all dancers. By Stacey Pfeffer
Inside Thoughts
24. Mindfulness in a Crazy World
By Jodi Baretz
36. Understanding Evan’s Law An insightful report about the fight for
legislation that would help end
texting and driving. By Justin Ellick
38. Leaf-Spotting
It’s almost fall; where should you go for the best views once
the leaves start to turn? By Andrew Vitelli
Happenings
34. Spirit of the Olympics &
The Concert Across America to End Gun Violence
Etcetera
40. A Body’s Memory
A visit to a temple in Kyoto triggers memories of the
1993 World Trade Center bombing. By Dana Y. Wu
Rockefeller Preserve
38
Sponsor Spotlights
20
21
COVER PHOTO
2016 Armonk Art Show Committee
Photo by Andrew Vitelli
26
31
33. Division One–Bringing Fun & Positivity
to Workouts
Karl Pfistner explains how to do just that.
30. Five Biggest Financial Mistakes in Divorce
By Ilene Amiel
34. Paying for College 101
By Scott Kahan
September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 5
LET TER FROM THE EDI TOR
Andrew Vitelli
As readers of the
Inside Press know,
summer marks the
longest break between
issues of both Inside
Armonk and Inside
Chappaqua, making
this our first issue
since June.
The theme of the issue is “fun,”
and most of our stories go along with
this theme. The cover story is on the
Armonk Outdoor Art Show, describing how a village of art will arise in the
hamlet later this September.
Don’t forget to visit this year’s Cider & Donut Festival, sponsored by the
Armonk Chamber of Commerce. Details, page 10
We also feature a preview of the
Cider and Donuts Festival, another exciting local event to which we can look
forward. For nature lovers, we have a
feature on where Armonk residents
can go to see the leaves change colors,
and we’ll also take a look back at some
of the fun Armonk had in the summer
that just passed, including the Summer Concert Series.
the many local businesses that make
the hamlet unique.
Finally, I take a look at how a housing settlement signed between the
county and the federal government
is impacting North Castle as well as
neighboring New Castle. Admittedly,
this doesn’t really go along with the
whole “fun” theme for the issue.
Along with these event previews
and look backs, we give readers a look
at the North Castle Public Library, a
dynamic institution of which every Armonk resident should take advantage.
And we feature Armonk Dance, one of
As both a reporter in and resident of
Westchester, I’ve covered and followed
the county’s battles over the housing
settlement for years. After learning
this spring that North Castle faced the
www.theinsidepress.com
It’s impossible to tell the full story
of the settlement in one magazine
article–it would probably be impossible to tell it in a book. My hope for this
article is that it will give readers a look
beyond some of the slogans coming
from those for or against the settlement and a sense of what the settlement has meant for them and their
neighbors.
Armonk Outdoor
Art Show
55th AnnuAl
Sept/Oct 2016 • Volume 13, Number 4
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Grace Bennett
Editor
Graphic Designer Publisher Associate
Andrew Vitelli
Dina Spalvieri
Caroline Rosengarden
Web Design
Accounts Manager
Ryan Smith, Rick Waters
Ilene Amiel
threat of litigation under the settlement, I began thinking about how I
could tell the story of the settlement
from a local perspective.
General Counsel
Brian Hand
Mailing address: Inside Armonk PO Box 643, Millwood, NY 10546 © 2016.
All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
Reproduction of any portion is p
­ rohibited without permission from the publisher.
Phone Number: 914-238-2600
Sat./Sun. SePtembeR 24 & 25
10am–5pm
Rain oR Shine • FRee PaRking • no DogS
Inside Armonk is not responsible for and does 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.
For Story Ideas or Press Release submissions, please email: [email protected]
For Advertising Inquires, please email: [email protected]
For more information, rates and advertising calendar, go to www.theinsidepress.com.
Enjoying your free copy? To help support us,
consider a gift subscription!
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toP-RateD Fine aRt & Fine CRaFtS Show
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6 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
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Proceeds Benefit The North Castle Public Library
IA-16
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 7
JUST BETWEEN US
The Capacity to Love
As the
long time
publisher
of our
flagship
publication,
Inside
Chappaqua–the
hometown
magazine for Hillary Clinton–
and a life-long Democrat, I was
very proud to attend the Democratic National Convention as
press, and thought I might offer
Inside Armonk readers a glimpse
of the experience too.
I was as excited as any friend, family
or delegate visitor to Philly’s Wells
Fargo Arena to witness first the allstar line-up of our nation’s Democrat
Superstars throw their full weight
squarely, and often, ever so eloquently
into our hometown candidate’s corner.
Then, of course, etched in my mind
forever…witnessing Hillary make her
way to the mic, waving to the crowds
in every direction, and fully embracing
her party’s historical nomination of
her for POTUS.
Grace Bennett Photo
When Barriers Fall
Midway through her speech, it was
no surprise to me that Hillary extended her accomplishment from family to,
well, everyone else: “Standing here as
my mother’s daughter, and my daughter’s mother, I’m so happy this day has
come. I’m happy for grandmothers and
little girls and everyone in between.
I’m happy for boys and men–because
when any barrier falls in America, it
clears the way for everyone. After all,
when there are no ceilings, the sky’s
the limit.”
was very touching; Chappaqua
really is home, sweet home to
Hillary.
I was also glad to head to
Philly with my long-time friend
and former classmate at Columbia’s ‘J-school,’ Susan Youngwood, a self-described ‘political
junkie,’ with both a daily newspaper and magazine background.
From the outset, we both agreed
that we would focus much less
on national-style coverage of
the major speeches which our
Susan Youngwood Photo readers would naturally turn to
national media for. Instead, we
set out to capture an eclectic ar-
I remember too: the
abundance of heartfelt
hugs–Hillary hugs. To me,
they symbolize Hillary’s
ubiquitous “Love Trumps
Hate” campaign slogan…
hugs for Bill, for Chelsea, for
her running mate Tim Kaine,
and on the night before, for
and from President Obama.
And countless other ones
for those closest to her and
seemingly always plenty
to spare for her fans too.
When hate gets thrown at
her, Hillary Clinton doubles
down on her capacity to tap
into a bottomless reservoir of love–
and hugs!
And daily, inside the Philadelphia
Convention Center, dozens of public service organizations promoted
their missions via buttons, literature
and animated conversation; at a
daily breakfast briefing, caucuses and
roundtables, open primarily to delegates and press, speakers delved into
issues near and dear to their hearts.
The general public attended rallies or
packed “PoliticalFest,” a fun, interactive festival related to American history and politics.
Whatever your political leanings,
Hillary Clinton’s official nomination
represents a huge historical milestone
for Chappaqua too. I learned at one
point that Hillary Clinton really appreciates the nights on the campaign trail
when she can sleep in her own bed.
So learning of a surprise celebration
for her at the Kittle House on the very
night following Roll Call in the arena
8 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
Grace Bennett Photo
ray of stories that you might not see in
other press, particularly anything that
could qualify as having a local angle.
Please visit www.theinsidepress.com
for links to all our 2016 DNC coverage
and Hillary’s Run articles. You can also
follow our future coverage of Hillary
Clinton’s historical campaign to become the first woman POTUS.
I caught up with Governor Martin O’Malley
for his reaction immediately following
Michelle Obama’s much lauded endorsement
of Hillary Clinton. He said Michelle’s words
“summed up in a beautiful way why our country is already great.”
GET BACK TO THE
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 9
Cider, Donuts and Racing Mark Chamber’s
By Justin Ellick
Fall Festival
The 5th Annual Cider and
Donuts Festival, previously
called the Armonk Fall Festival, is coming to Wampus
Brook Park. The event,
sponsored by the Armonk
Chamber of Commerce, will
be held Sept. 18 and gathers
residents and merchants
of Armonk to welcome the
changing of seasons and to
reflect on yet another spectacular summer.
The festival, which brings
together the town’s residents for a day of activities each year,
focuses on Armonk’s long history as
a cider and donut hotbed. Over the
years, the festival has grown rapidly,
with more events and more guests
showing up every year. Last year was
the first year the Cider and Donut
Festival partnered up with Jamie’s
5K Run for Love, and the Chamber of
Commerce is confident that the race’s
popularity and participants will skyrocket this year as a result of the great
success of last year’s festival. This year,
the Chamber decided to add on another wing to the festivities, as the Byram
Hills Pre-School Association and its
annual carnival will join the fun. With
so many activities to get through in
so little time, people are excited to see
what kind of impact the festival has on
the small hamlet of Armonk.
“Ideally we’d like the festival to serve
as a way of getting Armonk values
and the people who display them out
in the open a little more,” said Neal
Schwartz, president of the Cham-
The donuts, from Beascakes
Bakery, will be freshly out
of the oven, practically
melting in festivalgoers’
mouths. To accompany the
donuts, there will be plenty
of apple cider to go around.
This year, the festival
is merging with another
popular Armonk event in
the Pre-School Association
Fall Carnival. This will also
get underway at around 10
a.m., with rides and activities
for children, as well as
Mike Dardano Photos
pizza and ice cream. The
festival has become an Arber of Commerce. “Armonk is filled
monk
tradition,
and one that continwith many small businesses trying to
ues to grow.
expose themselves to a wider range of
consumers. The festival offers a great
opportunity for these smallbusiness owners to increase
business as well.”
The festival, running from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is the largest it’s ever been. The fun
will start with some races,
as the kids will get a
chance to test their
speed with the Donut
Dash (ages 2-8) at 10
a.m., followed by the
McIntosh Mile at 10:10
a.m. After the children
have had their fun,
Jamie’s 5K Run for Love is set to
begin at 10:30 a.m. This portion
of the festival is a continuation
of a popular annual event, with
runners coming from all over to
honor the late Jamie Love, who
was a track and field star at both
Byram Hills High School and the
University of Vermont. This year, net
proceeds from the run will benefit the
North Castle Public Library’s children’s
programs along with the Armonk
Chamber of Commerce, so that the
town can continue to run popular
programs and events.
Once the festival and races start
at 10 a.m., non-racing attendees can
jump right into the Cider and Donut
Festival games and activities. These
will include donut fishing, as well as
pie-eating contests and dunk tanks.
10 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
“Our first year, all we had was a
couple of booths and limited activities,
along with the fact that not many people attended the festival,” continued
Schwartz. “In under five years we’ve
been able to grow significantly the
festival and the events it offers, and
in turn have attracted more and more
people every year.”
The Cider and Donuts Festival has
quickly become one of Armonk’s
biggest events of the year, as local
merchants and residents of Armonk
look forward to coming together as a
community.
Greeley grad Justin Ellick, a sophomore
Media and Communications Major at
Ursinus College in Philadelphia, is an
intern for Inside Chappaqua and Inside
Armonk Magazines this summer.
DE Inside Armonk Sept/Oct 2016_Layout 1 7/29/16 3:11 PM Page 1
MANHATTAN | BROOKLYN | LONG ISLAND | THE HAMPTONS | THE NORTH FORK | RIVERDALE | WESTCHESTER | PUTNAM/DUTCHESS | GREENWICH | ASPEN | LOS ANGELES | FLORIDA
© 2016 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS ARE DEEMED RELIABLE, BUT SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT.
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.
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BUILDER’S OWN SMART HOME
Armonk | $2,100,000 | Located directly on Main Street in Armonk, this rare
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driveways; a must see. Web# 4544161 Armonk Office 914.273.1001
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 11
Life can be hectic ....
Taking care of your health
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We are here to
help.
Conveniently located in the heart of Armonk at 99 Business Park
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for you and your family to get the care you need. Whether an annual
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4 New King Street • White Plains, NY 10604
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12 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
A rmonk O utdoor A rt Show
Building the
Photo Courtesy/Tompkins Excavating
By Brian Donnelly
Every year within the hamlet of
Armonk an entire city gets built, only
to disappear two days later.
Work always begins on a Thursday.
By Friday, an open grassy field flanked
by trees is lined with stakes in the
ground where 185 vendors then erect
tents in symmetrical rows. Lining the
old IBM parking lot, nearby roads, and
highways are signs directing people
to this annual phenomenon. This year
those signs will read, “The 55th Annual
Armonk Outdoor Art Show.”
“By the end of the day Friday after
the artists have erected their tents,
it’s like a miniature city,” said Stacy
Wilder, one of four co-chairs and 300
volunteers, some of whom work yearround to stage the art show. Slated for
Sept. 24 and Sept. 25, rain or shine,
the nationally renowned show features
185 artists spanning 33 states, Israel,
and Canada. The exhibits run the
gamut, including fine arts – paintings,
mixed media, printmaking, drawing,
pastels, sculpture, photography/digital
art, and wearable art – and fine crafts.
“It’s well-selected and juried, and
even though it is fine arts and crafts
there are things there for people with
all different budgets,” Wilder, a 22-year
resident of Armonk, said. “Whether
you’re looking for a print that’s $50, or
a bronze statue for many, many thousands of dollars, we’ve got a full range
of quality art.”
Armonk resident Lanni Sidoti, 52,
exhibits enamel jewelry and wall pieces. “I kind of consider it the highlight
of the year,” she said, looking forward
to her fourth time exhibiting at the
show, which happens to be within
walking distance from her home. “I’m
very happy that I’m in it. Just because
I’m in it one year doesn’t mean that
I’m in it the next year.”
Even returning artists have to be
juried in every year, with the exception
of the award winners of the prior year.
Hundreds of artists apply to be a part
of the show, including more than 600
this year alone. Among those selected,
46 are new to this year’s show.
“We get to look at the cream of the
crop and boil it down to who we think
is really the best,” Wilder said. “So,
we have a reputation for having really
great quality work.”
The art show’s executive director,
Anne Curran, has been working on the
show’s administrative aspects since
the beginning of this year. “The art
show is a premiere two-day event that
has broad appeal for corporate sponsors,” Curran says. “There is great value
in sponsorships for all of us.”
September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 13
then again to the Legion
Field behind Town Hall.
In 1997 it moved to its
current home at Community Park, the old IBM
field, according to the art
show’s website.
By Christine Mackellar–jewelry
Long-time volunteer and interior
designer Susan Geffen said the show
has, in years past, featured renowned
artists like New York wire artist Skye
Ferrante and Brooklyn painter Ken
Solomon. His work has been shown at
the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).
“Some artists do it as a stepping
stone to other things. For others this
is how they sell their art,” she said.
The last move, Geffen said, turned a nice
community event into
a nationally-ranked
attraction. "Art Fair
Sourcebook," which
Wilder called a bible for
art fair exhibitors, named
it among the “Prime 50”
Fine Art and Fine Craft
Fairs in the U.S. "Sunshine Artist Magazine"
has consistently named
it among the “Top Fine Art and Design
Shows” in the New York Metro Area.
“It was the move that started it because we were able to contain the show
so that we had an entrance, and we
were able to charge an admission fee,”
said Geffen, whose many volunteer
roles include offering free personal
consults connecting visitors with art
that best fits their taste and decor. “So,
we started to make more money, more
money for the library.”
The show is sponsored by
Friends of the North Castle
Public Library, Inc. The
proceeds, which Wilder said
have topped $100,000 each
of the past 15 years, benefit
the North Castle and North
White Plains libraries. Approximately 8,000 people
visit the show every year,
Geffen said.
By Denis Leblanc–watercolor
The latter category includes Sidoti.
“It’s my best show,” she said.
Geffen first attended the art show
when she moved to Armonk in the
early 1970s, a decade after its inception in 1961. The first show featured
only a handful of artists displaying
their work on the lawn of the Armonk
Methodist Church bordering Main
Street. As turnout grew through the
years the show relocated to the parking lot in front of the library, and
“The Armonk Outdoor
Art Show is the largest
fundraising event that’s
held by the Friends,” said
Edie Martimucci, executive
director of the North Castle
Public Library. “And the impact that it
has on our library is that it enables the
Friends to help us with our programming.” In addition to supporting
programs like the summer reading
program, movie series, yoga classes
and art lectures, the proceeds from the
art show have funded many renovations and upgrades to the library. They
include a new circulation desk and an
interactive play and reading area in the
children’s room.
14 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
Andrew Vitelli Photo
(L to R) Art Show Artist Liaison Judy Moniz;
Executive Director Anne Curran; co-chairs
Debbie Heidecorn, Marian Hamilton, Stacy
Wilder, and David Africk; and co-chair advisor
Susan Geffen.
Martimucci recently presented
to the Friends
plans to open an
art gallery in the
library. She hopes
to open it in late
2017.
Wesley Rasko–glass
“We are a
library that is
a result of the
art show and
we want to have
more cultural
programming
that reflects art,”
she said.
First-time
exhibitor Luis Perez, 54, will debut
in style with a double booth. He will
help run another double booth, which
features the Byram Hill High School
students exhibiting their work.
“Most high schools have great art
programs and we want to pursue this
wonderful experience for teenagers to
know what it’s like to be a pro artist,”
he said. High school artists have been
an integral part of the art show for
the last few years. This year they more
than doubled in number from about
10 to 24. Perez plans to make it even
bigger next year by inviting students
from Valhalla High School to submit
applications, too.
of last year’s high
school booth.
While the
Armonk Outdoor
Art Show has
grown into a city
of a show in its
55 years, Geffen said it’s still
the same “great
hometown thing
to do” that it was
when volunteers
baked pies, cakes
and the muchloved art show
brownies in
Steven Kolodny–
the early days.
jewelry piece
Today, the show
features a wide
selection of food vendors.
Valerie Bunnell–sculpture
“I’ve always enjoyed seeing the show.
I think it’s a really well put together
show and the fact that I get to be a
part of that is really exciting,” said
Andrea Conrelius, 18, who was a part
Marvin Blackmore–clay
25, rain or shine. Admission is $12 for
adults and $10 for seniors or with coupon, while children under 18 get in for
free. Visit www.armonkoutdoorartshow.
org for more information.
"We all really like each other," Wilder
said of her fellow volunteers. "It's a
great group of people and it makes you
feel good about where you live because
you're working with your friends and
neighbors for a common cause."
Brian Donnelly was born and raised in
Westchester. He is a freelance reporter,
videographer and social media specialist,
whose hobbies include riding bicycles,
waves and rooftop hammocks.
The art show is held at 205 Business
Park Drive in Armonk and runs from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 24 and Sept.
Andrew Vitelli’s interview with Anne
Curran, Executive Director of the Armonk
Art Show, appears on the next page.
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 15
Question and Answer with Anne Curran
By Andrew Vitelli
tion of applications is time-consuming
and takes place during the early
months of the year. Soliciting contributions and corporate sponsors is key
to successful fundraising and this year
we have provided Gold Sponsors with
the opportunity to have a booth at the
show. This has been very well received
and we hope to continue to offer
special opportunities for our highest
level donors to connect with art show
visitors. The planning of all aspects of
communications, field operations, volunteer committees and volunteer staff
for the two-day event is a team effort.
Fortunately, the team works very well
together and has a good time, too! We
are always looking for new volunteers
to take on small or larger assignments.
The work is rewarding and there is a
wonderful community of art show
friends that will warmly welcome new
volunteers.
When did you first get involved with
the Armonk Outdoor Art Show? What
made you get involved?
I first attended the show in the early
1990’s when I lived in White Plains.
My husband and I became acquainted
with Armonk because of coming to
the art show, and we still credit the art
show as what motivated us to find our
home here, 18 years ago. We felt that
a community that supports a wonderful art show and theatre group (The
Armonk Players), as well as the local
library, had to be a great place to live,
and that is still true today.
Over the past decade, I volunteered
at the annual shows and always
enjoyed working with neighbors and
meeting old and new friends. Early
this year, after completing my final
term as town clerk, I accepted the
position of Executive Director of the
Art Show. I work very closely with
the co-chairs of the show and others
who have key organizational roles.
I’m happy to work for the Friends of
the North Castle Public Library, and
contribute to the wonderful work done
by so many long
serving and dedicated volunteers.
In many ways, I
feel like assumREGISTER
ing the role of
Executive Director
NOW!
of the Art Show
has brought me
full circle to what
originally brought
me to Armonk.
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Is running the
art show a yearround effort?
What are some of
the biggest challenges in preparing for the show?
The organizational requirements are tremendous and it
is very much a
year-round effort.
Since the show is
juried, marketing
to exhibitors is
important so that
we continue to
draw a large quality pool of applicants. The evalua-
What makes the show so unique and
valuable for the community?
It is a high quality show that is
nationally recognized as one of the
top Fine Art and Fine Craft Shows,
and while extremely well organized, it
maintains a very personal, small community feeling that artists and visitors
appreciate. The community benefits
from the recognition of hosting such
a highly regarded and well attended
show in Armonk, while the net proceeds help fund a broad spectrum of
library programs, entertainment, new
technology, and facility enhancements.
Besides that, there is huge satisfaction
in putting on the show, now celebrating our 55th year.
How can businesses who want to support the art show get involved?
Corporate Sponsorships are available at three levels: Gold Sponsors
($5,000); Silver Sponsors ($2,500);
Bronze Sponsors ($1,000). Business
can also support the show as a Community Booster for contributions of
$500 and $250. We promote all donors
in our communications and maximize
corporate visibility for our sponsors.
Visit armonkoutdoorartshow.org for
more details and to contact me.
I would be happy to discuss the unique
value to any business by supporting
the art show.
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March/April 2012 Inside Chappaqua 39
A FOND LOOK BACK
Armonk Summer Concert Series
By Marianne A. Campolongo
Stormy weather did nothing to hamper the opening night of the Armonk
Summer Concert Series. Although
they had to postpone their plans for
a picnic under the stars at Wampus
Brook Park’s gazebo until the following
weekend, a near-capacity crowd turned
out at Whippoorwill Hall Theatre to
see The Swingaroos, a spirited young
band who cover jazz, blues, and pop
standards from 1930 to 1945, as well
as performing original tunes penned
by the band’s
vocalist Kimberly Hawkey
and pianist
Assaf Gleizner.
The other band
members are
Dan Glaude on
the saxophone
and clarinet,
Nat Ranson on
trombone, Ray
Cetta on bass
and Uri Zelig on
drums.
Hawkey said
she and the
band actually
The Swingaroos (front row from left): Kimberly Hawkey (vocals), Dan
preferred the
Glaude (clarinet), Nat Ranson (trombone), Ray Cetta (upright bass) seen
indoor
space.
in rear.
“It felt like an
old 1940’s theatre and the sound was
great. The audience was really receptive. Some of them were grooving in
their seats. You need inspiration, especially when you’re playing jazz because
much of it is improvised. It was a fun
group to play for, a great audience.”
Jazz and
Marianne Campolongo Photo
More Wonderful
Summer Concerts...
Soul,
Charlie
Lagond
Opera,
New
Rochelle
Opera
Broadway
Classics
Hager,
Ibarra,
Schulman,
Spielman,
and Johnson
The free Summer Concert Series,
held twice a month in July and August,
is produced by Sam Morell, a semiretired chemical engineer, who volunteers for many town activities, under
the aegis of The Small Town Theatre
Company.
“We have
very gracious sponsors,” said
Morell.
The Town
of North
Castle and
several
local businesses lent
financial
support,
and raffles
were held
during intermission.
18 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
Marianne Campolongo Photo
Kimberly Hawkey of the Swingaroos performs
during a first show in July at the Whippoorwill Hall Theatre.
The summer’s line-up included Charlie Lagond (jazz), the New Rochelle
Opera, and Hager, Ibarra, Schulman,
Spielman, and Johnson singing Broadway show tunes.
“The best social media are people
getting together not virtually but
bringing a picnic basket, a lawn chair
and sharing some food together with
friends and listening to a concert,” said
Morell. “Saturday evening under the
stars and the moon.”
Marianne Campolongo is a professional
photographer and writer from Chappaqua. Visit www.campyphotos.com.
Sam Morell Photo
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 21
It’s All Happening at the
North Castle
Public Library
By Deborah Raider Notis
The North Castle Public Library is
much more than a place to borrow
books. It is a hub of exciting, innovative programming. It is a community
center filled with opportunity to grow,
flourish, meet new people, and to feel
an even greater connection to this
community.
“We aim to offer totally comprehensive programming with the whole
interests in mind,” notes North Castle
Public Library Director Edie Martimucci. Martimucci, who has worked in the
library system for more than 18 years,
has been director of the North Castle
Public Library since April 2016. She
helps to bring the highest quality of
free programming to both the Armonk
and North White Plains branches of
the library.
The creative, intellectual, and
community-enhancing programming
at The North Castle Public Library has
one other added benefit. Nearly all of
these programs are free to the public.
For the past 70 years, the funding
for many of these free programs can
be attributed to the Friends of the
North Castle Library. The Friends of
the North Castle Library funds special
programming that makes the library
a greater draw for residents of both
North Castle and the greater Westchester area.
Library provided funding for the
original library building, Whippoorwill Hall, and various other building
renovations. The Friends of the North
Castle Library’s annual Art Show, one
of the most prestigious art shows in
the United States and their largest
fundraiser, helps to support many of
these programs.
Over the past year, attendance at
library programs went up astronomically, but Martimucci is hoping to spur
even greater community participation
in library events going forward. She
has helped to bring diverse programs
into the library, including weekly Tai
Chi, art history, and Italian language
and culture programs, all of which are
exceptionally well-attended. This year,
the North Castle Public Library also
added weekly Bridge lessons.
For the younger set, the North
Castle Public Library offers everything
from yoga for mothers with children
They are responsible for the Sunday
Music Concert Series, teen programs
including a songwriting program,
family programs like Family Chess,
and various health and wellness
programs. The Friends of the North
Castle Library also sponsors bi-annual
productions of The Armonk Players, a
community theater group. Additionally, the Friends of the North Castle
22 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
North Castle Public Library Director
Edie Martimucci
ages one to four to sewing to STEAM
(science, technology, engineering, art,
math) programs. According to Megan
Dean, Director of Youth Services for
the North Castle Public Library, “We
are looking at the future of libraries.
Thus far libraries have been all about
circulating books.
Now we are looking at different
programming and circulating other
materials that allow for exploration
and trial and error. We want to find
new things and ways that the library
can contribute to the community.” To
that end, the library has added maker
programs, science labs, Photoshop
and print-making programs for middle
schoolers, and 3-D printing workshops
for middle and high school students.
These programs meet once a week
and typically have between 10 and 20
participants.
Dean has also started a program
through which maker kits are circulated for two weeks to library members.
With so many options, Dean hopes to
encourage more members of North
Castle’s younger community to become
active at the library.
Knowledgeable instructors, including Pace University professor Val
Franco and Alka Kaminer, who runs
a weekly Chair Yoga class, give these
programs even greater appeal.
“We have quite a few independent teachers who love to teach and
enjoy our library community,” states
Martimucci. Unique programming,
like cooking classes sponsored by the
White Plains Hospital in conjunction
with the library and the Sunday Music
Concert Series, has been a significant
draw, and both the “A Taste of Sinatra”
and “Love Songs of World War II” concerts packed the house with approximately 175 attendees each.
Martimucci has great aspirations for
the library for the coming year. She
hopes to build the library’s academic
reputation, making it an educational
hub for the North Castle community.
Adding four-week continuing education classes, on any topic from history to science, is a high priority for
Martimucci.
But most importantly, Martimucci
wants input from the community.
She encourages people to provide the
powers that be at the library with their
ideas and feedback.
Go onto the library’s website and
submit suggestions to the virtual suggestion box. And show up. The North
Castle Public Library is a phenomenal
resource that is open to the whole
community.
“The library
should open up
endless possibilities. I want to help
to incite people’s
desire to learn.”
Whether you’re interested in nutrition, cooking, physical well-being,
music, academics, science, youth
programming, or the arts, the North
Castle Public Library has something
for you.
Deborah Raider Notis lives in Westchester with her husband, four boys, and
her dog. She is the co-owner of gamechangernow, LLC (gamechangernow.
com), a free referral service connecting
Westchester families to instructors. You
can find Deborah’s writing for the Inside
Press and on suburbanmisfitmom.com.
She would also like to implement an
annual community spelling bee. Structurally, she wants to reconfigure the
rooms throughout the Armonk branch
to allow for programming. “If we create more dedicated spaces, programming won’t interfere with studying,”
notes Martimucci. She hopes that this
will encourage even greater participation in programming.
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9 1 4 .76 9 . 2 672
September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 23
INSIDE THOUGHTS
Mindfulness in a Crazy World
By Jodi Baretz, LCSW, CHHC
Listen to your self-talk, and notice
without judging yourself how your
biases and beliefs have affected you.
We each have to do our part to be more
understanding of others and accept
those who are different than ourselves.
Lately, it seems like on a weekly
basis we are hearing about some
awful terrorist attack, or act of gun
violence. Our flags are constantly at
half mast, and we barely mourn one
tragedy before another one hits. This
is a constant reminder of how intolerance, hate and racism are still present
around the world. This unrest adds to
the chronic anxiety many of us already
feel on a daily basis.
A story I heard at a seminar about a
soldier returning from Iraq can speak
to compassion and non-judgment.
He was having difficulty managing
his stress and anger, and enrolled in a
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
class. He was at a supermarket behind
a woman that was handing over her
baby to the cashier and delaying his
check out. He would normally have
said something, but waited and felt the
frustration course through his body.
When he got to the front of the line,
he asked the cashier about the baby,
and she revealed that her husband was
killed in Iraq, that was her baby, and
her mother was watching her because
she couldn't afford child care.
The tragedies we hear about are real,
but we have to be mindful of the stories we tell ourselves. It is easy to get
carried away with doomsday scenarios,
because our hyperactive brains are
programmed for survival.
The 24-hour media coverage of
shootings, killings and terrorist events
perpetuates worry, and creates anxiety. The media often seems to thrive
on fear because they know you will
tune in. The reality is that “we didn’t
start the fire, it was always burning
since the world’s been turning.” It just
seems that the Armageddon is closer
now than ever before.
“If every eight year old in the
world is taught meditation, we
the recent awful news
will eliminate violence from the hasNonetheless,
an effect on us, especially those of
world within one generation.” us with children. We worry about them
–Dalai Lama. growing up in a world that is volatile.
While we are so down on the events
of the day, we must remember that
our current society is much better off
than in the past. For example, look at
the changes in the LGBT community.
It is much safer now for teens and
adults alike to be proud and embrace
who they are, without tremendous fear
of persecution. Additionally, in the
past, children with Down’s Syndrome
would be institutionalized, and now
they are often mainstreamed and have
become valued members of society.
Remarkably, there is a black President
in the White House, which had been
unthinkable just a short time ago. We
certainly have come a long way, and
hopefully can continue along this path.
We worry when they travel overseas.
We worry about them being exposed
to hate and violence at such a young
age. How do we cope with the weight
of the world on our shoulders?
Mindfulness practices are not only
ways that we can improve focus and
be present, but also ways to cultivate
love, compassion and bring peace
to ourselves and others. When we
practice meditation and mindfulness,
we open our hearts and realize that
although we have different beliefs,
races, and religions, we all share a common thing–humanity. We can begin to
notice our judgments and biases. Look
at your own life and be curious if there
are others you have unfairly judged
or rejected because they are different
than you.
24 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
So, what can we do to protect
ourselves from sadness, depression
and anxiety that the world puts on
our shoulders? Shutting off the news
every so often, as well as turning off
social media, can give our minds a
break from the onslaught of negativity. Noticing when your mind races
and when you are creating stories that
are not facts, help to work with the
brains negativity bias. Learning to sit
with sadness and grief, without letting
it take over our whole beings can be
a helpful practice for coping. When
compassion and kindness win out we
have less hate, anger and intolerance.
In addition, being good role models for
our children is crucial, because they
are watching us all the time. What we
say matters. When we engage in these
behaviors daily, hopefully, person-byperson, we can change the world, and
make a difference.
Jodi Baretz, LCSW, CHHC is a psychotherapist, mindfulness and holistic health
coach at The Center for Health and Healing in Mount Kisco. She is the founder of
the program and upcoming book, “Mindful is the New Skinny.”
Visit jodibaretz.com for more info or
FB group@mindful moms.
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 25
As One Town Resolves HUD Dispute,
Another Fights On
By Andrew Vitelli
no choice but
to agree to the
settlement,
under which
Westchester
admitted no
wrongdoing
but agreed
to commit
$51.6 million
to building
750 affordable housing
units, mostly
in municipalities, including
New Castle and
North Castle,
with few black
or Latino residents.
“It’s really mindboggling, if you
think about it,” New
Castle Supervisor
Rob Greenstein says.
Sitting just a stone’s
throw from the site
of the controversial
Chappaqua Station
housing project,
Greenstein is referring to criticism of
the town coming
from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development
and from a monitor
appointed following
a 2009 settlement
between HUD and
Andrew Vitelli Photos
Westchester County.
That NovemAffordable
housing
is
being
built
on
Old
Route
22
in
Armonk.
“I think they should
ber, Rob Astoribe singing our praises
no, a Republican
communications,” Supervisor Michael
and holding us up as an example of do- Schiliro says.
and an opponent of the settlement,
ing more than our share. And instead,
unseated Spano to become county
we’re criticized.”
executive. While Astorino vowed to
These towns are just two of more
comply with the settlement, the last
than 30 towns and villages impacted
In purely numerical terms, New Cas- by the settlement, but their stories
six and a half years have been marked
tle has more than carried its weight;
by recurring conflict between HUD
give a closer look at how the settleand the county. There have been spats
even without Chappaqua Station,
ment has played out in many of these
which Greenstein opposes, more than
over which projects should be counted
communities.
towards the settlement, over legisla30 units are in the pipeline. But the
fight over Chappaqua Station, built
tion banning landlords from rejectThe Settlement
on Hunts Lane between the railroad
ing people with government housing
The housing settlement, which has
tracks and a Saw Mill Parkway exit
vouchers, and over the county’s effort
cast a shadow over Westchester poliramp, has dragged on for years and put tics for nearly a decade and brought
to press towns and villages to adopt a
the town in the middle of a bitter fight the county to the center of a battle
model zoning ordinance.
between HUD and county leadership.
over federalism, government overA continuing source of strife has
reach, and allegations of modern-day
On Old Route 22 in Armonk, meanbeen
the county’s obligation to
segregation, was signed in August
while, a row of freshly-built multifami- 2009 by then-County Executive
conduct an analysis of impediments,
ly homes has sprung up, construction
including those based on race or resistAndrew Spano. In 2007, the Antiequipment sitting outside. In July,
ance to affordable housing, to identify
Discrimination Center, a Manhattan
North Castle was removed from a list
exclusionary zoning. The county has
based non-profit which fights housing
of municipalities facing legal action
submitted eight analyses to HUD,
discrimination, sued the county over
over their zoning laws and the concen- accusations that the county had been
finding no exclusionary zoning regulatration of multi-family housing within collecting federal funds earmarked for
tions. HUD has rejected every submisthe municipality. The town’s presence
sion. This dispute has cost the county
low-income housing without meeting
on the list, the town’s supervisor
more than $20 million in grant money
the requirements necessary to receive
says, had more to do with the lack of
from HUD.
these funds. In February 2009, U.S.
infrastructure throughout much of
District Court Judge Denise Cote ruled
the town–along with the flooding of
For both sides, though, the printhat the county had failed to conduct
Kensico village a century ago–than any an analysis of impediments to address ciples in play go beyond the sum of
discriminatory intent on the town’s
the projects and the dollars involved.
claims of housing discrimination.
part, and in the end the HUD-apAstorino has called HUD’s actions
Facing the possibility of liabilities of
pointed housing monitor agreed. “I’ve
“Washington-driven social engineermore than $150 million, Spano had
found them to be very receptive to our
ing,” a sentiment echoed by, among
26 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
many others, the Wall Street Journal’s
editorial board. On the other side have
been allegations of thinly-veiled racism, with The New York Times editorial
board accusing the county of “keeping
Jim Crow’s spirit alive.”
The Challenge in Chappaqua
New Castle is not only one of the
richest communities in the country,
but home to both the Clintons and
Governor Cuomo. Add to that the
town’s role on the wrong side of a watershed 1977 zoning ruling, Berenson
v. New Castle, and it’s understandable
that Chappaqua would end up in the
spotlight, Greenstein says.
“The truth is, it makes it a perfect
little town to make an example of, and
I think that’s part of the problem,”
says the town supervisor. “Because of
those three reasons, I think that there
are some people biting at the bit to
make an example of us, and we have
definitely felt that pressure.”
New Castle, which adopted the
model zoning ordinance in 2011, has
one major affordable housing project
that has sailed through with little opposition: a 28-unit affordable housing
project called Chappaqua Crossing at
the site of what was once the Reader’s
Digest building on Roaring Brook
Road. Conifer Realty purchased the
Chappaqua Station site in September 2010. Conifer’s plans for the site
(originally 36 units) were at the time
backed by Barbara Gerrard, then the
town’s supervisor, as well as the town
board. One of the proposal’s early critics, as Greenstein now points out, was
James Johnson, the HUD-appointed
monitor overseeing Westchester’s
compliance with the settlement, who
in an April 2012 letter to the board
suggested that the site was isolated
and stigmatizing.
the necessary variances and permits.
By then, however, public opposition
to the project had begun to take hold.
In the 2013 town board elections,
Greenstein ran on the Team New
Castle ticket along with town board
candidates Lisa Katz and Adam Brodsky. Opposition to Chappaqua Station
was a significant factor in Team New
Castle’s election to all three positions.
With the supervisor and a majority of
the town board opposed to the project at its current location, along with
concerns voiced by Building Inspector
Bill Maskiell, progress on the development has slowed in the last two and a
half years.
The root of the resistance to Chappaqua Station–whether born from flaws
in the project or a wider resistance to
public housing–is much contended. In
February 2014, Conifer filed a Housing Discrimination Complaint with
HUD, stating that during public debate
opponents of the project claimed that
“the project would be a stigmatized
ghetto, that the children who lived
there would be ostracized by children
who live in the Village, and that the
project would be where the ‘blacks and
Hispanics’ live.”
Holly Leicht, HUD’s regional administrator for New York and New
Jersey, says it’s hard to answer with
any certainty whether opposition is
due to the project itself or reflects a
fear of any affordable housing. “There
are probably people on both ends of
the spectrum,” Leicht explains. “There
usually are in these situations, where
there’s a controversial project.”
But Greenstein points out that the
town’s other major affordable housing
project under the settlement, Chappaqua Crossing, has received little
pushback from the community.
“When you look at that building,
you’re not going to say, ‘That’s affordable housing.’ You’re going to say, ‘That’s
housing,’” Greenstein says, referring
to Chappaqua Crossing. Turning his
attention to Chappaqua Station, he
remarks, “Now compare that to this
project over here. That’s on a third of
an acre, from lot line to lot line there’s
not a blade of grass.”
“There’s no question that people are
opposed to this particular location,”
Greenstein adds. “I want to make it
clear that people are not opposed to
affordable housing.”
The battle over the project has also
ensnared the county. In December of
2013, the county’s Board of Legislators
voted to withhold funding for the project; a year later, the board approved
funding, on the condition that the
project must receive all the necessary
variances. The monitor faulted the
county for counting the units towards
the settlement agreement (it needed
financing in place for 450 units by
the end of 2014) but also blamed
the county for failing to push New
Castle to end the impasse. This May,
Judge Cote said the units could count
towards the settlement but also said
the county had breached its obligation
by not weighing in on behalf of the
developer against local opposition.
The monitor signed off, however,
after the developer made changes to
the site’s design to help integrate the
project into the community aesthetically, created public space within the
building, and addressed traffic concerns. One change was to downsize the
complex from 36 to 28 units.
“Some would say he flip-flopped
on the issue,” Greenstein says of the
monitor, who recently resigned from
the case. “I haven’t changed my opinion. I think that site is isolating and
stigmatizing.” The town board granted
Conifer a special permit in September
2013, contingent on Conifer obtaining
The proposed site of Chappaqua Station has drawn opposition from a wide segment of
New Castle residents and officials.
September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 27
Mike Kaplowitz, the chairman of the
Board of Legislators, says the project
has been problematic from the get-go.
“Pretty much, nobody is happy,” Kaplowitz says. “That project is so messy.
I don’t meet many people in New
Castle who are happy on either side of
that issue.”
households as the town as a whole.
Additionally, large parts of the town
are zoned for single-family housing,
with these districts primarily white.
For the housing monitor, this itself
amounted to prima facie (legal language meaning presumed until proven
otherwise) evidence of clustering un-
ing New Castle). “In the absence of
remediation,” the report stated, “the
Department of Justice is encouraged
to give serious consideration to bringing legal action against one or more of
these municipalities.”
“I was disappointed because genuinely I felt that we had made a lot of
progress,” Schiliro says, looking back
at the May report. “So our reaction
was, let’s sit down with the monitor and the monitor’s office again. It
wasn’t any animosity, any anger. It
was just, let’s communicate.”
Schiliro again met with officials
from the monitor’s office in June
following the report’s release and
pressed the town’s case. A month
later, the monitor withdrew his recommendation of legal action, noting
progress made by the town and also
acknowledging environmental and
infrastructural constraints.
While the issue was ultimately
resolved, the monitor’s decision to
place North Castle on such a list in
the first place was viewed by some
of HUD’s critics, particularly the
North Castle Supervisor Michael Schiliro explains restrictions imposed by his town’s infrastructure. Astorino administration, as an example of “breathtaking” government
overreach. A spokesman for Astorino
der what’s known as the Huntington
Leicht acknowledges that the town
said the county executive was puzzled
test (named for the 1988 watershed
has some legitimate concerns over the case Town of Huntington v. NAACP).
by the monitor’s initial decision, as
project, but says HUD is worried that
was Westchester Legislator Margaret
the town is dragging its feet.
Cunzio, who represents North Castle.
“Do I disagree with their findings?
No. They’re mathematical. We techni“I think that a legitimate back and
“I think it was unfair because since
cally fail the Huntington test,” Schiliro
forth, and focusing on the health and
day one they had been compliant and
admits. “But part of it is something
safety issues, is fine. The sense was
they had been working with both the
that happened 100 something years
that this is being protracted for a very
monitor and the HUD office,” says
ago, which developed a denser zoning
long time,” she says. “I think part of
Cunzio, a Conservative. “The town has
or development here.”
the frustration is that things keep
done nothing since day one but try to
coming up sequentially rather than
fulfill their requirements.”
The town’s zoning is based more on
part of one process that is condensed.” the limits of its infrastructure than anything else. In the rural northern parts
Schiliro carefully avoids any critiof the city, sewer and water is sparse
cism of HUD or the monitor.
A Solution in North Castle
outside downtown Armonk. This
Around a century ago, the Village of
prohibits the kind of housing density
“It must be a challenge for them,” he
Kensico was flooded due to the creasays. “It’s a lot of work to really undertion of the Kensico dam, leading many seen in North White Plains. Schiliro,
stand all the towns in the county, and
of the village’s residents to move south a Democrat elected in 2013, met with
officials from the monitor’s office his
each town is very different.”
to what is now the Hamlet of North
first year in office, giving them a tour
White Plains. Supervisor Schiliro beof the town to show them the restricSchiliro also notes that the town
lieves this piece of history along with
the hamlet’s proximity to White Plains tions preventing multi-family housing has made progress since the monitor’s 2014 visit. North Castle adopted
has led to a higher population density, throughout most of North Castle.
the model zoning ordinance in 2014,
and a concentration of the town’s
and 25 affordable housing units are in
In May of this year, however, the
minority population, in North White
development throughout Armonk.
housing monitor released a report
Plains that exists to this day.
placing North Castle on a list of seven
“The town has always had affordable
municipalities whose zoning could
Today, one zoning district in downtype housing for decades,” Schiliro
result in liability under the Huntingtown North White Plains has threenotes. “We listened to what the latest
ton test or the related Berenson test
and-a-half times the rate of minority
communications were from the moni(named after the 1977 ruling involv28 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
tor and we made some adjustments
to our code like creating the model
ordinance so the future units would
conform with what the parameters of
the lawsuit were.”
Light at the End of the Tunnel?
At the end of the year, the county
is obligated to have financing in place
for the 750 units required under the
settlement. But the county’s need for
affordable housing has no end date.
“If we get to the end of the settlement and 750 units have been built
but everyone is saying, ‘I never want to
have to deal with the federal government, or the federal government’s
money, or affordable housing, again,’”
Leicht explained to legislators at a
June meeting, “then we have not really
met our goal here.”
Speaking to the Inside Press, Leicht
circles back to this idea when asked
whether New Castle, with 60 affordable housing units in the works including Chappaqua Station, has in fact
done more than its share.
“These projects are happening, and
I am optimistic that the 750 units
will be met, but I don’t really think
“When people move into
that housing [in Chappaqua], we will do everything
in our power to make them
feel welcome and part of the
community.”
Robert Greenstein
anybody would say that’s the entire
affordable housing need in the county,” Leicht comments. “I haven’t had
anybody, no matter where they stand
on this settlement, not acknowledge
that Westchester really has affordable
housing needs.”
Even some of Chappaqua Station’s
opponents now seem resigned to the
likelihood that it will be built.
“I’d like this project not to go
forward because it’s a terrible site,”
Kaplowitz says. “But unfortunately the
wheels are in motion and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.”
Greenstein notes that there’s no
guarantee the project will meet the
conditions required for the building
permit, but acknowledges the futility
SPORTS
In his letter of resignation Johnson,
the housing monitor, wrote that his
successor should be prepared to deal
with the case for some time to come.
Andrew Vitelli, a Westchester native, is
the editor of Inside Armonk Magazine.
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At year’s end, the county is set to
have the 750 units in the works, theoretically winding down its obligations
under the settlement. But if the past is
a guide, nothing is that simple.
TENNIS
CAFE
THE SHOP
GROUP FITNESS
PARISI
With the housing monitor absolving
North Castle of its Huntington test
failure, this reporter asks the town’s
supervisor, is the town in the clear
regarding settlement compliance? “I
would think we should be,” Schiliro
replies diplomatically. “We will just
continue on this path,” he continues.
“As new developments come about,
the model ordinance is in place; we’ll
continue to further affordable housing
like we’ve been doing for decades.”
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 29
Five Biggest Financial Mistakes
Made During a Divorce
By Ilene Amiel
Divorce is a stressful time. It’s hard
to think clearly and be organized when
your life is turning upside down. Once
you decide to divorce, you begin a process new to you. I tell my clients that
getting divorced is like playing a board
game that doesn’t come with instructions. You’re not sure what to do, how
the game works, what the rules are and
how to win (or not lose).
You hire a lawyer or mediator and
hope that he/she will help you get a fair
settlement. From a legal standpoint,
you may be in good shape. But from a
financial standpoint, you really need to
understand the game. Not understanding your finances can cost you a lot of
money and affect you and your children for the rest of your life.
The five biggest mistakes that people
make involve budgeting, taxes, medical
insurance and credit score management. Here they are:
1. Underestimating Budgets
The most important documents that
you will be required to prepare are the
Financial Affidavit aka Statement of
Net Worth and a monthly budget. Your
attorney can help you put them together
but, ultimately, it’s up to you to provide
accurate and complete information in
each category; these will be the basis
for negotiations and for the courts. The
challenge is to create detailed financial
documents based on dozens of line
items to properly reflect your assets,
liabilities and monthly expenses.
You must include every single expense
even if it occurs only once or twice
a year. Unexpected expenditures that
arise such as appliance, home or car
repairs along with unforeseen medical
expenses have to be included. Although
the Statement of Net Worth and budget
can be revised, once you have submitted your final documents, your lawyers
will use them to negotiate a settlement.
If you underestimate your monthly
expenses, you will have to deal with it
once the divorce is completed.
2. Misunderstanding Marital
Status on Tax Returns
If you’re in the middle of a divorce
on December 31, and you both agree
to the filing, you can file a joint return.
However, once the divorce is final, the
IRS considers you divorced for the
entire year. You must file as single or
head of household (if you have custody of the children). The reason this
is important is that generally filing
jointly provides the most beneficial
tax outcome for most couples. If one
of the spouses owes taxes, it could be
considered a marital liability. I highly
recommend that you consult with your
CPA or tax preparer. He/she can review
your previous returns and evaluate the
current situation to choose the best
financial option.
3. Forgetting about a
Maintenance Tax
The second issue that is often forgotten is tax on maintenance (aka alimony
or marital support). Maintenance is
taxable as income to the recipient and
tax deductible for the payor. Many
people neglect to save a percent of their
monthly payment for taxes and then
need to come up with a large payment
on April 15. You do have a choice and
for some couples, the tax consequences
are more favorable if they make payments nondeductible and nontaxable
because of tax consequences.
30 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
Advertorial
Taxes are an ongoing obligation and
need to be planned for during the year.
4. Inadequately Researching
Medical Insurance
Once your divorce is final, each
spouse will be responsible for their
own medical insurance. For those individuals whose spouse was insured by
an employer sponsored plan, COBRA
allows for you to stay on the same plan
as you had when while married for
three years post divorce. With the costs
of insurance changing constantly, it is
best to research the options before the
divorce is final in order to determine
the most cost effective plan to meet
your needs.
5. Failing to Check Credit Rating
And now, the last but not least most
important mistake that divorcing
individuals make: not checking and
understanding their credit rating.
Your credit rating is used to determine what rates you can get on
loans, lines of credit, car leases and
credit cards. While you were married,
anything in a joint account or jointly owned will be reflected on your
individual credit report and score.
Before your divorce is complete, you
should get a copy of your credit score
and report from all three reporting
bureaus--Experian, Equifax and Trans
Union. If your credit score is low or
contains errors, now is the time to fix
it. If you have late payments on your
report, they can remain on there for
seven years.
You need to fix these mistakes on
the reports and learn how to improve
your score so you will have the highest
rating possible as you move from a
married person to a single person with
your own identity.
Ilene Amiel is a CDFA (Certified
Divorce Financial Analyst) who helps
divorcing individuals with the financial
aspects of their divorces. For more
information about Ilene, please visit
divorcefinancialconsultant.com
or call (914) 980-0898.
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September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 31
NWH’s President’s Junior Leadership Council
Sets its Sights on Addressing Anxiety in Students
By Janine Crowley Haynes
form a club at Greeley. “When
‘I’ is replaced with ‘We,’ even
illness becomes wellness. So, we
were thinking the club could be
called Mental Wellness,” says
Chloe. Although the plan is in
its infancy, raising awareness
and dismantling the stigma surrounding mental health issues is
a top priority.
Northern Westchester
Hospital’s President’s Junior
Leadership Council is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.
The Council consists of 48
students from various high
schools including Horace
Greeley, Byram Hills, Pleasantville, Fox Lane, Somers,
John Jay and Yorktown, to
name a few.
NWH Director of Community Health Education &
Outreach Maria Simonetti
oversees the Council along
with Amy Rosenfeld, RD. They
have been conducting the program for
ten years and have watched student
participation grow from eight students
to an impressive 48.
Each
year, the
Council
decides on
a public
health project, like
underage
Maria Simonetti, Director
drinking,
NWH Community Health
smoking,
Education & Outreach, with
body imProgram Coordinator, Amy
age, nutriRosenfeld, RD.
tion, etc.,
targeting
peers via social marketing campaigns.
The projects are designed to grab the
attention of their peers and are jampacked with vital information.
With the Be Smart Not Sorry campaign, the Council created at-a-glance
fold-up cards that fit easily into a wallet, addressing alcohol, alcohol poisoning, and what to do “when things
go awry.” Another campaign targeted
smoking with a shockingly graphic
handout showing the toxic ingredients
in cigarettes.
This year’s campaign targets anxiety.
The students on the Council work in
groups and pitch creative ways to construct an effective campaign to address
the anxiety issue all too common in
young people. The Council just decided
NWH President’s Junior Leadership Council
that the overall campaign tagline will
be: There is a World Outside...Branch
Out. The Council’s main concern is
dismantling the stigma and helping
young people to not feel so alone while
encouraging them to seek support.
It’s of no surprise that students in
Westchester face a heavy workload
that can cause stress and anxiety. Students have enormous pressures placed
on them not just to get good grades,
but also to join clubs, take music lessons, be athletes, and volunteer time
without having much downtime. They
also struggle with social pressures
from peers.
For the anxiety project, the Council
intends to reach out not only to the
students but to act as liaisons and
meet with school administrators,
teachers, and PTAs to enlighten and
communicate the overwhelming issue
of anxiety plaguing many students,
and to possibly effect change.
In June, all 48 students of the leadership Council came together for their
end-of-school-year meeting. However,
they will also be working over the summer months on the new campaign.
By October, they will be ready to unveil
its latest project targeting anxiety. The
students will come up with creative
ideas for the collective project.
One idea comes from Greeley senior
Chloe Krugel and sister and sophomore at Greeley Alexa Krugel. They
will be submitting an application to
32 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
The club will also focus on implementing ways of dealing with
stress and anxiety by encouraging healthy habits and behaviors
possibly through yoga, breathing
exercises, pet therapy, etc. They
would also like to organize a walk
for mental wellness.
Another idea the Council is exploring is handing out adult coloring
books. There are studies that show
when one is feeling anxiety, a distraction can be quite effective in lessening
the immediate feelings of anxiety.
Another thought is to create a poster
and/or handouts addressing anxiety
targeting the shame and stigma.
The anxiety project is, no doubt,
ambitious and complicated and will be
tackled from different angles. At the
end-of-year meeting, all 48 students
went around the room and introduced
themselves and stated what being a
member of the NWH President’s Junior Leadership Council means to them
personally. Aside from the overwhelming gratefulness to the Director Maria
Simonetti and Program Coordinator
Amy Rosenfeld, RD, the students expressed feeling more connected to the
community and realize the importance
of giving back.
Learning the skills of collaborating
with students from other high schools
gives them an advantage and has given
them a sense of making an impact to
create positive change. Finding a common bond and taking a pulse on what
issues need to be addressed amongst
their peers is a worthwhile experience
going forward.
Janine Crowley Haynes is a Chappaqua resident and author of My Kind of
Crazy: Living in a Bipolar World.
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Divison One — Bringing Fun & Positivity into Every Workout
Advertorial
Every summer time seems to slow
down just a bit only to pick back up at
record speed the morning after Labor
Day. Everyone has their own sources
of stress during this frenetic time but
for our high school athletes it’s often
fueled by the worry of another year
balancing the pressures of schoolwork
and athletic training. Indeed, most
parents and administrators would agree
that this pressure has only increased
over the years as the college recruiting process now begins earlier than
ever. Some might even argue that the
demands of this process have reached
a level that has taken the ‘fun’ out of
high school athletics.
Division One gym owner and Armonk-based father Karl Pfistner understands the unique worries high school
athletes face year-round. As a former
athlete at the high school, collegiate
and Arena Football levels, Pfistner was
inspired to open a gym specializing
in the type of training that enhances
both a student’s athletic skills and their
quality of life. He envisioned Division
One as a
gym which
would bring
fun with
training
back into
the workout,
for students
and adults
alike.
“Good
time management is
such a vital
part of a
well-rounded life for these student athletes so we focus on teaching them how
to be more effective in their training
sessions to better maximize their time,”
Karl explains. “When a training routine
is done properly a client is achieving
the absolute best results as quickly as
possible, leaving more time for other
areas of daily life.”
To that end, Division One’s staff
includes a Nutritionist and Life Coach
to better serve his high school and
adult clients with a true 360-degree
approach to their health and well-being.
As a trainer, Pfistner believes training
methods for student athletes need to
go beyond the physical workouts to
address the mental toughness necessary
for competition. He balances this focus
with providing 40-yards of indoor field
turf and creative, cutting-edge and
workouts which promote positivity.
He attributes the success of many of
his former clients, who have gone on to
compete at the collegiate level, to his
unique approach.
High school athletes are certainly
at the prime age to push their bodies
during training to discover new levels
of potential but it should never come at
the cost of happiness and balance during these key developmental years.
As Pfistner watches his own children
grow up within today’s competitive
athletic climate, Karl continues to help
athletes achieve this elusive balance–
maximizing physical success and fun
during their high school sports career.
September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 33
HAPPENINGS
In the Spirit of the 2016 Olympics!
Cedar Manor Nursing &
Rehabilitation
Center residents and staff
celebrated the
2016 Olympics
with an opening ceremony of their own on Cedar
Lane in Ossining. The Therapeutic
Recreation Department staged a festive
indoor parade complete with patriotic
torch. The health-care facility’s hallways
echoed with fanfare and the Olympic
anthem–Bugler’s Dream. Employees
gladly joined in, showing their support
by dressing in their favorite athletic
attire. (L-R): Staci Hickey, Georgina
Garcia, Catherine Carpenter, Lucille
Lopez and Marilyn Hoermann.
•At Chappaqua’s First Congregational Church, Dave Bickler will be
singing, Keith Robellard, Minister
of Music at FCC will be playing, and
other special guests will be performing and speaking. The concert, which
is free and open to the public, will take
place at 4 p.m. at FCC, 210 Orchard
Ridge Road.
I’m inspired by the organizers for
the Chappaqua concert, whose hard
work has made the message from
the Lower Hudson Valley loud and
clear: we cannot wait one more day
for commonsense gun safety measures that are supported by the vast
majority of Americans. I will continue fighting in Congress to keep our
families and communities safe. And
together, we will win this fight.”
–Congresswoman Nita Lowey
•Producers of the main event at the
Beacon Theatre include: Live Nation
New York; Jerry Foley, former director
of “The Late Show with David Letter-
PAYING FOR COLLEGE 101
By Scott Kahan
On August 6th, Jodi’s Gym celebrated Team U.S.A. Olympic Pride
by hosting two hours of team building
games, Olympic arts and crafts, gymnastics (Olympic style!) and a yummy
pizza dinner.
The children were invited to dress in
red, white and blue; they enjoyed the
excitement of the game with Jodi’s
Gym teachers and staff.
The Concert Across America to End Gun Violence
From here in
New Castle, to
the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan, to the Top
of the Standard in Los Angeles, and
to Lola’s Trailer Park in Fort Worth,
Texas, musicians are banding together
for The Concert Across America to End
Gun Violence on Sunday, Sept.25th.
Advertorial
man”; John Rosenthal of SHV, and
Donna Dees-Thomases, the founder of
the Million Mom March, Mother's Day
2000--still the largest protest against
gun violence in U.S. history.
•Woodlands Community Temple
in White Plains will host a participatory "Sing-In" from 4 p.m.-6 pm. Folk
and contemporary song will be led by
Cantors Ellen Dreskin and Jonathan
Gordon, and other favorite singers:
Kenny Green, Adam Hart, Ira and
Julia Levin, Jenny Murphy and more.
Free and open to the public. RSVP to
wct.org/concertacrossamerica.
Spearheaded by Massachusettsbased Stop Handgun Violence (SHV),
Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, and dozens of other organizations committed to reducing gun
violence, the concerts will feature a
diverse array of artists performing
at venues ranging from churches and
school gymnasiums to honky-tonks
and hotel rooftops. Artists are asked
to perform at least one song that gives
voice to the more than five million
Americans who’ve been murdered by a
firearm since the mass shooting at the
University of Texas on Aug. 1, 1966.
Artists with pre-existing commitments can still participate with a
social media shout-out on their own
Facebook fan pages and on their Twitter accounts using hashtags, #ConcertAcrossAmerica to #EndGunViolence
34 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
As a financial planner who has worked with
many clients over the years figuring out how
to pay for college, and as a parent who has
sent two Greeley graduates to college, January 1st was never a date to look forward to.
Just the uttering of the term FAFSA will send
many parents into a panic.
For high school seniors who will be entering college in the fall of 2017, the quest for financial aid is beginning and FAFSA is a term
you will get to know quickly.
What is the FAFSA?
The short answer is that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, are the forms that
are filed each year to be eligible for financial
aid. Many parents tell me that since their child
will not be eligible for aid, they don’t need
to bother with the forms. Assuming that you
have saved enough for college and will not
need to borrow money, then you may not need
to file the forms. On the other hand, if you are
like many families that will either need financial aid and/or need to borrow, you will still
need to file the FAFSA forms to be eligible
for some of the loans offered for both parents
and students.
Big Changes Coming
The main reason for the struggle each year
is that when you file the forms in January, you
have not even filed your tax returns, let alone
received your W-2’s, 1099’s and other financial information needed from the prior year.
Beginning with the 2017-2018 college
year, the FAFSA forms can now be filed as of
October 1, 2016. The good news is that since
this is a transition year, you will use your
2015 financial information. For those with returning students, you will again use your 2015
financial information that you used when you
filed earlier this year. If this is the first time
you file the FAFSA, you should already have
all the financial information you will need
from 2015.
Going forward, you will use the prior year
information. For example, for the 2018-2019
school year, the forms will be filed starting
October 1, 2017, using 2016 information.
Get started early and
don’t panic!
Scott M. Kahan, is a
Certified Financial Planner® professional and
President of Financial
Asset Management Corporation, a fee-only wealth
management firm located
at 26 South Greeley
Avenue in Chappaqua.
Call Scott Kahan at 914-238-8900
Armonk Dance: Where Fancy Footwork is Fun
By Stacey Pfeffer
er. D’Angelo trained additionally with the Boston Ballet,
Walnut Hill of the Performing
Arts and Jacobs Pillow 12 +
12 program, which toured in
Russia.
At the end of a side street
off of Old Route 22 in town,
there’s a special place called
Armonk Dance where children pirouette, plié and
practice their latest hip-hop
moves all in a warm, welcoming environment where the
emphasis is on fun. Owner
Cynthia D’Angelo envisioned
opening a type of dance
studio where anyone from
Broadway-bound hopefuls to
children with special needs
can dance.
D’Angelo strives to make
the studio “all inclusive.” Kids
with Down syndrome or children with autism are included
in classes and not segregated.
“For us our mission statement is not just about the
teams or medals on the wall,
which I think can sometimes
take over a school,” D’Angelo
says. “Our philosophy is that
all kids can dance. You don’t
have to be the perfect height or the
perfect weight.”
The dance studio has been in its current location for 13 years and houses
As a student enrolled at
the University of Missouri
– Kansas City obtaining her
fine arts degree, she began to
study other forms of dance
including hip-hop, contemporary, flamenco and jazz.
D’Angelo eventually became
an adjunct professor of dance
at the university. She later
moved back to the East Coast
and taught at Armonk Dance
for more than a decade. She
was offered the chance to buy
the studio after its previous
owners decided to relocate.
Even as the studio’s owner,
she still enjoys teaching several classes a week there.
four spacious studios with sprung
floors or multipurpose flooring to
ensure the dancers’ safety and prevent
injury. It also contains a dancewear
boutique, which is open for students
of the studio as well as the general
public. D’Angelo takes great
pride in the fact that the children from her dance company
also designed the murals on
display on the studio walls.
The space also features a large
lobby, homework area, child’s
play area and changing rooms
and cubbies.
This past season D’Angelo’s
studio had more than 600
dancers enrolled and had
almost 100 classes to choose
from with students ranging
in age from three through
18. “I started dancing when I
was nine because I was lazy,”
laughs D’Angelo, who considers herself a “late bloomer”
in the dance world. Despite
her late entry into dancing,
D’Angelo excelled at ballet and
trained with Judi Drozd of
the Joffrey Ballet as a teenag-
D’Angelo ensures that
her staff is top-notch and
looks for them to have a
dance background or degree “so that
they have the pedagogy of dance and
understand anatomy and physiology
so that we can build healthy dancers.”
She also likes to hire local graduates of
Manhattanville College in Purchase.
Her staff has obviously been very
successful at honing the children’s talents. The school boasts some notable
alumni such as Lauryn Ciardullo, who
is the swing/Jasmine understudy in
Aladdin on Broadway. Another recent
alumni was on the national tour of
Evita. Although D’Angelo likes to keep
the focus on fun in her studio, dancers
who yearn for more practice time can
join the company or competition team.
Interested students can visit www.armonkdance.com for more information.
Stacey Pfeffer lives with her husband
and three young children in Chappaqua.
She has written for Inside Chappaqua,
New York Family Magazine, Westchester
Parent and Kveller.com.
September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 35
Evan’s Law
Marks First
Big Step
Toward Texting
& Driving Reform
It’s time we started taking the
distracted driving impairment
as seriously as the drunk
driving impairment.
By Justin Ellick
road fatalities spiked up
a staggering
8 percent in
2015. Driver
distraction
seems the most
likely culprit
but because police are limited
in how they
can investigate
–the problem remains
dramatically
underreported
and therefore,
we remain far
away from
proper understanding and
far away from a
viable solution.
civil lawsuit trying to retrieve phone
records, which eventually showed that
the driver, who claimed he had fallen
asleep, was texting throughout the
drive and moments before the crash.
The collision happened in a dead cell
area so the exact moment remains
controversial.
This is where Ben learned there is
very little police protocol in place to
examine phones or phone records
after a crash. He has been an advocate
for driving safety ever since, and has
been working tirelessly to get peoples’
hands off the phone and back on the
wheel. As a result of this effort, Ben,
his wife Debbie, and Deborah Becker
(whose son was also a surviving passenger in the crash) have introduced
legislation that would essentially start
to treat distracted driving like drunken
driving in New York State.
The bill,
dubbed Evan’s
Law in honor of
Lieberman’s son,
would give police
officers at the
scene of a crash
roadside technology similar
to that of the
Breathalyzer,
allowing them
to tap into any
operating system in order to
check for recent
illegal activity
on the device
(as opposed to
legal Bluetooth
use) all while
avoiding any
With the way technolcontent. Also, if
ogy has progressed over
a passenger were
Ben Lieberman speaking at the introduction of Evan’s Law at the State Capitol in Albany.
the past five to ten years, Behind him (left to right) are bi-partisan Bill Sponsors Senator Terrence Murphy (R-Westchusing the driver’s
phones are now so much ester) and Assistant Assembly Speaker Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) along with New Castle Town phone, neither
more than just a way of
Supervisor Rob Greenstein.
person would be
communicating. Smartpenalized.
phones have taken over the world, and
as a result have taken over people’s
Legislators and public health experts
However, the legislation has raised
lives. Most of us can’t go a 15-minute
are fighting to change a distinctly
concerns by privacy organizations.
car ride without checking our Instamodern behavior. One man at the
They suggest that phone records can
gram or taking a Snapchat. The fact
forefront of this fight is Ben Lieberbe subpoenaed or a warrant can be obthat most people can acknowledge
man, a resident of Chappaqua, who
tained to examine the phone. Lieberthis problem and yet are still offendknows all too well the problems and
man understands the concerns but
ers, should be enough of a red flag to
dangers phone use while driving
notes that, “Phone records only reveal
pursue additional legal action regardpresents. In June of 2011, Ben’s son
texting and phone calls which would
ing the issue.
Evan was asleep in the back of a car
exclude so many popular activities like
when the driver lost control. Evan, 19, social media, selfies and even a comAfter a ten-year decline in auto
ultimately passed away from the injumon email. Also, a warrant to examine
collisions mainly due to a decrease in
ries he suffered in the crash. His father the phone is far more difficult and
drunk driving and better built cars,
spent the next several months in a
time consuming to obtain than people
When it comes to driving, we can all agree that
using your phone while
behind the wheel is a nogo. Doing so clearly takes
the driver’s attention and
eyes away from the road.
It’s something we know
is unsafe, so why do most
of us do it so regularly?
The danger phone usage
presents while driving
is obvious enough to
society that laws were
put in place to prevent
it, but those laws have
quickly become outdated
and most concerning is
that those laws are near
impossible to enforce.
36
September/October
2016
16 Inside
Inside Armonk
Chappaqua
September/October
2016
could ever imagine. It’s also important
to note that a phone can be wiped to
original ‘store settings’ long before a
warrant arrives.”
“The legislation’s intent is to meticulously respect privacy by emphasizing usage over content,” Lieberman
continued, “There’s obviously going
to be a kneejerk reaction from people
that their phone is being looked at.
We want to make sure people understand that such a device would only
report how much you’re touching
your cellphone, not what your touching it for.”
The technology behind the legislation has been nicknamed The Textalyzer. As for the company that would
create such a device, Mr. Lieberman
has teamed up with Cellebrite U.S.A.,
the mobile forensics company that
has been reported to have cracked
the San Bernardino terrorist’s IPhone
when Apple was deadlocked with the
FBI. Cellebrite has gone on record
that they are confident they can
develop the technology. The fact that
a highly regarded tech company like
Cellebrite vouched for the Textalyzer
was huge for the Liebermans when it
came to getting politicians
behind the bill.
Democratic assemblyman
Félix Ortiz, who is a strong
supporter and sponsor of
Evan’s Law, said that the
Textalyzer would not give
officers access to the contents
of any emails or texts. It
would simply give them a way
to catch distracted drivers. If Senator Terrence
Speaking
at at
TerrenceMurphy
Murphy(R-Westchester)
(R-Westchester)
speaking
July 26th
progress
onon
thethe
a bill like Evan’s law becomes July
26th Evan’s
Evan’sTeam
Teamouting
outingtotodetail
detail
progress
legislation and
driving.
andefforts
effortstotocurtail
curtaildistracted
distracted
driving.
reality, people are going to be legislation
more afraid to put their hands
and without a doubt a killer. But for
on the cellphone,” concluded Ortiz.
some strange reason–phone usage
is still socially acceptable. If we truly
In six short months, Ben and his
understood the scope of the damage,
wife Debbie have made tremendous
people would have more urgency.
strides in changing the perspective
It’s time that distracting drivers are
people have on texting and driving.
viewed with the same stigma as drunk
By bringing Evan’s Law and the Texdrivers. Passing of Evan’s Law and the
talyzer technology to the forefront,
development of the Textalyzer are esthey’re forcing a conversation hoping
sential to that process.
that people will realize that not only is
distracted driving a destructive behavGreeley grad Justin Ellick, a sophoior but also, that there is very little in
more Media and Communications Major
place to deter this.
at Ursinus College in Philadelphia, is an
intern for Inside Chappaqua and Inside
Distracted driving should be taken
Armonk Magazines this summer.
just as seriously as drunk driving.
They are both dangerous, crippling,
September/October
2016
Inside
Armonk 37
September/October
2016
Inside
Chappaqua
17
The Mental Health Association of Westchester
presents
AN EVENING OF CONVERSATION AND
SONG WITH LEGENDARY
SINGER-SONGWRITER
Thursday, October 13, 2016 at 7pm
Emelin Theatre, Mamaroneck, NY
Please join us for an intimate evening with
legendary singer-songwriter Judy Collins, who will
provide audiences with a glimpse into her life as
she shares her story and touches upon alcoholism,
depression, the suicide of her son and her own
recovery from a suicide attempt.
Proceeds from the event, which also features a
special VIP reception with Collins, will benefit
MHA's vital mental health services.
Call 914­265­7511 or visit
www.mhawestchester.org
for information and tickets.
The Inside Press is a proud media partner for this upcoming fundraising event.
38 Inside Armonk September/October 2016
Where to
go When
the Leaves
Change
By Andrew Vitelli
For many of us, this writer included,
the fall months are a little bittersweet.
With summer over, we know that the
refreshingly-moderate temperatures
pus Brook Park, you
can find a nice day
to take advantage of
the park’s gazebo and
picnic grounds to relax
and enjoy the scenery. At Betsy Sluder
Nature Preserve,
located off Old Route
22, you’ll be able to
take a walk through
the woods to take in
the beauty which surrounds you.
Rockefeller State
Park Preserve
Just a 20-minute
drive from Armonk,
Rockefeller features
1,600 acres of woodlands, wetlands and
waterways, made even more beautiful
in the fall. Originally purchased by
John D. Rockefeller in 1893, the park
was deeded to New York State 33 years
ago. You can walk along the 55 miles
of carriage roads and enjoy the nature
all around. The park is open every day
from 7 a.m. to sunset, with a $6 parking fee.
Hiking in Cold Spring
So this requires a little bit of a drive
–about 45 minutes. But if you’re the
hiking type, a trip up to the Hudson Highlands is a must. One of our
favorite hikes, Anthony’s Nose, offers
a great view of the Bear Mountain
Bridge, the Hudson River and the
highlands surrounding it. A slightly
tougher hike is Breakneck Ridge, a
few miles north, which will also give
you breathtaking views of the
Hudson Valley.
Kensico Dam Plaza and Cranberry
Lake Preserve
A county park, Valhalla’s Kensico
Dam Plaza offers not just views of the
dam but of the reservoir and the nature around it. The plaza is also perfect
for picnicking or anything else requiring large, open spaces. If you want to
get a little bit into the woods, the plaza
is a short drive from Cranberry Lake
Preserve, another county park where
trees line the edge of the water above
the Kensico Reservoir.
Westmoreland Sanctuary
In our last issue, we ran an article
on Westmoreland Sanctuary, a 640acre preserve located on the border of
three towns including North Castle.
If you didn’t get a chance to make it
over there this summer, make sure to
get there this fall. Especially beautiful
this season is the “Lost Pond,” with the
leaves reflecting off the water.
Andrew Vitelli is a Westchester native
and editor of Inside Armonk Magazine.
mean winter is just around the corner.
But one saving grace is the beauty of
this region’s fall foliage. People come
from throughout the U.S. to see the
beautiful colors of the Hudson Valley
and nearby Catskill Mountains, but
Armonk residents can enjoy it without
leaving town, or going just a short
drive away. Here are a few of the many
spots to go this season (the second
week of October until the end of the
month is usually best) before the
leaves fall.
Wampus Brook Park and Betsy Sluder
Nature Preserve
These are two places you can see
the beauty of autumn without leaving
the Town of North Castle. At Wam-
Photos Courtesy of Rockefeller Preserve
September/October 2016 Inside Armonk 39
I N S IEDTEC T
HEORUAG H T S
ET
By Dana Y. Wu
A Body’s Memory
The mountain-top Kiyomizu temple
in Kyoto is dedicated to Dai-zui-gu Bosat-su, the mother of Buddha. It is said
that she can grant one’s wish, whatever
it may be.
and ran out to the stairwells with my
co-workers from the Port Authority
of NY/NJ. We had to walk downstairs
in darkness, with the smell of smoke
and panic swirling as we evacuated
the building. It was stop and go as we
moved slowly down those stairs.
“rebirth” but it also triggered some
deep fear in me. Mike reassured me
that we were coming to some light.
“A few more steps.” Well, that’s what
the firefighters said to us in 1993
on our way down those smoke-filled
flights of stairs.
Hannah (my
Near the end of
then 13 year-old
the temple “tunnel,”
daughter), my
there was a stone,
husband, Mike
rotating and bathed
and I took off
in light, on which
our shoes, paid
is written the word
our donation and
“womb” in Sanskrit.
started down the
I was grateful for the
stairs under the
dim light, gasping
temple–a “tunup the stairs for air.
nel” to remind us
The entire temple
of the womb of a
tunnel adventure
mother. The sign
was probably less
on the wall simthan 10 minutes in
ply said to hold
duration. My own
onto the railing.
daughter was unaIt was made of
ware of my fearful
round wooden
“rebirth” during this
ball–not a solid
sightseeing stop.
wood handrail,
but like a string
When the taxi
of prayer beads
dropped us off that
that swayed as
morning at the
we walked. ApKiyomizu temple,
parently, I hadn’t
I hadn’t expected
The author’s husband and daughter, Mike and Hannah, in Japan in 2013
read the fine
to be transported
(Japanese!) print saying you’d better
The stairwells were completely dark
back 20 years to a memory that I had
hold on because it was very, very dark
after a while–the emergency lights
forgotten. I emerged from that temple
inside…so dark, you couldn’t even see
didn’t seem to be working, and we
experience with a visceral and physical
your hand in front of you.
were proceeding down into increasreaction. In a world where we feel the
ingly smoky darkness. Somehow, my
constant threat of terrorism and gun
I started to feel my heart pound.
colleagues and I managed to get to
violence, where in every corner of the
I suddenly wanted to bolt backwards
the World Financial Center where the
globe there is disease, war and abuse,
and run out. I heard noises and smelled Red Cross had set up tables. We were
hunger and inequality, I was faced with
incense, and felt an intense wave of
covered in soot and dust–we didn’t
my body’s own memory of how our life
fear. I knew where I was, but I felt like
even realize what we looked like until
can be taken away in an instant.
I couldn’t catch my breath. I called
we reached daylight.
out “Mike, I’m having a panic attack”
What did I wish for when I reached
and felt the blood rush from my head.
To this day, I can’t remember how
that stone and the light? What would
There were a couple of turns to naviI got home from work on February
you wish for?
gate, but my feet were stuck. My heart
26, 1993. It must have been cold, but
was pounding and I thought I’d pass
I don’t think I even had my coat. At
Dana Y. Wu, a Chappaqua mom of four,
out. I heard him say, “It’s okay.”
that point we didn’t yet know that it
is an author, visual storyteller and local
I was having a flashback to the first
had been a bomb or imagine that our
volunteer. Her not-for-profit manageWorld Trade Center bombing.
world would be forever changed by that ment career includes experience at the
I couldn’t breathe.
single act of violence.
New York Public Library. A life-long New
Yorker, she graduated from Stuyvesant
Back in 1993, I was on the 63rd
So here I was in Kyoto, all these
High School and Columbia University.
floor when terrorists detonated a
years later, paralyzed with fear in the
She pursues her writing with the vibrant,
truck bomb in the basement garage of
womb of the female Bodhisattva. My
creative community at the Jacob Burns
One World Trade Center. The power
hand gripped the swaying railing ball.
Media Arts Center.
was knocked out immediately, so I
I knew this was a memory triggered by
just grabbed my purse from my desk
the darkness and incense of the temple
8 Inside
September/October
2016
40
InsideChappaqua
Armonk September/October
2016
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