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THE MAGAZINE FOR NEW CASTLE & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.C0M | WINTER 2017/2018

Keeping it Localthis Holiday Season

Faces Behindthe Places

200 Year Celebration of the Baha’i Faith

Adopt a Rescue at SPCA Gala

Gray Williams, Historian Extraordinaire

faces.local

Chappaqua-Millwood

Tzahal Shalom Boys & Girls Club CEO HHREC GALA

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We are grateful for the pleasure of serving you and meeting all your Real Estate needs.

Happy HolidaysWishing you a joyous holiday season and

happiness throughout the New Year.

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02 | INSIDE CHAPPAQUA | WINTER 2017/2018

WINTER 2017/2018THE MAGAZINE FOR NEW CASTLE & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.COM

cover story

35| Local Faces Campaign Takes Off!BY KELLY LEONARDCOVER PHOTOS BY CAROLYN SIMPSON doublevisionphotographers.com

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in the know 4 Welcoming Arlo to the FamilyBY STACEY PFEFFER

features 7 Alyzza Ozer of The Boys and Girls ClubBY AMY KELLY 13 The Baha’i Faith: A 200-Year AnniversaryBY SHAUNA LEVY

15 Getting to Know Gray WilliamsBY DANA Y. WU

18 SPCA Gala and Rescues for AdoptionBY STACEY PFEFFER

23 Recognizing DementiaBY JANIE ROSMAN

26 Tzahal Shalom in Northern WestchesterBY BETTINA PROBER

28 Remembering–at the HHREC’s Annual GalaBY STACEY PFEFFER

19| Meet Six of the SPCA Rescues

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Winter 2017/2018Volume 14, Number 6

THE MAGAZINE FOR NEW CASTLE & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.C0M

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lifestyles with our sponsors 30 Le Jardin’s Joie de VivreBY DANA Y. WU

32 Inside the Saw Mill ClubBY JANINE CROWLEY HAYNES

39 Chappaqua’s Wags & Whiskers BY LIANA SCHWARTZ

inside thoughts10 Finding Peace, Love & UnityBY JODI BARETZ

etcetera40 The Wasabi IncidentBY DAN LEVITZ

A s we wrap up another year of producing editions of Inside Chappaqua, we thank our generous

sponsors and enthusiastic readers. We look forward to covering New Castle “and beyond” in 2018, too. In the meantime, here’s to a joyous season filled with peace and love. – Sincerely, Grace and the Inside Press Team

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in the know

Welcome Arlo to the Family

W e had been talking about getting a dog for the past year for my daughter’s 7th birthday this October. She had her heart set on a particular breed and frankly

we hadn’t exactly gotten the ball rolling with doggie research. We were doing a big construction project in the house and were too busy with that.

But something changed after I did a photo shoot of rescues at the SPCA in Briarcliff Manor for this magazine. I had the opportunity to meet some adorable Weimeraner/chocolate lab mixes who were from a large litter and came from a high-kill shelter in North Carolina (For more rescues up for adoption at the SPCA, see page 19). I quickly snapped a photo to my dog-loving husband of

one of these pups and he said “take him home.” Well, it wasn’t so simple. The one I had my heart set on was already adopted but a few of his brothers and sisters were coming in that week-end from their foster homes and I could get a chance to meet them.

A bit apprehensive about taking a puppy home to add to the chaotic mix of construction and three young kids, my husband said “the timing is never going to be perfect. You can’t always have all your ducks in a row.” Fast forward to the following week-end where we met one of those rescues named Arlo and fell in love. And the rest is history.

Love and unity is the theme of this issue of the magazine and I think having Arlo join the family is a perfect example of love and unity. Instead of bringing chaos to the house, I argue that he has brought a certain sense of calmness (at least in the first week- these are after all early days!) as all of us marvel at him. Plus I’m noticing that my kids are actually fighting a bit less as all of their attention is focused on Arlo.

This issue is chock full of other stories about love and unity. Take a peek at the story about the little known Baha’i faith, which emphasizes inclusivity or read Dan Levitz’s heart-warm-ing essay about his aging parents. Love and unity is all around us. And as you gather around the holiday table with your family (furry friends included!), stop and soak it all in.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season,

P.S. We are thrilled to featuresome of the Local Faces that serve our town. Send your favorite merchants somelove this holiday season.


SUPPORTERSA Maze in Pottery

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Lange’s Little StoreMt Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry

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Empty bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger.

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WINTER 2017/2018| INSIDE CHAPPAQUA | 07

BY AMY KELLEY

On a recent school day afternoon, the lobby of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester in

Mount Kisco contained a bustle of activity. Cheerful-looking teens and adults wearing staff T-shirts greeted kids coming in and said goodbyes to kids leaving; an enthu-siastic game of ping-pong was partially visible through the game-room window. Nearby, a young boy with special needs thoughtfully drove his toy yellow car along a table on his way out. A young woman in a pink headscarf walked down the hall past a complex, brightly-colored paper schedule affixed to the wall, toward a mother paying for swimming lessons at the front desk.

“Miguel, you’re matching all over today!” CEO Alyzza Ozer said to a boy whose sneakers, sweatshirt and backpack dis-played the same green and blue. Down the hall, she asked another boy why he didn’t eat his mashed potatoes. “They’re so good!” she assured him.

Shantae Artis, director of volunteer pro-grams at the club, was gathering signa-tures on several cards. “Yes, we write real

thank-you notes,” she said, explaining that several local pizzerias had donated pizzas for a taste test and the Boys & Girls Club youngsters were expressing their gratitude the old-fashioned way. Artis was able to get everyone’s attention pretty easily, perhaps partially because the club has had a no-cell-phones policy for two years now. The only cell phones you’ll see in the halls are in the hands of parents coming to pick up their kids.

Ozer, a Chappaqua resident who grew up in Armonk, said at first, the teens resisted the policy –but now many express gratitude for it. “When we first instituted it, there was resistance,” she said. “But now the teens say, ‘thank you. Now there’s a part of the day when I can just enjoy myself and not be distracted.’” Technology is available, though, to groups of youngsters in the room where Power Hour is held, right across from the game room and around the corner from a busy

kitchen and dining room where more than 80,000 meals are served every year. Home-work is done, studying takes place, all assisted by adults, many of whom are bi-lingual. Some are staff members and some are part of the large volunteer contingent that is essential to the club’s operation.

According to Chappaqua resident Solveig McShea, director of community partner-ships and fundraising at the club, “The club is a vibrant, welcoming and impactful place, where kids can just be kids. We need, how-ever, the community’s help via financial and volunteer support to keep our programming running and to continue to help kids have the brightest possible futures.”

New Castle resident Dan Harrison volun-teers to help with homework three after-noons a week. “I like to see the light bulb go off when a kid understands something they didn’t understand before,” he said. “We want the volunteers to have an equally valuable experience to the kids,” Ozer said. Then the experience becomes a partner-ship and the volunteers learn from the kids as well as vice versa. “There’s another world out there than what we see immedi-ately around us.” Ozer is currently seeking, particularly, volunteers with expertise in the college application process.

The club serves kids ages 3-18 and their families, offering more than 40 programs including preschool, camp, swimming les-sons, after-school care, volunteer opportu-nities and more.

The swimming program is, by any measure, stellar. Aquatic Director Dennis Munson, a club alumnus himself, has been with the

club since 1969 and coaches the Marlins, a high-level swim team that’s consistently well-ranked nationally and has won the national Boys & Girls Club National Championships every year since since 2000. Marlins swimmers have been recruited to top col-leges and make the pool atmosphere one where excellence is encour-aged. Swimming instruc-tors at the club employ innovative techniques.

More than 500 kids are served by the club every day. The children come from all over Westchester, primarily northern. Kids start trickling in at 7 a.m. and the last bus leaves just before the 9 p.m. close. Some of the kids from families below the poverty level,

Boys & Girls ClubCEO Alyzza Ozer

Looks Forward, Gives Back


The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester depends on private donors and volunteers to do its work, Ozer explained. “There are a lot of extraordinarily worthy agencies, but the youth is really our future. Our work is essential,” she said. “That’s why I’m always excited to get out of bed in the morning.”

Amy Kelley is a freelance writer and editor living in Mount Kisco.

and others come very affluent homes.

All the youngsters who come learn there’s a wide world out there with all kinds of families in it, and are taught to value their community. “It’s not just a place,” Ozer said, explaining that many club kids spend many hours there for many years. In the process, many come to love the club, which is why so many staff and volunteers were ‘club kids’ themselves.

Tatiana Restrepo, 2017’s Youth of the Year at the club and now a freshman at Pace University, said, “This was my second home, my community.” “We have advocacy and leadership throughout the curriculum starting with 3-year-olds,” Ozer said. “What makes someone a great leader, able to advocate for their community? They need to be able to recognize their community and be grateful for it.”

Recently, younger children at the club made capes for children in the hospital. “They’re learning about empathy and gratitude and that not every kid is lucky enough not to be in the hospital,” Ozer said, and then the children act in response to that information. “All people, especially youth, learn leadership skills and empathy from giving back to the community.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF NORTHERN WESTCHESTER

Older club kids have made trips to Albany and Washington D.C. to advocate for funding and legislation for various issues, and the club hosts various politicians to come talk to the kids, “so they know what a leader looks like and does.”

This training pays off into adulthood: Ozer said eighty-seven per-cent of kids who regularly attend Boys & Girls Club after-school programs are committed to giving back to their communities as adults. The club boasts other impressive statistics: Last year, 11 of the high-school seniors from the club were the first in their families to graduate high school in the US and go on to col-lege. One hundred percent of the seniors continue on after high school to college or technical school, Ozer said.

Ozer had a career as an attorney in commercial real estate before turning her energies full-time toward her passion: the non-profit sector. “That was my passion,” Ozer said. “My ex-

tracurricular activity was always philanthropy.” For years, she served on the boards of various organizations while continuing to work in commercial real estate. “You get to a certain point in your life and you ask yourself, what am I doing and do I love it?” she said. “This is what I love doing and I’ve been extremely fortunate” to be able to make the transition, she said. Ozer also credits her mother for her interest in community service–she was a teacher who always stressed the importance of giving back.

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PRIVATE OASIS | CHAPPAQUA | $2,395,000 This 6,000+ sf Colonial features a stunning pool with spa, sport court, flagstone patios on almost 3 acres. Expanded and fully renovated in 2001, this 4-bed, 6-bath home combines both charm and an open floor plan.Web# 4738684 Victoria Miller C: 646.220.5321; Debra Goldenberg, C: 914.656.3287

INCREDIBLE COLONIAL | BEDFORD CORNERS | $1,025,000 This light-filled Colonial is set on over 2 acres and features an open floor plan with sunken living room and dining room, great for entertaining, new kitchen, stone fireplace and French doors leading to deck. Web# 4728234 John Oliveira C: 914.447.2081

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101 KING STREET, CHAPPAQUA, NY 10514. 914.238.3988. © 2017 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 INFORMATI ON, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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BY JODI BARETZ

Holidays are supposed to be a festive time of year, but with all the political

divisiveness, natural disasters and even terrorism in downtown Manhattan yet again, it has become difficult to maintain a sense of calm or contentment. The endless news cycles and social media frenzies have us outraged, but at the same time, desensitized us to the horrors that occur in the world. How do we set aside the screens, and engage in productive and constructive conversations with our family and friends when we are so divided? And, how can we find peace and happiness in such stressful times?

Find Common Ground

Focusing on things we can agree on, make it easier to come to an understanding on the issues in which we don’t see eye to eye. Everything is not black and white; there are plenty of grey areas. The idea is to find those areas where you may overlap. If you ask good questions, you will discov-er common values. Don’t approach the dialogue as being all or nothing; you don’t have to be “with someone” or “against them.” Don’t think us versus them. Have an open mind.

Be Curious, Pause and Observe

Mindfulness can help by increasing our awareness of how stress affects us. When we are stressed, we become reactive

Finding Peace,Love & Unity in Divisive Times

and quick to respond, especially with our families. Take time to pause when you are triggered by something or someone; then focus on the thoughts that accom-pany those feelings. Ask yourself: am I putting my own judgments on top of this experience? Am I making assumptions or jumping to conclusions? Drop into your body and notice where you are feeling the stress, anxiety or anger. Is it in your chest, throat, or belly? If you get out of your head and into your body, the feeling will shift. Pause before you respond. Give yourself some space.

Cultivate CompassionMy famous line is that we are all doing the best we can. Some friends give me a lot of grief for that line, but I truly believe we are doing our best with the information and experience we have. When others act out with anger and hurtful behavior, it usually comes from a place of pain. What did that person experience to make them act a certain way? Rarely is it personal. You don’t need to condone the hurtful behavior, but at least try and understand from where it is coming. When our anger turns to compas-sion and understanding, we become more peaceful. We actually can empathize with their pain, and realize it’s not about us.

Another way to build your empathy muscle is to try and send positive thoughts to those you don’t particularly care for, or with whom you are angry. This is not an easy task, but will also cultivate compassionate and allow you to become a more peaceful person. After all, if they suffer less, so will you. This does not mean we don’t fight for what we believe, and allow others to walk all over us, we are just in a better place to be able to respond appropriately.

See the GoodThe holiday season can be busy and stressful, but take time to find the joy. See the good in people. We are all inextricably connected, and have moments of shared joy and shared pain, which unite us. Many of us felt the collective pain after Hillary lost the election, but also participated in the shared, fun experiences at the various community events in town. The way peo-ple helped each other around the country after the hurricanes regardless of political beliefs was incredible, and the way we rally around people in need in this community is just as heartening.

Just scroll through Chappaqua Moms, to see the compassion of the communi-ty helping those in need, (despite some of the other posts on there). Noticing moments like this bring us together as a nation and as a community, regardless of political beliefs and election results. So, this holiday season, whether you’re shop-ping at ICD or Squires, eating lunch at Le Jardin du Roi or having coffee at Tazza; look up from your phone and really notice the people around you. See the good, and have faith in humanity. Even though we may disagree, we are still very much connected.

Happy holidays!

Jodi Baretz, LCSW, is a psychother-apist and mindfulness coach at The Center for Health and Healing in Mt. Kisco. Her upcoming book, Mindful is the New Skinny is due out this spring. She has two sons and lives in Millwood.

Illustration by Vecteesy.com


inside thoughts

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• ALVAREZ TOLEDO MENCIA ROBLE2009 Rated 91 WA ..................• SA RA DA Seleccion Garnacha 2009 Rated 90 WA ..........................• SABOR REAL Joven 2008 Rated 90 WA ........................................... • LA TRIBU 2010 Garnacha, Syrah, Monastrell Rated 90 WA ...........• TARIMA MONASTRELL 2015 Rated 91 WA ..................................... • LAGAR DE ROBLA Mencia 2012 Rated 91 WS .................................• CARMINE Monastrell 2009 Rated 90+ WA .......................................• ANGOSTO Tinto Malbec, Garnacha 2009 Rated 91 WA ..................• ENRIQUE MENDOZA MONASTRELL 2014 Rated 92 WA ................ • RAFAEL REVERTE Cistum 2009 Rated 92 WA ................................• ALTOS DeLa HOYA 2012 Rated 91 Tanzer ........................................ • PASION DE BOBAL 2012 Rated 90 WA ............................................

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Pictured (L-R): Jerry Watson, Pamela Thornton (Director of the Chappaqua Library) Mary Watson and Shohreh Anand.

The Baha’i Faith:Focusing on

What Unites UsBY SHAUNA LEVY

A ccording to theology researchers, there are 4,200 religions around the world. Of those, eight are rep-resented on the Chappaqua Interfaith Council. The

small, but dedicated group of Baha’is, which counts eight to 10 member families on average is an avid member of the Council and has enjoyed being part of the Chappaqua community for almost 50 and years. The Chappaqua group recently made a book donation to the local library to com-memorate the 200th bicentenary of the birth of Baha’u’llah, its founder. It’s not surprising though that this group has embedded itself within the fabric of its communities despite its small numbers. The central message of the Baha’i teachings, after all, is unity and inclusivity.

A Spiritual Paradigm ShiftMary Watson, a Chappaqua resident for 30 years, has been a practicing Baha’i since the age of 20. Raised Methodist in “a small town” on the shore of Lake Michigan, her family, like most, never considered ques-tioning their religion. As Mary articulates, “We are typically dedicated to the faith we were born into and to reassess that is a major paradigm shift as one inevitably becomes attached to what one already intrinsically knows.”

Watson’s “small town” also happened to be the Whirlpool Corporation’s headquarters and with that came a population who put an emphasis on education. Several families decided to organize a theological study group to inform their youth on the world’s major religions. They identified a professor, Dr. Albert Vail, a Harvard Divinity School Ph.D., and embarked upon their journey.

The group studied religions in chronological order every few weeks. Almost one-and-a-half years into their studies, they were in-troduced to the Baha’i Faith. These lessons resonated with Mary’s family as no other and ultimately had a life-changing impact. The basis of its teachings is unity and the concept that every person is created noble by God and therefore should be treated with love and respect.

“The Baha’i teachings appealed to us for many reasons,” recalled Mary. Her clear, blue eyes alight as she recounts, “The teachings are very logical and sensible, yet deeply spiritual. The most important virtues are honesty, trustworthiness, forbearance and generosity. Baha’is are committed to promoting unity, the equality of men and women, and standing up for justice. We look for the good in people and promote what draws us together. For example, if a person has 10 characteristics and nine are good and one is bad, we focus on the nine. Similarly, if a person has one good char-acteristic and nine bad ones, we empower the one.”

The Baha’i EraBaha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, was born into a wealthy Persian family in 1817. He gave up his position and pos-sessions to serve humanity and became known as the “father of the poor.” He taught the oneness of humanity and had a vision of a future united in justice, peace and prosperity. The other central figure to the faith is “the Bab,” meaning gate, who foresaw a time of spiritual reform and



heralded the coming of Baha’u’llah in 1844, which is considered to be the commence-ment of the Baha’i Era. As the direct result of their beliefs, the Bab was executed, and Baha’u’llah was forced into exile. He remained a prisoner until his death, 40 years after founding the Baha’i Faith.

Baha’i believe that each great religious mes-senger such as Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Christ and Muhammed has taught us about God and how to live our lives. Each Messen-ger builds upon the messages of the past. Mary explains, “We see religion as similar to going through grades in school. Each faith builds upon the last in a sort of spiritual evolution.” The teachings of Baha’u’llah are meant for the modern age we live in. In about a thousand years another Messenger will appear and the cycle will continue.

A Modern Message“The timing of Baha’u’llah’s writings is a major unifying factor as they came during the printing era,” Mary points out. “While most faiths are divided into various denomi-nations, there is one version of our scriptures and no splintered groups.

To be a Baha’i and meet another Baha’i is an indescribable feeling because we imme-

diately understand that we share a unified belief system.”

Reflective of the modern era in which it was formed, the Baha’i Faith is relative-ly revolutionary. It is differentiated from most religions by the embrace and love of equality and diversity. According to Mary, “Baha’is represent the most diverse range of cultures and races. Not only do we accept intermarriage, but it is actually encouraged.”

The Baha’is are also unique in their empha-sis on education–it’s compulsory for both men and women. In fact, Mary says, “if a family only has the means to educate either their son or daughter, we believe it is more important for the daughter to go through schooling. Women are considered the mothers of the next generation.” Further-more, Baha’is accept and promote the understanding of scientific principles. “We believe in a balance between science and religion. Having religion without science, we become too superstitious and without faith, the world is a breeding ground for injustice and hate,” says Mary.

Fittingly, Baha’is are led in a non-traditional manner. There is no designated leader or priesthood. Volunteers serve as “facilita-tors” of weekly study groups. “In this age

of literacy,” Mary adds, “we don’t require a leader to teach us what to believe. Through a consultative process, all members discuss their thoughts and everyone’s com-ments are equally valuable.” In line with this democratic philosophy, every year Baha’is elect a National Spiritual Assembly, and every five years the members meet in Israel, to elect the Universal House of Justice, whose guidance, based on Baha’i Writings, provides direction for action.

Finding Strength in Our DifferencesMary credits the Faith for her family’s strong sense of identity and for helping them make good decisions. Their Faith empowers them to see the beauty in all people. In a world full of challenges and opportunities, they hold on to their beliefs, while celebrat-ing our differences and focusing on what unites us as a human race.

Shauna Levy is a writer, communica-tions professional and stay-at-home mom. This is her first article for Inside Chappaqua. She is currently raising her three boys, ages 8, 6 and 4 along-side her husband in Chappaqua.

BY DANA Y. WU

Town Historian Gray Williams is a master at painting a vivid picture of history. Quaker, Haight, Sarles, Kipp,

Pines Bridge, Greeley, Commodore - the names of these local roads impart a legacy of almost three centuries of history. Other names around town–Stone Road, Hard-scrabble Road, Stony Hills, Turner Swamp, Roaring Brook–suggest that the country-side, while perhaps full of natural beauty, was not entirely ideal for agriculture. Gray’s principal duty as town historian is to serve as chair of the town’s Landmarks Advisory Committee, established in 1990. Jill Shapiro, Town Administrator, says his presentations on properties recommended for landmark status are legendary. “They are so well researched but not dry. He always finds a spark–something interesting and unique–about a property or its former residents that makes it special.” The Town Historian and the committee, all unpaid volunteers, also makes recom-mendations whenever an application for significant alteration of a landmark comes before the Architectural Review Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, or the Building Department so that the his-torical significance of the site will be taken into account. Some New Castle landmarks are also listed inside the National Register of Historic Places.

Much of Gray’s work as an historian is devoted to writing. His most recent publication is a short illustrated history, Horace Greeley and the Greeley Family in Chappaqua. In addition to research reports, histories of land-marks and exhibitions at the Horace Greeley House and Museum, Gray has a special inter-est in the eight grave-yards in New Castle–the Quaker graveyard, Fair

Getting to KnowGray Williams:

Town Historian ExtraordinaireRidge Cemetery, and six abandoned family burying grounds. While preparing for the recent 150th Anniversary Tour of Fair Ridge Cemetery, Ken White, Jr. a former New Castle Historical Society (NCHS) trustee and current docent, recalls, “In the true spirit of Tom Sawyer, Gray presented me with my own scrub brush and spray bottle to start on a row of headstones and also convinced me that this endeavor was really great fun.”

Gray, an ex-officio trustee of the NCHS and a trustee of the Westchester County Historical Society, states, “The monuments in these graveyards embody the history of Chappaqua from the time it was first set-tled.” Ken adds, “Almost all of the town’s aban-doned cemeteries now lie within private property and have long been neglected. Gray is the consummate statesman in negotiating for access and managing care. Some of the graveyards are on steep hillsides and are badly overgrown, but Gray also is undaunted by bees, brambles or a challenging climb.”

Gray grew up in Chappaqua and, with his wife, Marian, raised a family here. His neighbors have enjoyed the pleasure of Gray’s sense of humor and his intellectual spark. Jamie Comstock, a current NCHS trustee, says “When I moved to Marcourt Drive in the early 90s, Gray and Marian threw a wonderful party to introduce me to my other neighbors. I have valued his warmth and kindness over the years more than I can say. Running into him around town always gives me the same kind of feeling as suddenly remembering there is ice cream in my freezer - such a pleasure!”

Until the 20th century, New Castle was primarily an agricultural town, with grist and saw mills, cider and vinegar works, a shoe factory, and a pickle factory supplementing its dairy farms and apple orchards. Given our town’s origins, Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein says, “It is beyond dispute that in order to know where we are going, we must know where we’ve been. Gray’s en-deavors in searching for and memorializing our Town’s history benefits us all.”

Kids love to probe Gray’s vast knowledge of the homes and neighborhoods of New

Castle and learn about their own hous-es. And Gray never disappoints with his stories during the Q &A following the middle school presentations, when kids ask about where they live.

For example, Pierce Drive (right on the border of Chappaqua and Pleasantville) is named for the farm of a Quaker farmer, Moses Pierce, who operated a station on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War. Gray says of Pierce’s farm, “Perhaps this stop was right before the Jay Home-stead in Bedford, which is also believed to have sheltered escaping slaves. The Jay family, from John Jay on, steadfast-ly opposed slavery.” The Pierces were members of the Quaker Meeting, whose meetinghouse was built in 1754, making

PHOTO BY MARIAN WILLIAMS

Gray and Ike Kuzio, Town Superintdendent of Recreation & Parks at Millwood’s 200 Year Anniversary celebration PHOTO BY ROB GREENSTEIN


A Brief Historyof the Town Historian

Frances Cook Lee (1970 – 1986)Richard Neale (1987-2004)

Gray Williams (2004 to present)

NCHS Fun Fact“We get research requests from people as far away as Florida, Virginia, and Hawaii. Marian Williams (Gray’s wife and Chair of the NCHS Re-search Room) and other volunteers including HGHS interns explore these requests and provide assistance. Recently, a couple living in Idaho visited the NCHS archives and we helped them to fill in several branches on their family tree. We were able to identify the husband’s third great-grand-father in our records.” – Cassie Ward, Executive Director


it the oldest recorded building in Chappaqua. The Quakers who settled here embraced not only non-violence but also the equality of all human beings, regardless of race or sex. From as early as 1775, the Quakers denounced slavery though few went so far as Moses Pierce in defying the law for their beliefs. He and his wife, Esther, together with several others of their family, are buried in the Quaker graveyard.

Along with all of the other NCHS volunteers and the Landmarks Advisory Committee, Gray has preserved and interpreted local historic artifacts, documents, and stories to truly serve broad cultural and heritage goals in our community and beyond. Gray’s professional life as a writer and editor comes through in quality and details of the captions he writes for the rooms and objects at the Horace Greeley House. Suzanne Keay, a current trustee of the NCHS says, “At a recent lecture at the Horace Greeley House about runaway slaves in the mid-Hudson Valley, Gray seemed to know the names of almost every family men-tioned by the lecturer. I don’t know what we’d do without Gray and his deep knowledge and dedication.”

NCHS is dependent on volunteers and membership to support its programming and activities, such as the annual Tree Lighting and Carols and the Victorian Valentine Tea Party. Georgia Frasch, NCHS Trustee, thoroughly enjoys going to scout poten-tial old homes with Gray for the annual “Castles of New Castles” house tours. “I learn so much. Gray has spent countless hours looking at foundations and crawl spaces, all to preserve the rich history that has made this town so special. The names–Haight, Taylor, Washburn, Bristol, Quinby–are people who lived here and gave their properties a distinct sense of time and place.

We love showing homes that demonstrate how our present is rooted in our past.”

It may be hard to imagine that our suburban homes were once heavily forested hills and valleys occupied by local Wappinger tribes whose totem was the Enchanted Wolf. Gray’s publi-cations, stories and anecdotes keep us remembering and respecting our unique hamlet’s 300 years of significant events, persons, businesses and buildings.

Dana Y. Wu is a frequent contributor to Inside Chap-paqua. She is the author of two non-fiction children’s books, Our Chinese-American Experience and Our Librar-ies. A member of the New Castle Historical Society, she volunteers for the annual house tours.

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Conar, a 2-year-old Irish terrier in attendance from Chappaqua PHOTO BY LARRY PFEFFER

BY STACEY PFEFFER

Canine companions and pet owners were out in full force last month at the 15th annual Top Hat & Cocktails

annual gala for the SPCA of Westchester. More than 300 guests and 50 furry friends

were in attendance with several dogs up for adoption onsite at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in White Plains. The event honorees Kim Charlton formerly of Bedford and Stephen Meringoff of New York City underwrote the entire event, helping all proceeds from the event directly benefit the SPCA.

The annual gala was conceptualized by John W. Beach, a former Mount Kisco and Bedford Hills resident and was originally called Top Hat and Tails. Each year the ga-

la’s honorees receive the John W. Beach Memorial Award to outstanding individual (s) for their humani-tarian work. Charlton and Meringoff , who recently married and own two dogs, de-veloped a successful SPCA program called “Critter Credit”. The program identifies shelter animals who may have difficul-

ty getting adopted such as animals with medical conditions, are excessively shy or require more training. Through the program, individuals or families who adopt these pets receive a $250 credit, which can be applied to a trainer or to supplies at Petco or Petsmart. The program has successfully helped 190 dogs and cats find their “forever homes” since its inception.

This year the shelter has also taken in 23 cats and kittens from storm-ravaged places

such as Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico. The shelter is a no-kill, not-for-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to saving homeless, abused and abandoned animals. They also protect animals from cruelty and neglect through education and enforce-ment of humane laws.

After the awards ceremo-ny, a lively and entertaining auction took place with auctioneer Joe Di Mauro, the owner and operator of Mount Kisco Seafood. The auction at times was punctuated by laughs and “woofs” and took in $70,000 for the SPCA. Several of the dogs in attendance were decked out in costumes in honor of Halloween and many dined on canine ice cream courtesy of Briarcliff Manor-based Pets a Go Go.

Irma Jansen, an Armonk resident in atten-dance with her beagle Trooper has been involved with the organization since 2013. She spends many weekends driving dogs to help them get successfully transported to the shelter. Some dogs may have three legs of a trip and these transports are vital so that the dogs can take a break in between a long ride. She finds the work “rewarding” and thorough-ly enjoys it.

Ossining resident Mary Dusenberry found-ed the SPCA in 1883 after she observed horses being whipped and beaten as they trudged up nearby hills to deliver heavy loads of coal. Together with her friends, she obtained land on which to build the Society’s first home and established a fund to be used to prevent cruelty to animals. The SPCA is still located on the same spot, making it one of the oldest landholders in Briarcliff Manor.

Furry Friends andSPCA Supporters

Step Out in Style for Top Hat & Cocktails Annual Gala

Kim Charlton (left) and Stephen Meringoff (right) the event honorees PHOTO BY GEOFF TISCHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Trooper, again!PHOTO BY

LARRY PFEFFER

Armonk resident Irma Jansen and her dog

TrooperPHOTO BY

LARRY PFEFFER

Marble is a 4-month-old shepherd mix puppy. He was brought to a high-kill shelter down south when no owner could be lo-cated. We transported him up to the SPCA to get a second chance! He is a little shy at first but warms up quickly. He loves other dogs and would be happiest in a home with a canine buddy.

The SPCA is a “no kill shelter.’ Regardless of how long it may take, they are committed to caring for all adoptable animals until a loving, new home can be found. Last year, 619 animals were rescued by the SPCA from high-kill shel-ters and transported to the SPCA to find new homes. They also helped 1,338 animals (dogs and cats) find their forever homes. This year the shelter has made an extraordinary effort at rescuing animals from hurricane-ravaged areas.

The SPCA: Helping Furry Friends Find

Forever Homes

Nelly is a Yorkshire Terrier. She is about 9-years-old and was abandoned on the streets in Westchester. She is quiet and can be shy with new people. She is very docile and sweet so she’d love a more quiet home.

Loreli, our cover girl, is a Black Labrador Retriever. She is about ten months old and was turned into a high-kill shelter down south with her two siblings, who we also rescued. She is a happy, goofy dog that is perfect for a family.

Johnny is a 2-year-old American Stafford-shire Terrier. He was rescued from a cruelty situation in Westchester and his owner was arrested. He is an approved pet therapy dog now and visits local nursing homes through the SPCA’s Golden Outreach Pet Therapy Program. He’d love a home where someone is home more often to hang out with him. He is real gentleman.

The two puppies (both female) are named Anya and Aleeza. They’re about ten weeks old and are Weimaraner/Chocolate Labrador Retriever mixes. They are part of a litter of ten! It was an unexpected/unplanned litter and sadly, they were all turned into an overcrowded shelter down south with very limited time to get adopted so we quickly rescued them and got them safely up to the SPCA! They’ll be great additions to an active family and would love nice, big yards to play in.

Additional pets can be found at www.spca914.org. All photos courtesy of Geoffrey Tischman at Tischman Pet Photography (www.tischmanpets.com). Shot on location at the SPCA located at 590 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor.

As of press time, the following dogs were available for adoption at the SPCA, according to Lisa Bonnano-Spence, the Director of Events & Communications:


Source: HGMLS, 1/1/2017 – 11/8/2017, Sale units, All Property Types, by Office, Chappaqua School District.

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BY JANIE ROSMAN

P ersonality changes, difficulty co-ordinating personal activities and juggling multiple tasks at the same

time, getting lost in familiar places--the changes may be gradual when a person develops dementia. As medical profession-als learn more about how dementia travels in the brain, they are better able to ascer-tain how that path affects someone with the disease.

Dr. James Noble, a neurologist at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center’s Taub Institute for Re-search on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, said that dementia “is an acquired neurological problem that causes interference with how people live their day-to-day lives.”

Within the umbrella term of dementia, he explained, “Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia (other forms are Lewy Body and frontotemporal demen-tia). In most cases of Alzheimer’s disease, people present with primarily memory loss that may be alongside other cognitive problems.”

Maria Mursch, LMSW, a Care Consultant and Director of Family Education for the Alzheimer’s Association, Hudson Valley Chapter, clarified, “When we talk about the disease, we’re talking about memory loss and about regions of the brain that control functions, judgment, personality/behavior and insight. That’s why we see a multitude of symptoms.”

Noble cited a middle ground called mild cognitive impairment that doesn’t interfere with day-to-day life. “About 50 percent of those with Alzheimer’s are unaware they have a problem, which poses a challenge for diagnoses and delays someone going to the doctor,” he said, unless a caregiver accompanies a patient during a doctor visit.

Often families face a choice between placing their loved one(s) into a home and keeping them in their own home(s) with an aide or additional caregivers. One facility that focuses solely on caring for those with dementia is The Greens At Greenwich,

RecognizingDementia:

When it’s Timeto Seek Care

Dr. James NoblePHOTO COURTESY OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

the first assisted living facility in Connecti-cut designed for people diagnosed with dementia or memory, according to The Greens Executive Director Maria Scaros.

“All our staff is trained in dementia care and engages with residents daily,” said Scaros. Each of its 31 apartments is decorated with residents’ own furniture to give a sem-blance of familiarity. Outside each door is a glass-enclosed box filled with pictures, tokens and other objects that can spur recognition. “Although age is the biggest single risk factor for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia,” Noble explained, “dementia is not part of the normal aging process.” Genetic dementia, while uncom-mon, presents “in families that have onset under the age of 60, affecting half the family within a generation.”

While families may have expectations and fantasies about the loved one returning to his or her former self, “they are not expect-ed to deal with dementia alone,” Scaros

Executive Director Maria Scaros with resident, Virginia, during a Drama Arts Therapy session at The Greens in Greenwich, CT.


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maintained. The facility embraces the entire family, removing the burden of care so they can maintain their roles as spouse, daughter, son and grandchild. “We get to know their family member in the here and now and relate to them as they are in the moment.”

Mursch agreed it’s important to meet the person where he or she is mentally and emotionally. Many patients with Alzheimer’s are first misdiagnosed with depression (the blues), Noble said. “Instead, typ-ical mood changes in Alzheimer’s can be described as ‘get up and go got up and went.’ Addressing this loss of interest in activities can be very challenging. Families may not realize that to engage a loved one in an activity, they need to be proactive.”

A familiar setting will become unfamiliar at some point, Mursch said. “When that starts to happen, we’re looking at someone who progressed in the disease,” she said. “It is important to keep the person comfortable and socializing and active, and there are ways to accommodate the person at home.”

Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/) offers support programs and activities and a 24-hour number (1-800-272-3900) that’s answered by the local chapter during work hours and by its national headquarters after hours. Mursch added, “There may be a point when it becomes unsafe to live at home because of the physical environment (i.e. a staircase) or when the caregiver can no longer take care of the person or the situation cannot be resolved by increasing home care.”

Scaros noted The Greens’ biggest competition is home care, which may be the best solution for some. “We need to recognize, howev-er, that when someone says, ‘I want to go home,’ it means, ‘I want to feel safe, secure, loved and engaged.’” Home becomes a feeling rather than a place.

Social activities and cognitive stimulation like hobbies can keep the brain alert. Scaros was trained as a drama therapist and ensures that creative arts therapies are an integral part of The Green’s programs. Lynn Hagerbrant feels the facility goes well beyond the standard of care in sharing, caring and loving for her own parent liv-ing there. “They have heart and soul, a caring heartbeat that starts with Maria and flows through all her staff.”

Science continues to research cures for dementia. “New treatments may not be not that far away, and trials to date have helped foresee what next steps to take,” Noble said. For information, visit www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/taub. Janie Rosman is a freelance writer and editor whose work appears in local and regional publications. She chronicles the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project at Kaleidoscope Eyes.


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BY BETTINA PROBER

Each October for the past 11 years, Northern Westchester has had some very special visitors, and not

just those of the trick-or-treating variety. A delegation of active duty soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) arrives to share their experiences with residents in a variety of formats. The 10-day visit is sponsored by Tzahal Shalom of Northern Westchester, an organization dedicated to creating last-ing bonds between many local residents and Israel.

The program, which translates literally to “Welcome IDF to our Northern Westches-ter community,” was founded by Armonk resident Anita Greenwald and Chappaqua resident Michele Kraushaar in 2006. Its mission is to engage citizens here in the active support of Israel. Given frequent headlines about terrorist attacks and unsta-ble relations with their Palestinian neigh-bors, many people in the United States are fearful of traveling there, and may have mis-conceptions about what life is like in Israel. Tzahal Shalom is trying to change that.

Through an assortment of programming aimed at every sector of the community, Tzahal Shalom creates opportunities to meet, interact, and get to know the sol-diers. After all, said Anita, “When you care about a person, you care about where they are from. Creating those bonds is what our program is about.” This year, seven soldiers arrived on October 15 to share their stories and experiences with a diverse set of audiences in Chap-paqua and Millwood. They spoke to more than 1,500 people of all ages and religions, as well as local politicians and clergy. The soldiers are all active duty combat officers who have served their required time in the Israeli army and have re-enlisted to further serve their country. Each soldier is recruited and interviewed by the IDF, and, because many of them have never spoken to civilian groups before, prepared for their time here. Though they are not allowed to speak about politics, they are free to speak about anything else. For security reasons, their full identities cannot be disclosed in this article.

Each soldier has a unique perspective they like to share with their audiences. Michal,

21, is an instructions officer in the IDF’s combat engineering corp. Born and raised in Holland by Israeli parents, she is a lone soldier, which means her parents are not currently living in Israel. She decided to en-list in the IDF as a way to reconnect to her Israeli roots. For her, speaking to younger generations has been very meaningful. One of her speaking engagements was at Horace Greeley High School, where she spoke to a senior class.

“[The high schoolers] are at an age where they are old enough to understand what’s going on in the world, and are still develop-ing what they believe in, so they ask very interesting questions,” she said. “I didn’t come to change minds, just to tell my story. They learn something different about anoth-er place.”

Omer, 24, is a company lieutenant in the IDF’s reconnaissance unit. Having grand-parents who are Holocaust survivors has taught him that “Israel is not something that we can take for granted, so we need to protect it physically … [and we] need support from allies around the world,” he said. “Seventy years ago [many of us] had relatives who were in concentration camps. We have to remember it so we never let that happen again.”

Captain G., a 28-year-old F-16 pilot, is one of the first openly gay pilots in the IDF. “The IDF is inclusive of all different groups of so-ciety–LGBT, women, everybody,” he said. Moreover, the IDF is not only tasked with protecting Israel. “Our job is not to make war,” he said, “but to prevent the next war and allow people to prosper.”

The soldiers also spoke of Israel’s many humanitarian missions, which they said, are just as important to the IDF as protecting the country. “People are focused on the military [aspect], but we want people to see all sides and the full complexity of what we do,” Captain G. said. For example, the IDF started a program called Good Neighbor-hood, which treats injured Syrian refugees. The program was started after an Israeli soldier threw his bandages over a border fence so as to help wounded refugees. The IDF soldiers ensure their safe transporta-tion to and from Israeli hospitals. Since its inception, more than 3,000 Syrian refugees have been treated by both IDF medics and Israeli doctors.

In fact, noted the soldiers, the Israeli gov-ernment has made a concerted effort to not only aid in disaster relief around the world, but also to, as Omer said, be “the first feet on the ground” after tragedies. After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010,

Tzahal Shalom VisitsNorthern Westchester:

IDF Soldiers Share Their Stories

The Israeli soldiers from the Tzahal Shalom programPHOTO COURTESTY OF ROBIN GOLDSTEIN



the IDF was able to get one of the first temporary hospitals up and running. Similarly, Israeli troops were deployed to Mexico after the earthquake there this year. “Israel stands for certain values–human rights, women’s rights, and equality,” noted Omer. During their time here, each soldier is matched with a host family, usually with teenage children at home. During their stay, the families and the soldier often create lasting relationships. The kids in the family usually bond with the soldier like a sister or brother, and the host parents start to view them as one of their own children. It’s not uncommon for soldiers to stay in touch with their host families for years to come. Many families even end up visiting their soldier in Is-rael. These bonds are paramount to the program, noted co-found-er Michele Kraushaar.

That sentiment is echoed by Jackie Moskow, a Millwood resident who hosted a soldier this year. “The best part of this whole experi-ence,” she said, “is watching this relationship develop between our soldier and our kids.” The Moskows are already planning to visit the soldier and his family in Israel this year, and invite him back to the United States for their son’s bar mitzvah next year.

The soldiers also appreciate the warmth and interest they receive from the community. Though many have been to the United States as tourists, coming as part of the Tzahal Shalom program gives them a deeper understanding of American lives and sentiments to-ward Israel. “The soldiers leave us with renewed pride and enthusi-asm for their service due to the support they feel from us while they are here,” Michele said.

Bettina Prober is a Chappaqua resident and full-time mom. This is her first article for Inside Chappaqua.

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Grace Bennett & Paul Elliot Honoredat Annual Holocaust & Human Rights

Education Center’s Annual Gala

BY STACEY PFEFFER

The White Plains-based Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) held their annual gala last

month. The room at the Mamaroneck Beach and Yacht Club was packed with supporters dedicated to the HHREC’s mission of “learning from the past, protect-ing the future”. Grace Bennett, publisher of both Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk magazines and Paul Elliott, the Founder & CEO of ELCO Management, a portfolio management company were the evening’s honorees. Also in attendance at the event were Congresswoman Nita Lowey, West-chester County Legislator Michael B. Ka-plowitz, Deputy County Executive Kevin J. Plunkett, County Clerk Tim Idoni and New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein.

Bennett first became involved with HHREC after writing about her father, Jacob Bre-itstein, a Holocaust survivor in her “Just Between Us” editor’s column in Inside Chappaqua. A reader of the magazine in-troduced her to the non-profit and she has been an active leader in the organization ever since.

“Grace received the Bernard J. Rosenshein Courage to Care Award. She joinedHHREC’s Advisory Board in 2004. For the

past 13 years, she has made innumerable contributions in her roles on the Board of Directors, the Advisory Board and Gen-erationsForward. As the daughter of two Holocaust survivors, Grace has a passion for Holocaust remembrance and has been instrumental in guiding our educational pro-grams,” noted Millie Jasper, HHREC’s Ex-ecutive Director. She has frequently profiled and highlighted HHREC’s achievements and programming through her magazines and via social media.

Elliot, who is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) has used his business acumen to help several non-profits including the Rab-binical Pension Fund, the Community Syn-agogue in Rye and the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase. He joined the Board of HHREC almost two decades ago.

“Paul was awarded the Eugene M. & Emily Grant Spirit of Humanity Award. He has been an active member of the Board of Directors for 19 years and has shown unwavering support for our programs and events. Most recently he spearheaded the creation of the Endowment Fund, which has seen considerable growth since its inception,” commented Japser.

The HHREC offers several workshops, traveling exhibits and subsidized trips for

(Left to right): HHREC chair Valerie O’Keeffe; Kevin Plunkett, Dep-uty County Executive; HHREC honoree Paul Elliot; Mitch Ostrove; Grace; County Legis-lator Mike Kaplowitz; and HHREC Executive Director Millie Jasper

Grace with her father Jacob Breitstein

PHOTO BY WILLIAM LANDIN


educators. The Holocaust Survivor Legacy Education Project, an interactive database of the oral history of Westchester survivors is used by teachers to educate their students about the Holocaust. The organization also created a Human Rights Institute (involving approximately 30 schools each year), which helps shape student leaders to fight hate and bigotry in all its forms by introducing the concept of being an ‘upstander’. In addition, the HHREC’s Speakers Bureau helps put a human face on the Holocaust by having survi-vors and/or liberators tell their stories. Each year the speakers reach more than 25,000 students and adults.

The evening concluded with a moving speech by Ellen Kaidanow, a GenerationsForward member who told the story of her mother-in-law also named Ellen Kaidanow, who was only 5-years-old when her mother, father and two sisters were all forced to move from their beautiful home in the Ukraine to a walled Jewish ghetto. Ellen tells the story of her mother-in-law’s life as a young girl in the ghetto and her miraculous tale of becoming the sole survivor of her family at age six. The GenerationsForward program consists of children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors recounting their family’s stories as the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling every day.

Stacey Pfeffer is the editor of Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk. Her maternal grandparents were both Holocaust survivors.

Chris Lane, Jacob Breitstein and Anna BennettPHOTO BY WILLIAM LANDIN

Grace and Congresswoman Nita Lowey

Ellen Kaidanow, keynote speaker with Ellen Kaidanow, her mother-in-law. PHOTO BY WILLIAM LANDIN

HHREC honoree Lee Katz and Chair Valerie O’KeeffePHOTO BY WILLIAM LANDIN

Debra and Brian Hand,Editor Stacey Pfeffer, and Grace Grace and HHREC Executive Director Millie Jasper



BY DANA Y. WU

Running a successful restaurant is both a sci-ence and an art. Le Jardin du Roi combines

elegant service, laid back style and twists on classic culinary creations.

Originally opened as a white table cloth French bistro with his brother-in-law, Joe Quartararo has morphed this excellent little restaurant tucked away on King Street into a “French -BBQ -Latin Fusion-Café-Bar” food experience. A favorite among locals, Le Jardin du Roi is not too fancy, but not too casual. “We want patrons to feel like our restaurant is an extension of their home” says Wendy Egan, restaurant manager. We are so fortunate to have a core business of mainly families who come for brunch, birthdays and holiday meals.”

Customers love to linger over breakfast, lunch, cocktails and dinner in this serene setting awash with color. Joe’s wife, Donna, has designed the gardens to be a feast for the eyes throughout the seasons. Sumptuous weekend brunch is often accompanied with a live jazz band. As the outdoor patio business winds down with the cooler weather, the inside dining room is warm and inviting.

While “Les hamburgers” are very popular (try the Burger du Roi, topped with fried egg, bacon and Swiss cheese), there are occasional wine dinners with food pairings, all day breakfast and authentic, award winning BBQ. Lobster roll sliders and soft shell crabs appear seasonally along with traditional French cassoulet and coq au vin as the leaves start to fall. Take-out orders are available for pick up anytime.

Joe is always open to customer’s suggestions. “We added meatloaf and chicken milanese as a special because customers asked for comfort food.” While there is no kids’ menu, the menu is kid friendly and parents should feel free to ask for chicken fingers, pasta with butter and pancakes. The word “no” doesn’t come out of our mouth unless we don’t have the product”, says Joe.

BBQ ribs, brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, chicken wings and house made pigs-in-a-blan-

Le Jardin du RoiExceptional Meals and Distinctive Drinks in a Gorgeous Garden

ket made their debut for Super Bowl 2008 and is now the heart of Le Jardin’s catering business. Cristiaan Lorson, Joe’s business partner and resident Pit Master, learned the art of smoking BBQ from his brother Ted, of Q Haven BBQ of Orange, C.T. Together the brothers have competed in the Jack Daniels BBQ World Championship, the top BBQ contest in the United States. The success of BBQ on the menu has expanded Le Jardin du Roi’s business plan to include full scale catering for weddings, family parties, holidays and corporate events.

Le Jardin du Roi participates in the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week in the fall and spring, a two week regional foodie extravaganza where restaurants offer prix-fixe menus to showcase their dishes and drinks. “People hear “French” and “Chappaqua” and they might be intimidat-ed so this is an opportunity to draw them out,” says Cristiaan.

Joe is grateful to become part of the greater Chappaqua community, generously support-ing local charities and education organizations

over the years. “This is more than a job, it’s a lifestyle, it’s like a family. We have met so many people and have seen their kids grow up. We’re glad to make a difference here.” He adds, “When we give a donation to an organization, it comes back to us ten-fold.”

A cozy destination in the downtown, Le Jardin du Roi celebrates its 17th year on January 25, 2018. Joe, Cristiaan, Wendy, Chef Rudy, the kitchen team and the waitstaff are optimistic about the current revitalization plans and antic-ipate more foot traffic to all the local businesses. Their simple approach to dining is to remain easy and approachable, offering consistently good food and distinctive drinks.

Le Jardin du Roi is a warm, welcoming neigh-borhood spot that opens daily at 8 a.m. to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

Dana Y. Wu is a frequent contributor to Inside Chappaqua. She is the author of two non-fiction children’s books, Our Chi-nese-American Experience and Our Libraries.

Wendy Egan, Le Jardin du Roi’s restaurant man-ager for 16 years, shares her tasty homemade granola recipe. It is simple, full of crunch and always available at Le Jardin.

Ingredients:½ cup toasted chopped nuts or seeds½ cup dried fruit (i.e. raisins, cranberries, chopped mission figs, chopped apricots)¼ cup toasted coconut flakes3 cups old fashioned oats (not instant)3 tablespoons light brown sugar½ teaspoon cinnamon¼ teaspoon kosher salt1/3 cup honey¼ cup vegetable oil1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees and arrange a middle rack.2) Place oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and toss to combine.3) Mix honey, oil and vanilla in a bowl and mix, pour over oat mixture and stir until oats are well-coated.4) Spread mixture in a thin even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.5) Take baking sheet out and stir granola. Bake for 5 minutes more or until oats are a light golden brown.6) Cool for about 20 minutes then transfer to bowl. Place in a bowl and add nuts, seeds, dried fruit and coconut.7) Place in an airtight container or zip lock bags.

Wendy’s Granola Recipe

LIFESTYLES WITH OUR SPONSORS


PHOTO BY NOELLE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Joe Quartararo, Cristiaan Lorson,Chef Rudy Beltran-Prats and Wendy Egan


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ARTICLE AND PHOTO BYJANINE CROWLEY HAYNES

Since 1973, Saw Mill Club (SMC) of Mt. Kisco has been a cornerstone for fitness and health in the Westchester community. The

club started out as a small indoor tennis facility and has been expanding ever since. The family friendly club currently has more than 7,000 members who live within a 10-mile radius. SMC opened a separate facility, Saw Mill Club East (SMCE), located at 333 North Bedford Road in Mt. Kisco.

“Saw Mill Club is your friendly neighborhood everything club, meaning we offer everything fitness including boutique studios for barre, yoga, group cycling, and award-winning tennis and aquatics departments,” says Media & Creative Director Barbara Accetta. In addition, SMC offers numerous in-house services like massage therapy, brows and facials by Ileana Fanita, chiropractic care by Dr. Louis Camp-bell, and Spa Chiara, a full-service medical spa founded by Dr. Sharon DeChiara, a board certified plastic surgeon. “There’s also a focus on family at Saw Mill Club, and our Children’s Center provides daycare, summer camp, and preschool,” says Accetta. “My toddler loves it, and I love that I can squeeze in a barre class and some pampering between work knowing that she’s well taken care of and happy,” Accetta adds.

Joining a Health Clubvs. a Gym

Joining a club is different from just joining a gym. SMC is a micro-community that reaches beyond the fitness aspect. We all know the physical benefits to getting fit–lower blood pressure, lower risk for Type 2 diabetes, lower body fat, increased muscle mass, etc. However, being active is an important component to our mental health as well and can reduce the risk for depression and help lower anxiety and stress levels. In addition, studies show that interacting

socially can increase lifespans and add to quality of life–especially in seniors. SMC acknowledges this social component and extends its reach into the community via social outings and activities for seniors, fundraising events for breast cancer, tennis programs for special needs groups–just to name a few.

“This is who we are,” says Terry Lanza, Regional Director of Membership & Sales. Lanza brings along 22 years of experience in fitness. She’s pas-sionate about the Saw Mill Club and what it has to offer its members. “People join our club for many different fitness goals, but, recently, I’ve been meeting with a lot baby boomers who are caring for their aging parents, and they realize the importance of taking care of them-selves as a whole going forward,” says Lanza. “Saw Mill Club is unique in that it’s a family-owned facility. The owner, Rick Beusman, has con-

tinually kept up with the times and, recently, acquired approximately $500,000 of state-of-the-art equipment,” says Lanza. Kinesis from TechnoGym allows for over 250 exercises and movements that improve strength, flexibility, and balance. SMC exclusively offers ARTIS, TechnoGym’s cardio equipment like treadmills, ellipticals, steppers, and cross-trainers.

In every area of fitness, SMC’s highly-trained staff is accessible. The club provides various

The Staying Power ofthe Saw Mill Club

10 Tips on Getting & Staying Healthy Through the Holidays

(L-R): Yoga Director Michelle Briks, Fitness Director Billy Goda, Media & Creative Director Barbara Accetta, Regional Director of Membership & Sales Terry Lanza, and Director of Group Exercise Kathleen Goldring

approaches to getting fit and staying healthy. With their Smart Start program, new members are given a choice of two free private sessions. For example, you can work with a personal trainer or brush up on your swim stroke or tennis swing.

Research shows that changing things up in your workout and using different muscle groups gets better results. With the wide range of options, you can always change up your workout from being a mundane routine. Some members may be drawn to classes in the Soft Studio including yoga, pilates, barre, and fusion classes. Others may prefer the Aerobic Studio like Zumba or their Fire it Up cardio and strength workout. While others may be attracted to swimming, group cycle, or the Kinesis or TRX suspension training equipment.


10 Tips for Getting & Staying Healthy

Through the HolidaysFun-filled holiday gatherings bring temptation. Eating healthy and staying on a fitness plan during the holiday season is, no doubt, a chal-lenge. The busy holiday season can bring along stress as well, and we can find ourselves less motivated to stick to an active, healthy regimen.

Below are just a few tips from the fitness staff.

1. Get a JumpstartFitness Director Billy Goda shares some tips from his book, The Personal Trainer’s Roadmap to Success. “Set your fitness goals before the hol-idays. Typically, we see a spike in membership after the holidays with New Year’s resolutions, but starting a fitness plan before the holidays will give you an advantage,” says Goda.

2. Ink ItAnother tip in Goda’s book: Ink It. “You have to put it in ink. So, at the beginning of the week, you need to pull out your calendar, choose three days, and write it in….It’s all about consistency,” says Goda.

3. Changing It UpOnce you’re consistent with your schedule, your workout routine should never be the same. Working different muscle groups and changing up your workout is the key to overall success. “You’ve got to wake up those muscles,” says Goda.

4. Creating Realistic Goals & Forming Healthy Habits“Shoot for three days a week to work out. If you do more, great. If you can only make it two days, that’s okay,” says Goda. “I don’t care

what kind of gains you make in the first couple of weeks….What I care about is what happens further down the line—three, six, nine months from now. By then, you’ve formed the proper habits….You’re going to feel better, sleep better, and have more energy.”

5. Staying Centered & GroundedThe mind-body connection is what yoga is all about. Yoga improves your posture, helps remove tension from the body, improves your mood, sharpens your mind, and boosts your immune system.

“The most important approach for the holidays is to stay centered and grounded. This is what we practice in yoga–poses, stability, balance, fo-cus, and breathing,” says Yoga Director Michelle Briks.

6. Set an Intention“Even before you get out of bed, set an intention for the day,” says Briks. Maybe your intention is staying focused on a project or learning to take a step back and breathe when you’re feeling stressed. “Focus on something you want to achieve for the day, and remind yourself and connect back to that intention during the day.”

7. Staying Hydrated“Staying hydrated is important. Many people forget to stay hydrated in the fall and winter months,” says Briks, who is also a nutritionist. Also, starting your day with a half of a lemon squeezed into a 6 oz. cup of hot water balanc-es the ph levels in the body, reduces cravings, eliminates toxins, and aides digestion. “Drink-ing room temperature water instead of cold water keeps the metabolism strong and running smoothly throughout the day,” says Briks.

8. The Ayurvedic Approach to EatingAdding spices to warm, whole foods that come from the ground like squash, root vegetables, and leafy greens vegetables not only helps to sat-isfy our appetite, but has added health benefits. According to the Ayurvedic approach to eating, each meal should contain six flavors–sweet, sour,

salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent. For ex-ample, cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar levels, cardamom helps eliminate waste through the kidneys, turmeric is a natural anti-inflamma-tory, and ginger aides digestion.

9. Group Exercise Creates a Social Circle & Support System“Seeing a person as a whole is very import-ant,” says Director of Group Exercise Kathleen Goldring. “We are all unique,” she adds. Group workouts do more than just get you in great shape. The social component of group classes is a terrific way to meet new friends who share your fitness goals.

SMC offers a wide-range of group exercise pro-grams for all ages including seniors. Party Cycle is a non-intimidating cycling class disguised as fun, yet there are also more intense cycling classes for seasoned spinners. Power Shred uses a combination of functional movement and light weights for full body results, and oftentimes the class is led by a live DJ. Saw Mill Club even offers Express Classes, 30 minutes in length, for those who may be in a rush but crave a group workout. There are over 200 group exercise classes weekly between SMC and SMCE–all of which are offered for various skill levels and interests including boot camp, strength training, cardio and core, and Zumba.

10. The Nonjudgmental ApproachWe all have our challenges and are at different phases in life. We come with our own fitness goals in mind. Some may have body image issues. Some may have injuries they’re work-ing through, or some may be dealing chronic illnesses. “The key is not to feel intimidated. We try to create a nonjudgmental, all-inclusive atmosphere to help members feel motivated and empowered,” says Goldring.

For a tour of Saw Mill Club, please contact Terry Lanza at [email protected] or call 914-241-0797.

Janine Crowley Haynes is a freelance writer, Chappaqua resident, and a member of Saw Mill Club.

‘Local Faces’ BringsCommunity & MerchantsTogether

BY KELLY LEONARD

Last summer, studio portraits of local Chappaqua business owners and merchants started popping up on

Facebook and Instagram with the caption: CONNECT THE FACE TO THE PLACE! Post your guess as to who it is and where they work. Write what you love about the place, share your favorite story! Help us spread positivity, loyalty and shopping local in our community!

The only clues in the photos were the merchants posed with items from their trade like flowers, bottles of wine, or cups of coffee. The one common factor in every portrait was a ball cap each merchant wore that read “Local Faces.”

The mysterious campaign was the brain-child of two local business owners, Trish Kallman of hip-kid and Carolyn Simpson of Doublevision Photographers. Their idea for Local Faces was to connect Chappaqua and Millwood residents with the faces and personalities behind local stores and busi-nesses. The idea was born during a photo shoot with local kids who wore a cap that said “Local” on it to be featured in the hip-kid shop window instead of using vendor supplied photos of child models.

Kallman also recounts a customer who asked: ‘I’m looking for a gift and so-and-so told me that you had it. We were at the Mall, and they had the gift, but they said, no don’t get the gift here, Trish has it.’ “Oh, that’s so sweet,” Kallman says she thought. “The customer didn’t even call to see if I had the gift or that it was at hip-kid but that Trish had it. I thought that’s so cool they think of me by name instead of the shop name; it’s like a personal relationship with the customers.

“So then I started thinking of all the stores in town and how many of the owners and managers that I knew by name. I won-dered if others had a similar experience. So Carolyn and I sat down to talk. I suggested, ‘How about doing something that doesn’t have anything to do with hip-kid, what about something that just features the dif-ferent business owners in town, connecting the name to the face?’”

Originally Kallman and Simpson were just thinking about doing a gallery showing event, but then as they got started, the


PHOTO BY LORI LAZARUS


idea evolved and as Kallman notes, “We thought, wait, this could be a really fun kind of interactive Facebook campaign. So each day we posted a picture.”

“We had 40 merchants who signed up for photo shoots, but it wasn’t really an easy sign-up at first because no one really knew what this was about so we just kind of said let’s see how it goes,” says Simpson.

“When we first started,” Kallman recalls, “we were concerned about how do we get everybody in this? We basically went door to door to the merchants with flyers. We did a sample shoot so merchants could visualize and see what it was going to look like. So we created a prototype to put on the flyer and said this is our idea. Some people got it and some people were like, ‘No, I’m cam-era-shy’ and some people needed a little more prodding. Then we worried about other businesses that weren’t right on the street so we tried to get as many mailing lists as we could pull to find them. This was a Chamber of Commerce sponsored event, and they sent out an email to their list.”

Simpson adds, “Trish and I came up with the name Local Faces because we wanted the name to brand what we were doing so people would connect the faces to the places. As we went door-to-door to businesses in Chappaqua and Millwood, merchants initially thought we were trying to sell something. We donated our time to do this because, especially with the construc-tion in town, we wanted people to feel a connection and to help draw customers in. The photo sessions got really fun as we got to know so many of the merchants in town. The photos allowed people to see a whole other side of local business owners.”

Kallman shared that they used the lounge space at hip-kid as a studio for the shoots. “It was really fun for us to work together

and collaborate on this and bring our differ-ent interests to it. This really made it evolve and grow,” she says. “The Facebook and Instagram campaigns helped it take off and merchants started calling us asking, ‘Can we be a part of this?’ We realized this was really going to be something when peo-ple started reaching out to us. When we started posting the photos on Facebook and Instagram, we’d ask, ‘If you know of anybody that you want to be Local Faces please let us know.’”

Simpson adds, “For the Facebook campaign, we started posting every day and then we did a countdown leading up to the September gallery event. We also did some outtakes to post during the countdown. Part of the social media cam-paign was that people would comment about what they liked about the featured merchants and other people would see those comments, this helped build momentum throughout the cam-paign.”

After the Gallery Opening & Exhibition event at hip-kid lounge in September, Kallman and Simpson gave the merchants their framed photos. “Hopefully,” Simpson notes, “they’ll have it in their stores and it’s some-thing they can look at with good memories. The campaign was more of a community event than a sales endeavor. We asked the participating merchants to invite their cus-tomers and clients to the Gallery Opening where we all could relax. It was all about building relationships and not about the transactions per se.”

As for what’s next for Local Faces, Kallman says, “We’re talking with the Town about it and the Chamber of Commerce to see if they want to do it again. Or if it’s something we want to bring to other towns…”Simpson adds that it’s “just something to bring everyone together.”

To view and follow the Local Faces virtual galleries, visit: facebook.com/localfa-ceschappaquamillwood instagram.com/

“The campaign was more of a community

event than a sales endeavor. We asked

the participating merchants to invite their customers and clients to the Gallery Opening where we

all could relax. It was all about building relationships...”

Above photos from a fall party celebrating the Local Faces campaign.

PHOTOS BY GRACE BENNETT

With Local Faces on our mind, The Inside Press wishes to offer a special note of congrats to Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein, Ivy Pool and Lisa Katz who now together with Hala Makowska and Jeremy Saland will make up the New Castle Town Board following next year’s inauguration ceremony. Much gratitude to Adam Brodsky for his service to date and to Kristen Browde and Gail Markels for their dedicated efforts on behalf of our town.


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BY ILANA SCHWARTZ

Growing up, many children dream of becoming astronauts, actresses or even the President.

One woman, however, spent her childhood dreaming of becoming a dog. But when her fa-ther explained that puppies, not people, become dogs, she realized that her dream may not be possible, though she never gave up on pursuing a life with animals.

Christine Meyer, owner of Wags and Whiskers on Upper King Street, was driven by her passion for dogs to open the business more than 20 years ago. She started her career as a groomer at another shop in 1986, but was fired when the economy began to decline. On one rainy afternoon soon after being laid off, Meyer was driving through Chappaqua when she spotted a “For Rent” sign in the window of a King Street flower shop, sparking her epiphany that she was ready to start her own business. Shortly there-after, on May 1, 1991, she opened the doors of Wags and Whiskers, and has been in that same King Street location ever since.

When she first opened the shop, Meyer accepted both dogs and cats, but according to her website “cats don’t like water and dogs don’t like cats, so that quickly changed to the current dogs only policy.” Her approach to dog grooming is to keep the entire process as low-stress as possible, benefitting both the dogs and the owners alike. Services include shampooing and bathing, trims and cuts, treatment for fleas and ticks, ear clean-ing, dremel nail trimming and even de-skunking treatments. Meyer, although not a veterinarian, also deals with skin conditions and will even do minor dental cleanings in order to keep her furry clients in tiptop shape.

Ultimately, Meyer aims to make each dog look as adorable as possible because, as she explains, “everybody likes a cute dog!” Her trick? Un-derstanding what each owner wants his or her dog to look like, although she is not afraid to make recommendations, especially after years of successfully grooming and showing her own dogs. Meyer’s experience includes competing in both dog shows and performance competitions for obedience, agility, scent work and sheep herding.

Although the cosmetic side of grooming is critical, she takes an overall approach to each individual dog in order to make it look as good as possible. This all starts with nutrition because “a healthy dog always looks better than a sickly dog,” Meyer explained. To supplement her grooming services, Meyer sells food products, most of which are produced locally in the U.S., along with one food line from Canada and one from New Zealand. Of the many parallels between humans and dogs, Meyer insists that dogs should eat fresh, locally sourced food prod-ucts. Furthermore, most of the other products that she keeps in stock, including shampoos, conditioners, etc. are holistic, organic and “top of the line, only.”

As a longtime dog lover and owner, Meyer is a true believer in the value that a dog can bring to a family. A dog becomes a common goal for a family, something that everyone wants to take care of and spend time with, especially if it is a clean dog. This is why Meyer recommends that dogs get groomed on average monthly, contingent of course on what type of dog it is. Ultimately, Meyer believes that “having a dog become part of your family strengthens the entire bond,” thus adding unparalleled love and unity to a household.

With the holidays coming up, Meyer mentions a few pet-related things that families should keep

in mind. First, book appointments early! The holidays are always a busy time for groomers as people scramble to get their dogs camera-ready for holiday card photo shoots. Also, when looking into gifts for your furry friends, consider interactive toys. Meyer explains that “people underestimate the value of a ball. A ball on a rope can be the absolute best thing a dog has ever seen,” and it can give you the perfect way to bond with your dog.

One misconception that Meyer warns about as the winter weather approaches is the idea that

Wags and Whiskers: 26 Years of GroomingChappaqua’s Dogs

PHOTO BY JOSEPH FLEISHER

your dog will benefit from long hair in order to keep it warm. Long hair during the winter can be especially problematic for dogs that enjoy spending a lot of time outside playing in the snow. Although this seems counterintuitive, the issue comes when the dog re-enters the house and cannot be properly dried, which leaves the fur soggy and cold and can also leave a mess around the house.

Meyer, though not a Chappaqua resident herself, has been an important presence in Chappaqua ever since she opened Wags and Whiskers. After spending 26 years on King Street, she is now working with a second generation, as her client’s children are grown and bringing their own dogs in for her services. She has also made an immense impact on local rescue societies, working with Jenny’s Hope Rescue in Mount Kisco, A New Chance Animal Rescue in Bedford and running the East Coast Giant Schnauzer Rescue Network across the entire Northeast.

Ilana Schwartz graduated from Hamilton College in May 2017 and is pursuing her dream of becoming a journalist. Besides writing for Inside Chappaqua, Ilana works at ABC News, enjoys reading mystery novels and loves spending time with her friends and family.


terminally ill and requested a meeting with his son. My friend was certain that this farewell of sorts would be the moment where they could finally express their true good feelings for one another despite their bumpy history. They sat in his Father's yard and drank wine on a crisp autumn afternoon. The Father looked into the son's eyes and hesitated while the son prepared for some kind of emotional revelation. What followed was quite simply a non-negotiable list of people the Father vehement-ly forbid from attending his funeral. Not exactly what my friend was expecting but he laughs about it now as it was certainly consistent with his Father and, in retro-spect, was most definitely a farewell.

My Dad died in 2013 at the age of 89. Mar-tin was the kind of person who really took pleasure in life. He was passionate about collecting art, eating great and abundant meals, New York Yankees baseball and of course his wife of 66 years, my Mom. The last year of his life was difficult because most of these things were taken away from him because of his health. All except my Mom who took care of him in a heroic and remarkably devoted manner. Despite pleas from everyone to get help she took all of this on herself because she felt that's what he wanted. My Dad would constantly yell out with urgency "Lorraine!" I found this touching (and not to mention loud). One

day I convinced Mom to take a walk and have a little time for herself. As the door shut I heard the same demanding excla-mation, "Lorraine!" Answering his call I told my Dad that Mom was taking a walk but I was home with him. I thought he might be unhappy about this but a minute later in the same formidable tone he hollered, "Dan!” That he was able to shift his focus so

quickly from his wife to his son told me that despite his love for and reliance upon his wife there was a pragmatic element to survival that may transcend even indestructible love.

As for Mom, now 90, she can be found on one of her two daily walks around her neighborhood in lower Manhattan. She lives alone and gets a nice amount of attention from her children and grandchildren who all live

relatively close. It's not unusual for her to meet someone new and within a minute or two proudly note that she is indeed 90. In fact, she began bragging about being 90 when she was only 89 but you can't blame her as the reaction is almost always complimentary. At a younger stage of adult life, stating one's age out of the blue would be something of a non-sequitur.

At 90 it's simply addressing the elephant in the room. A beautiful aspect of this time of Mom's life is that she is still happy and independent yet fully aware of the numbers that prove that things are definitely winding down. I think that fact is harder on the rest of us than her but it's inspiring to know that she can talk about it calmly and firmly in the context of what a wonderful life she most certainly has enjoyed.

Dan Levitz is an art dealer and writer and has lived in Chappaqua since 2003.

BY DAN LEVITZ

Interacting with aging parents, for those of us firmly entrenched in middle age, can be pleasant, painful, humorous, bittersweet,

inspiring, odd....and, please, feel free to insert your own adjectives. I don't believe that there is a universal approach nor ex-perience regarding older parents, however, I do feel that participating in a conversation about that last stage of life with them is a significant endeavor.

Lately I've been talking to friends about ex-periences with their aging parents. A close pal from high school told me that he was having the difficult conversation with his octogenarian father about possibly moving into an assisted living facility. Apparently the conversation was non-conclusive and re-sulted in what will forever be known as “The Wasabi Incident.” As my friend related, "We took Dad to visit the assisted living building for a tour. Didn't go well. He pretty much shut down the sales guy telling him he was only there because we made him go and he has no intention of moving. He was happy later though because he got to eat dinner there for free. Sigh. Surprisingly still hungry, we then took Dad to a sushi restaurant and he ordered California rolls. Not sure if he realized what he was ordering. When the food came he immediately reached out with his fingers, grabbed the blob of wasabi and started to stuff it in his mouth. I yelled for him to stop and he only ate some but was definitely surprised by the spiciness of it. He's mostly okay but does weird stuff like that once in a while".

My friend's Dad, as I've known him, is a bright, decent, no nonsense kind of guy. I wish “The Wasabi Incident” could provide answers concerning his state of mind. However, all it raises are short-term ques-tions like what the hell was he doing and, more daunting existential queries about the universally shared reality that with inevitable relentless urgency it is all going to end. For everyone.

Another buddy shared a story about when his father passed. They'd had a volatile rela-tionship going back to his childhood and while always connected, there remained tension. His Dad had learned that he was

etcetera

The Wasabi IncidentAnd Other Tales Of Aging Parents

(L-R): Lorraine, Dan (the author) and Martin Levitz

Lorraine and Martin Levitz, the author’s parents

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