Time Out with John Berman, CNN Anchor & Armonk Dad · THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTH CASTLE & BEYOND |...

THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTH CASTLE & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.C0M | JUNE 2018

Fresh & Fun:Farmers Market Round-Up

caramoor:A Cultural Treasure

Student AthletesCompete at College Level

‘Creative Culture’ at the Burns

Behind the Byram Hills HS Graduation

Theater & Music in Our Backyard

Time Out with John Berman, CNN Anchor & Armonk Dad

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02 | INSIDE ARMONK | JUNE 2018

19| Byram Hills GradsJUNE 2018THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTH CASTLE & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.COM

just between us 3 15 Years of CaringBY GRACE BENNETT

in the know6 Dads, Grads and the ArtsBY STACEY PFEFFER

features 12 Farmers Markets: New OfferingsBY AMY KELLEY 14 Local Young EntrepreneursBY AMY KELLEY 19 Byram Hills Grads: We’ve Got theirNumber(s)BY AMY KELLEY 20 College Signing Day for BHHSAthletes

cover story

09| A Conversationwith CNN’SJohn Berman

BY SHAUNA LEVYPHOTO BY CATHY PINSKYPinskystudio.com

23 Spotlight on Distracted DrivingAwareness Advocate:Ben LiebermanBY BETH BESEN

gotta have arts 25 Area Theater, Concerts, andMore 27 ‘Creative Culture’ at the BurnsBY EVELYN MERTENS

29 To-Do List for Two Top MusicFestivalsBY ELLA ILAN

31 Caramoor–for MusicAficionados of Every GenreBY AMY KELLEY

community 26 ‘Hypercar Circle:’ 9th Grader’sFundraiser for Alzheimer’s 30 Friends of Karen Turns 40

etcetera32 Parking Conundrum/ParkingSolutionsBY MARLENE KERN FISCHER

CORRECTIONS

• An article in our May 2018 Inside editions, “Northern Westchester:A Kayaker’s Paradise” incorrectly cited the Cross River Reservoir asa destination to kayak. This is a protected water body and kayakingthere could be met with fines. The Inside Press regrets the error.The corrected article is available online: https://www.theinsidepress.com/northern-westchester-a-kayakers-paradise/

• Some information shared to The Inside Press regarding theArmonk Chamber’s 2018 Citizens of the Year was incorrect. FYI:Luci Labriola-Cuffe of the Independent Armonk Fire Department wasindeed the first and only female fire chief, but is not currently servingin that position. Phil Goulet is the fire chief, not the commissioner.

After all, consider that social media could get awfully dull without all the wonderful stories to share! Still in 2018: Sep-tember/October, November and Holiday edition advertising opportunities in print and/or online. To advertise and/or order a voluntary or gift subscription, please drop a note to [email protected]

Thank you for all your support in spirit too. Buoyed as we head into (a hopefully warm!) June, celebrating dads and grads, I wish you and your families near and far a wonderful, and healthy summer of fun and exploration.

JUNE 2018 | INSIDE ARMONK | 03

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Book event at Chappaqua LibraryJune 26th at 7pm.

Jodi Baretz, LCSW, CHHC is a psychotherapist,mindfulness and health coach in private practice

email [email protected], Jodibaretz.com

Looking for a good book this summer?Pick up this #1 Amazon best seller by local author Jodi Baretz.

Hard copy available June 6th.

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just between us

Inside Press: 15 Years of Caring

A s we wrap up two more beautiful late spring/early summer editions, I proudly call your attention to an Inside Press local publishing history that includes the

following honors:

· Westchester/Putnam Women inCommunications ‘Superwoman of theYear’ Award

· Annual Media Award, Mental HealthAssociation of Westchester

· Bernard J. Rosenshein Courage to CareAward, Holocaust and Human Rights Educa-

tion Center

We conceive and produce community and regional stories that keep in step with our times and with a larger national picture sometimes too. Mostly, we like when our stories touch hearts and stir souls, or otherwise resonate with our readers. We aim, whenever we can, to make a difference to lives both inside and outside our area. Our editions, given that they spotlight your neighbors, are read cover to cover, and all our stories are linked online to insidepress.com.

In my estimation, the call to ‘Shop Local’ means supporting local media too, whether you are an advertiser or a reader.

I’ll be celebrating Father’s Day honoring my 96- year-old dad, of course… He’s my biggest fan and here he is enjoying recent Inside Press editions.

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Advertising Manager CAROLINE ROSENGARDEN

Art DirectorLISA SAMKOFF

Accounts ManagerANALIA BOLTUCH

Web Design RYAN SMITH, RICK WATERS

EditorSTACEY PFEFFER

Publisher & Editor-in-ChiefGRACE BENNETT

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

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.

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

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

© 2018 All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.Reproduction of any portion is prohibited without permission by the publisher.

June 2018Volume 15, Number 3

THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTH CASTLE & BEYOND | THEINSIDEPRESS.C0M

there on a Saturday morning–our dog included! Not only do they offer an opportunity to connect with local farmers and purveyors but also provide a great way to socialize with your neighbors.

Speaking of neighbors, we wanted to highlight two dads in our community: John Berman, CNN anchorman of “New Day” and an Armonk resident who is always seek-ing the truth in his role as a journalist, and Ben Lieber-man, a distracted driving awareness advocate who was recently honored with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Lifesavers Award for Public Service and a Chappaqua dad. They both give back to their com-munities in numerous ways and serve as role models. Happy Father’s Day to John, Ben and all the dads out there who give 110% of themselves everyday.

We also wanted to wish a congratulations to all the recent or soon-to-be grads out there. So whatever you are celebrating this month–dads, grads or the start of summer, here’s to enjoying every minute of it with your loved ones. Happy summer and see you in September.

Enjoy,

in the know

Dads, Grads & the Arts

A s I write this column, it is pouring outside and the temperature is hovering at 60 degrees. It’s hard to believe that in ten days Memorial Day weekend will

be here and the unofficial start of summer. As anyone in this part of Northern Westchester can attest, it has been a long, hard winter. And that’s why we wanted to celebrate summer (and dads and grads!) with this issue.

We are fortunate enough to live in an area that is chock full of fun and culture during the summer. Fancy hearing the latest indie bands? Grab a spot at the Pleasantville Music Festival. Is chamber music more your thing? Head on over to nearby pictur-esque Caramoor. Want to see young thes-pians sing their hearts out? Take the kids and go see Annie at the Armonk Library.

For me, a backyard BBQ truly epitomizes summer and the best of living in the suburbs. Come Memo-rial Day weekend, I’m itching to get the grill going and I’ll be sure to visit many of the local farmers markets to pick up a few things- corn waiting to be slathered with butter, fresh fruit pies bursting with flavor and seafood that I’ll cook on my cedar plank. There’s a bounty of options for farmers market fans in our towns and nearby and I love taking the family

Letters to the EditorOn behalf of Lagond Music School, The Mental Health Association of Westchester, and Music & Miles, Changing Minds, we thank you for attending our March 10 Living Proof event and writing an in depth piece that shines the light on the power of music, mental health awareness and education. We are so pleased we could raise enough monies for two high school music scholarships in Miles’ memory and mental health services. Your article brought the evening to life in a very meaningful way.

Shari and Ed ApplebaumEvent Co-Chairs, Music & Miles: Changing Minds

What a beautiful story you wrote about Addy & Uno and I. My pa-rents called me yesterday, overjoyed about receiving it in the mail and and reading it! You wrote about the show and my life in such an honest, generous way that I will always treasure. I’m so excited to share it. It’s going on the fridge!

All my best to you and tremendous thank you, Stacey.

Bonnie Gleicher, Addy and Uno Composer

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BY SHAUNA LEVY

The American media has found itself in the intriguing position of not only reporting the news, but making news

themselves. Unofficially known as the fourth branch of government, their role of adding another layer to the system of checks and balances, holding the powers that be accountable and protecting free speech is more crucial than ever. At the center of it all, Armonk’s own, CNN “New Day” co-anchor John Berman gives a compelling snapshot of what it’s like living in the spotlight of the news camera.

Berman and his wife relocated from New York City to Armonk in the fall of 2011 as their identical twin boys, now fifth graders, prepared to enter kindergarten. He recalls the process, “We ended up in Armonk by chance. I’m from outside Boston and my wife’s from Vermont, so Westchester was in the right direction. Armonk was what

we could afford, has great schools and is reminiscent of the small, woodsy towns we grew up in.” Berman has embraced the juxtaposition of city and country living as the assistant coach of his boys’ baseball team and an explorer of the local parks, even becoming an avid hawk watcher at the Audubon Greenwich.

A Protégé of Peter Jennings

Berman began his career in 1995 at ABC, eventually landing the head writer role for “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.” Describing Peter as a mentor, he says, “Peter was the most inquisitive person I ever met. He was inherently skeptical and had the best follow-up question in journa-lism, which was ‘really?’” The experience prepared Berman for his current role as an-chor, where he must be prepared to cover the unpredictable, breaking news CNN is characterized for. He explains, “I don’t think I realized until I became an anchor myself,

five years ago, just how much I witnessed, observed and learned at World News.” The self-described “political junkie” is enjoying covering the current political environment, saying, “There’s really one story. It’s the White House and everything associated with it whether it’s the investiga-tions, booming economy or the changing role of the U.S. in the world.”

Discussing today’s reporters and some of their seemingly polarizing political stances, Berman says, “I think there’s an impression that the anchors of the past generation were more detached from the stories, but I don’t know that that’s true. If you look at Walter Cronkite and his coverage of Viet-nam, he was very passionate. He tested the notions on Vietnam in the same way that the media is now testing some of the assertions coming out of the White House. And, I don’t think there’s a reporter today who badgers a White House the way Sam Donaldson did. So, I think there aren’t as

Reporting Worldwide from Armonk: A Conversation withCNN’s John Berman

PHOTO BY CATHY PINSKY


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many differences as one may think. Perfect impartiality is impossible. What you need to be is fair. But truth is truth and fact is fact.”

Responding to ‘Fake News’

That’s not to say that the media is immune to operating under today’s microscope as Berman explains, “The true difference is that the spotlight is on us more than it’s ever been. It makes what we do even more important, which is to always ask questions and to test power. It motivates us to keep getting better and working harder. And to not back off–at all.”

In response to the current administra-tion’s coinage of the term “fake news” and it being directed, in many cases, at CNN, Berman responds, “I think hurling the words ‘fake news’ is unfortunate and damaging. There’s nothing wrong with criticizing stories or even a news organiza-tion that you don’t like, but when you start calling a profession fake, when you start calling something that is protected in the Constitution fake, then you’re playing a very dangerous game and you have to ask why. What do the people making those charges get out of discrediting journalists? Why is it to their advantage? Why are they afraid? The media is not infallible. There are things

we get wrong, but we’ll admit it. We issue corrections. In similar circumstances, I’m not sure that some of our leaders do that when it’s been proven that things they’ve said are false.”

One topic the Boston native refuses to remain impartial to, however, is sports, unabashedly saying, “It’s been easy to raise Boston fans in New York because we’ve been winning a lot.” Berman recounts a tale from 1995, when he was thrown out of Yankee Stadium for defending the rights of a Red Sox player who was “brutal-ly attacked” by the Yankee pitcher. His assertion was met with shouting from the crowd and he was ultimately removed from the game.

While initially “mortified,” he soon realized it made for a good story and wears the ex-perience as a badge of honor. This incident extends to all aspects of his life as he conti-nues to remain steadfast in his commitment to report on the story and ask the ques-tions. Peter Jennings shared an adage that Berman returns to regularly, “If your mother says she loves you, test it. Don’t trust it unless you have a second source.” And, he does that every single day, whether it’s at the Audubon, Yankee Stadium or anchoring the news desk at CNN’s “New Day.”

Shauna Levy is a writer, communica-tions professional and stay-at-home mom. She is currently raising her three young boys alongside her husband in Chappaqua.

Berman spoke to aspiring journalism stu-dents at Byram Hills High School last year.

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What’s New This Season atLocal Farmers Markets

Children watch an entertainer performat the Pleasantville Farmers MarketPHOTO BY CHAD DAVID KRAUS

PHOTOGRAPHY

A cocoa/cauliflower brownie from the SweetHearth Bake Shop, a new gluten-free vendor at the Chappaqua Farmers Market

BY AMY KELLEY

Now that the weather is finally more like a velvet glove than an iron fist, many residents of the Castles and beyond truly look forward to enjoying nature’s benevolence at

one of our area’s farmers markets.

At press time, local market directors spoke to us about a variety of new offerings planned to expand and improve upon what’s available this year.

Chappaqua Farmers Market, Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the train station. Pascale Le Draoule, market director, said there will be even more of a focus on certified organic growers this year. “We actually had five produce vendors and one of our conventional produce vendors was not doing very well and decided to leave. We saw that as a very strong message,” La Draoule said. New vendors in-clude Sun Sprout Farm, a certified organic grower from New York’s black dirt country and Caradonna Farms, an orchard with “a dizzying array of fruits.”

Shoppers can also look forward to Dacha Fermented Veg-gies and SweetHearth Bake Shop, “a new gluten-free baker who does very interesting things, using cauliflower and local fruits and vegetables. She’s very creative and everything she makes is beautiful.” The Carbon Chocolate Workshop will also be new to the market, offering organic chocolate, and Temima’s Bakery from Pound Ridge also. “There will be a lot more gluten-free at the market this year, a lot more fruit, more certified organic,” Rosseau said. “We always have cool activities for kids.” Also expect cooking demos on-site.

Ossining Farmers Market, Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the parking lot at Spring and Main. Community members will have more prepared food options this year at Ossining’s market, Dacotah Rosseau, marketing and communications manager, said, and more space to enjoy them too in an expanded, umbrella-shaded seating area. “People can buy a meal to take home or eat right here,” Rosseau said.

Sunset View Farm, a nose-to-tail operation, will offer grilled meats and rotisserie chickens. “We’ve got a really neat bakery out of New York City,” Rosseau added. Called Kouklet, the microbakery will offer sweet and savory Brazi-lian pastries. There will also be a new olive oil company, BulI, that sells estate-grown unfiltered extra virgin olive oil from Italy. The market also usually features music and occasional-ly hosts kids’ activities.


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Produce sold at Muscoot FarmsSunday market

Pleasantville Farmers Market, Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Memorial Plaza next to the train station (closed for Pleasantville Day, Saturday, May 19). New this year in early June is Morgiewicz Produce, a fourth-generation family farm from Goshen that will offer Asian greens, calaloo, kohlra-bi, lettuces and more. There are more than 65 events planned, from music to magic to talks and a book signing. Stuart Vance, vice-chair of Foodchester, which runs the market, said: “Shoppers appreciate the market’s entertaining, positive vibe.”

If Saturday slips away without an uplifting morning trip to the market, the Muscoot Farmers Market at 51 Route 100 in Katonah, located on the Albert B. Delbello Muscoot Farm, is open on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. starting May 14. Any kids in tow will love the chance to see the historic farm’s many animals, and currently 30 vendors are showcased on the market’s website.

Amy Kelley is a frequent contributor to Inside Press publications.


Jewelry Making Biz:Bijoux by Chloe

Byram Hills High School Senior Chloe Perline has been running her jewelry-ma-king business, Bijoux by Chloe, for about three years, and she plans to continue her efforts while at Syracuse University next fall. “I started making little bracelets a few years ago and my friends really liked them,” she said. That led to the creation of a website, bijouxbychloe.com, and Perline said her bu-siness is going very well, and she’s learned about a lot more than jewelry making. “There’s a lot to it,” she said. “Figuring out pricing and marketing–it’s a lot of work but it’s really fun too.”

‘Rent a Teenager’

Mason Greenstein,14, and a freshman at Horace Greeley, is a student with a compe-ting business called Rentateenager.com that provides responsible teenagers to perform various jobs. “We offer a less expensive option than professional expert services. Some of the services we offer include sports coaching, tutoring, baby sitting, dog walk-ing, yard work, after school drivers, photo-graphers and anything else that a teenager can help with,” explained Greenstein.

Greenstein feels that the business has taught him to hone in on his organizational skills. “I have a lot of teenagers offering their services. I also have a lot of people who want teenagers for various jobs. Everything needs to be organized so I can prompt-ly provide the right teenager for specific requests.”

Learning from Experience:

Local YoungEntrepreneursRack Up Life

LessonsBY AMY KELLEY

Camp counselors, lifeguards, the desk at the pool: teens join the workforce in droves when school’s out, often taking these classic summer jobs. But some entrepreneurial local teens–and even youn-ger kids–will spend this summer working for themselves, at new bu-sinesses or endeavors they started. They’ll make money but they’ll also be paid in life lessons other young people may not necessarily learn until after college.

Mac Yavner and Spencer McGowan

Matching Jobswith Teens

Mac Yavner and Spencer McGowan, both 16 and juniors at Horace Gree-ley High School, are the third owners of Teen Agency (teenagency.org) which matches teens with community members who seek to employ them. “We hope to develop (the agency) and we hope to sell it when we graduate from Greeley,” McGowan said. “We started with parents asking us for babysitters and tutors but one of our goals was to get different kinds of jobs.”

After working on getting more visibility for the agency, different requests did come in. A homeowner wanted logs moved so Yavner and McGowan en-listed friends who play football to put some muscle into it. Then an elderly couple asked for someone to change the batteries in their smoke detectors, and word spread in their develop-ment about that service. “Word gets around,” Yavner said. “Before Thanksgiving, one person asked for help moving furniture, then a lot of people asked for the same thing.”

Yavner and McGowan are in business for the experience; they will madonate their profits to a food allergy charity that helps people who can’t afford epipens and don’t have insurance.

But they both say they’re really profiting by what they’ve learned. “What you put in is what you get out,” Yavner said. “If you try to make money and be successful it’s definitely within reach,” McGowan added.


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The Paint Can Kid, Michael Weyne of Chappaqua

The Paint Can Kid

In Chappaqua, 11-year-old Michael Weyne has joined the ranks of the hamlet’s younger entrepreneurs as The Paint Can Kid (the name, by the way, is trademarked.) Weyne will come with his dad, Jonathan Weyne, to pick up old paint

cans for a mere $2 per can–and for a lot of cans there’s a volume discount. Hand-ling old paint cans wasn’t Weyne’s first business idea –he had another plan but realized he needed startup money.

“He asked me how to get ca-pital,” Jonathan Weyne said. “I said you could have it, borrow it, or earn it–so I challenged him to start a summer business and earn $10,000.”

Weyne overheard his dad and a neighbor discuss getting rid of paint cans, and another business idea was born. He researched his idea extensively and launched The Paint Can Kid last summer, when he was 10, and gave out more than 25 flyers to people listening to music on a summer evening at the bandstand.

Weyne wound up with so many prospective customers, he was booked 4-6 weeks out. He takes the cans and sorts out the cans that have a lot of good paint left. Those, he found, Habitat for Humanity will take, so he’s currently setting that up. As for the rest, Weyne empties the paint into a large bin because he and his dad, a physician who runs clinical trials for biopharmaceutical company Regene-ron, are inventing a machine that will separate out much of the water so the remaining paint can be recycled and used. They crush the cans and recycled 133 pounds of steel this past Earth Day.

Will he make it to $10,000 this year? Weyne estimates his chances at 70/30. After all, he’s making money but he’s also spending it–and learning all about business expenses like gas and mileage.

Michael “filed his first income tax return this year,” Jonathan Weyne said, adding that the business is an LLC. While Jo-nathan Weyne acknowledged that it has been time-consu-ming helping Michael with his business, he said he truly enjoys this time with Michael (and with Michael’s younger siblings, Alex and Nicole, who are occasionally enlisted as unpaid interns).

From Sneakers to Snapshots

Greg Skriloff, a junior at Byram Hills High School in Armonk, offers web design and development as well as photography –his website is greg.skriloff.com. But his start in business was buying and reselling limited edition sneakers, a lucrative effort he continues to this day. “That’s when I’d date back my entrepreneurship in general to when I was 11 or 12 years old. I’d set up a whole process, get a few pairs from each release and re-sell them.” Skriloff “It really teaches you how to separate yourself and manage your time,” Skriloff said. “For example, a kid in high school would ordinarily be going out on a Friday night. But a business changes your priorities.”

Tutoring Business: A Family Affair

Jake Horwitz, who is currently running Turning Point Tutoring from Scotland as he studies abroad, took over the business from his brother Robbie, who started it as a junior at Greeley. Horwitz said it’s doing well and he currently employs 12 tutors. He credits his success to “great students at Horace Greeley” who serve as tutors, and calls customer service “essential.”“The most important part of a small business is the people,” Horwitz, 20, a junior at the University of Penn-sylvania, added.

Weyne has also learned a lot from his business.“The first thing is, it’s hard and it’s time-consuming,” Weyne said. “And you always have to be nice, even if the customer isn’t.”


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BY AMY KELLEY

In one sense, it’s been a lifetime coming. The young students at Byram Hills High

School in Armonk have been preparing for their high school graduation not just for four years but far longer than that, growing and changing and expanding intellectually. Now, though, parents, loved ones, faculty, staff and other officials will gather to recognize their hard work as they leave behind what the Byram Hills school system had to offer and embark on their adult lives. Inside Armonk spoke to officials to get a better sense of what goes into preparing for the big day.

19 of June is when the seniors at By-ram Hills High School will graduate,

indoors at SUNY Purchase, a location Byram Hills Principal Chris Walsh said is “beautiful even in the worst weather.”

205 newly-minted high school gra-duates will take on the world.

Declining enrollment is causing the popu-lation at many local high schools including Byram Hills to get slightly smaller.

1372 is the number of seatsavailable in the hall at SUNY

Purchase. The graduates, of course, will be seated on the stage. Custodians will work hard the day before and the day of the graduation in order to transport and set up risers, banners, diploma covers, and much more, according to Deepak Marwah, fine

Get Ready,Get Set,

Graduate! Byram Hills

Graduation Prepby the Numbers

arts director at the school. Marwah helps manage logistics for the graduation. “There are a lot of moving parts,” he said.

5 is a big number for this long-awaited event; 5 speakers will address the

crowd at the Byram Hills High School graduation: a valedictorian, a salutatorian, Walsh, Superintendent Jen Lamia and the president of the board of education,Robin Glat. The valedictorian and salutatorian will be determined late May, when final grades are released. “That gives them time to work on their addresses,” Walsh said. The cere-mony is at 5 p.m.–and each family automa-tically gets 5 tickets to the event.

1or2extra tickets may be had,though, depending on availabi-

lity and how many requests for extra tickets come in, Walsh said. Many families have grandparents and other loved ones in town to celebrate.

97 percent and more of Byram Hillsstudents will continue on to college

- Walsh expects this year’s numbers to beclose to 98 percent, but an exact number wasn’t available at press time.

4years of fundraising by these seniors, who’ve helped with prom and gradua-

tion expenses and more, and now it’s time to present a class gift with the money they have remaining. “Last year it was a sign for our new Coffee Cafe,” Walsh said. “The year before, the class donated informational monitors for the hallway.” What’s coming from the Class of 2018? It’ll be a surprise, announced during the ceremony.

0 Regents diplomas will be awarded by Byram Hills. “We do what’s called a lo-

cal diploma,” Walsh explained. “We feel like what we do is more advanced and more rigorous than a Regents diploma, but all of our students take all the Regents classes and go beyond that.”

23 AP classes are available at thealma mater of this year’s graduates,

and other high-level learning opportunities such as a science research program, and in addition, a class called Perspectives in Literature, which is a two-period class that’s considered honors level.

11 months in advance, district residentsare alerted of the next spring’s gra-

duation dates when the district calendar is finalized and mailed.

45 sports teams of various levels andseasons are available at Byram Hills

High School.

90 minutes or a bit more is the pro-jected length of the graduation

ceremony, with a lot packed in: besides the speeches and awarding of diplomas, there will be several pieces of music performed by the band and chorus, and the class gift presentation.

“We really take it seriously and we really think it’s important to present an event that represents all the hard work the students have put in over four years,” Walsh said.



The Byram Hills High School seniors who have committed to playing their sport in college next year. From left, in front row: Malorie Lipstein, Christopher Draper, Matthew Turk, J.J. Bancone. In back row from left: Ryan Steeg, Nick Weitzman, Luke Simon, Antonio Aversa, Daniel DiSano, Brian Glat, Skylar Sinon and Tristan Gibson.

Through hard work, dedication and hours of practice and play, a dozen Byram Hills High School student-athletes have risen to the top of their game. Now, these seniors are taking their athletic ability to the next level, and have committed to playing their sport in college next year.

“It’s absolutely spectacular for Byram Hills, a school of our size, to have 12 athletes that are committed to bringing their passions and their talents to the collegiate level,” said Rob Castagna, Director of Health Educa-tion, Physical Education and Athletics at Byram Hills. “We’re extremely proud.”

Byram Hills honored the dozen athletes at a ceremonial College Signing Day in the high school gym in early May, as fellow class-mates, teammates, family members and school officials cheered them on.

Before the students signed a symbolic letter of intent to play next year, each was intro-duced by the boys varsity soccer coach, Matt Allen. He highlighted the students’ athletic accomplishments, and put each on the spot with a personal question.

Their achievements drew repeated ap-plause, while the athletes and the crowd shared some laughs during the question-and-answer period, highlighted by a little gentle ribbing and some unvarnished honesty.

The student-athletes are:

Antonio Aversa, Fairleigh Dickin-son University, football. Coach Allen described Aversa an imposing figure on both the football field and the baseball diamond. In football this year, he scored nine touchdowns, and had over 500 yards receiving, 34 receptions and needed to be double-teamed many times. “He’s going to be a dangerous weapon for F.D.U. next year,” Coach Allen said.

12 Student-Athlete Seniorsfrom Byram Hills High SchoolSet to Play TheirSport in College

J.J. Bancone, Denison University, football. This season, Bancone rushed 316 yards and caught 38 passes for 316 yards. On defense, he had 45 tackles and two interceptions. Coach Allen called him a true all-around player who plays with a lot of emotion.

Daniel DiSano, Union College, base-ball. Coach Allen said Union is getting an exceptional outfielder next year in DiSano.

“He currently bats leadoff for the team and is batting .500, leading the team in hits, stolen bases and is also riding a per-fect fielding percentage, where last year he made 41 putouts without an error. He’s a professional whose main attribute is his all-around skill,” Coach Allen said.

Christopher Draper, Bates College, swimming. This year for Byram Hills, Coach Allen said, Draper was “a driving force in leading the team to the state championships for the first time in 10 seasons. At the N.S.C.A. Junior National

Championships, Draper finished second in both the 200 IM and 200 fly and he is recognized as one of top 70 swimmers in all of New York State.”

Tristan Gibson, New Jersey Institute of Technology, fencing. “Gibson is currently nationally ranked in the United States and was chosen for the 2016-17 All-American team, which currently recognizes the top 300 fencers in the United States,” Coach Allen said. “Just recently, he placed 3rd in the Division 1 Regionals, competing against some of the best fencers in the world.”

Brian Glat, MIT, swimming. Coach Allen joked that Glat found just a little bit of time to swim while he was busy earning a 4.539 GPA and a near-perfect ACT score of 35. He noted that Glat is a four-time state qua-lifier, a Journal News First Team All-Star, a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American, has broken four school records and was recently named a Con Edison Athlete of the Week award winner.


Byram Hills High School seniors sign their ceremonial letters of intent to play their sport in college next year as their proud parents watch and capture the moment with their cameras.

Malorie Lipstein, Duke University, cheerleading. “Lipstein is one of the few athletes here at Byram Hills who success-fully marketed herself to a college pro-gram,” Coach Allen said. “She wasn’t truly, actively recruited. She sent videos of herself training. She did this all by herself and sent it off to the coaches at Duke University. She did it privately.”

Lipstein cheered throughout high school. “It’s something that makes me really happy that I wanted to continue,” she said. For the tryouts, she said: “I reached out to the coach and did my tryout through 25 diffe-rent videos. They compared that with the live tryouts and we did it all through email.”

Luke Simon, Fordham University, foot-ball. Coach Allen noted how much Simon has grown since freshman year, due to hard work and a love of the weight room. This past season, he had 54 tackles–32 solo, 5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

Skylar Sinon, Ithaca College, basket-ball. “Sinon will graduate as arguably the most celebrated basketball player in our school’s history,” Coach Allen said. He cited Sinon’s achievements: All-Section selec-tion for four years, All-State the last three.

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He shattered the school’s all-time scoring record by over 500 points, with a total of 1,657 points. He has a career record of 90-25, and was a Con Edison award winner this past season.

Ryan Steeg, Oneonta, baseball. Coach Allen said that Steeg has established himself as one of the top pitchers in West-chester. He’s earned All-League honors as a junior. Last year, he led the team in innings with 45, had an ERA of 2.30 and 49 strikeouts. “So far, he’s lived up to his No. 1 pitcher status, with a 4-1 record on the mound, leading the team in innings and has an exceptional 1.40 ERA,” Coach Allen said of this season.

Matthew Turk, Dickinson College, track and field. Coach Allen said Dickinson College will be gaining “one of the most consistent runners in school history” from Byram Hills. This past year, Turk led the team to a top-five finish in the Westchester County Sectional Championship meet.

Nick Weitzman, Union College, tennis. Weitzman is a four-year varsity player, and is captain of the program this year. He’s compiled a 40-11 record and is becoming the second member of his family to play a sport for Union.

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BY BETH BESEN

Ben Lieberman is a Chappaqua dad like so many others in so many ways. But, he is unlike most in one heartbreakingly distinctive way–he

had to bury one of his children.

Seven years ago, the Lieberman family’s lives were forever changed by that phone call we all know as “a parent’s worst nightmare.” Their eldest, 19-year-old college freshman Evan, was being airlif-ted to the Level 1 regional trauma center of Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in critical condition due to injuries sustained in an automobile crash. Evan had been a passenger–a sleeping, rear-seat, belt-buck-led passenger in an early morning car pool commute to a summer job.

The Liebermans immediately rushed to WMC, took up bedside vigil and never left

Up Close and Personal withChappaqua Dad

& Distracted Driving Awareness Advocate:

Ben Lieberman

PHOTO BY CAROLYN SIMPSON

Evan’s side. They slept on air mattresses in the hospital waiting room, and prayed and willed their son to beat the 10% first night survival odds doctors gave him. And Evan responded, fighting long and hard for his life for a solid month. Ultimately, however, he lost his battle, and the Liebermans lost their son and brother.

What do you do when you lose a child? Even in theory, it’s a question that is hard to think about; parents aren’t supposed to bury children, it just doesn’t make sense. Eventually, through a civil suit, the Lieber-mans gained access to the driver’s cell phone records, and determined that the driver had been texting during the drive and near the collision, Lieberman relayed. The crash happened in a dead cell zone, Lieberman also noted, so it couldn’t be determined either way what the driver’s exact activity was when his car crossed the double yellow line.

Ever since, and to honor Evan’s memory, the Liebermans have dedicated themselves to the dual causes of finding solutions for distracted driving and raising money for Westchester Medical Center.

Educating the PublicAbout Distracted Driving

Combatting distracted driving has been a long, steady push to draw attention to the fact that distracted driving is as big an issue–if not bigger–than drunk driving. Lieberman partnered with New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein and Police Chief Charles Ferry to create the “Hands Off the Phone and On the Wheel” initia-tive. Signs, banners and freely distributed magnets featuring the stopped hand logo (which also signifies the 5-point violation) are visible throughout town.

Lieberman also co-established Distracted Operators Risk Casualties, aka DORCS, –with the front passenger’s mother, Deborah Becker–to help spread the message far and wide that distracted driving causes terrible injuries and takes lives. And he began work with an Israeli phone forensic company, Cellebrite, to develop a device that would enable police to determine whether a driver’s cell phone was being used at the time of an accident. They called the device a Textalyzer for its similarity to the Breathalyzer.

To counter the arguments from various civil liberties groups, Cellebrite even figured out a way to make sure the device simply determines data usage without accessing personal information. In 90 seconds, the technology generates a report that details illegal typing and swiping but also differen-tiates legal voice activation and Bluetooth.

Pending Legislation for “Evan’s Law”

Lieberman, Greenstein and Ferry met with New York State Senator Terrence Murphy and Assembly Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz to introduce the device, and to discuss a bipartisan state bill that would make New York the first state to attempt a distracted driving policy solution.

Ortiz, who was instrumental in the 2001 legislation banning the use of handheld devices while driving, stated: “We did a good job in implementing hands-free law; unfortunately, at a crash, the law can’t be enforced without an eyewitness or unlikely confession.” The proposed Textalyzer bill, a solution aptly named “Evan’s Law,” would


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enable police to examine phones at an accident site using the Textalyzer. Governor Cuomo directed his Traffic Safety Commit-tee to study the Textalyzer and the bill is pending.

Meanwhile, interest continues to grow and spread nationally, and Lieberman, who testified in Chicago, California, Washington, D.C., was recently honored with theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administra-tion Lifesaver’s Award for Public Service atthe 2018 Conference in San Antonio Texas.

When not travelling and working to make our roads a safer place for all, Lieberman, together with his wife Debbie, is involved with fundraising for Westchester Medical Center through their now-established non-profit “Evan’s Team.”

According to Lieberman, the fundraising started “almost by accident.” The Lieber-mans’ many friends all wanted to contribute something, to help in some way; many suggested various events and community gatherings that would keep Evan’s sports- and fun-loving spirit front and center while raising money in his memory. They started with mud-runs, poker nights, dodgeball games (one of Evan’s favorite activities). These events were a hit and filled a need. And, says Lieberman, “ended up raising

real money.” Thus, Evan’s Team was established; its first project, renovating the waiting area of WMC.

Evan’s TeamFundraising Efforts

The family felt fortunate that Evan received excellent medical care, but they found the waiting room areas and experience were lacking in basic necessities. “There was nowhere to sleep, shower, or get a nutri-tious meal. There was no privacy; doctors and families were discussing the most intimate details of life and care without the dignity of private space.” With the generous funds from Evan’s Team, WMC’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit is now able to offer families “The Evan Lieberman Friends and Family Lounge”–a comfortable and dignified space complete with consultation rooms, private sleeping spaces, lockerrooms with showers and an always-stocked nutrition center.

Evan’s Team’s grass-roots outings have grown to become a well-sponsored and attended annual event. The local commu-nity continues to get involved, and friends who have since moved away return to reminisce and take part. It’s still “all about Evan and something he would have loved,”

says Debbie. Golf, tennis, and, of course, Evan’s favorite dodgeball/funball make for a day of play, while the evening is capped by a dinner and much-anticipated car raffle. This year’s car is a 2018 blue Mercedes 4Matic, convertible with a sleek saddle interior. It’s a beauty!

Parked at the top of King Street, in front of Quaker Hill Tavern, the car stands as an invitation to buy a raffle ticket (only 1,000 are sold each year), to join Evan’s Team and support such a worthy cause and to remember that driving is a privilege that requires attention, concentration and res-pect for the road and other drivers. Money raised from the event will go to Evan’s Team’s latest project–funding Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s Child Life and Crea-tive Arts Therapies, dedicated to meeting the unique emotional, developmental and cultural needs of each child and family in their time of crisis.

To learn more about Evan’s Team including the upcoming outing event and car raffle, please visit: www.evansteamny.com

Beth Besen, former Inside Press Executive Editor, is a freelance editor, writer and essay coach.


Theater, Concerts and More...

‘Anything Goes’Bon voyage! Anything Goes, showing at the Westchester Broadway Theater from July 5- Sep-tember 9, is the winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and conside-red one of the greatest Tap Dancing musicals of all time. A brassy nightclub singer, a starry-eyed stowaway and Public Enemy No. 13 are booked on a transatlantic luxury liner bound for romance and laughter. Cole Porter’s delightful, delicious, “De-Lovely” first-class score includes some of the musical theatre’s most memorable standards, including “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “It’s De-Lovely,” and many more! Visit Westchester’s premier dinner/theater: BroadwayTheatre.com

‘The Dog in the Dressing Room’

The Schoolhouse Theater & Arts Center presents The Dog in the Dressing Room by Deborah Savadge June 14th through July 1st. Get ready for a romantic comedy where jealousies, games and secrets are uncorked along with the champagne! Starring Estelle Bajou, Gregory Perri and Jack Utrata. Savadge is the winner of the Playwrights First Award and the Golden Prize for her play, DARK AT THE CENTER. The play is being directed by Schoolhouse Theater’s Artistic Director Bram Lewis. For more information and tickets, visit: schoolhousetheater.org

Summer Concerts in Armonk

At beautiful Wampus Pond, the whole family is invited to come to one or all of the four free, Saturday (8 p.m.) concerts planned by The Small Town Theater Company. The line-up is as follows:

July 14 Soul: 3D Rhythm of LifeJuly 28 Jazz: Charlie LagondAugust 11 Rock: 1 Stop Pony BandAugust 25 Broadway: Mew Rochelle Opera

In the event of inclement weather, concerts will move to Whippoorwill Hall, adjacent to the North Castle Public Library. Visit smalltowntheater.com

‘Right to Harm’

At the Clive Davis Arts Center at the New Bedford Playhouse, on June 14, there will be a special screening and Q&A event with legendary New York Times food author, activist and personality, Mark Bittman. Documentary Right to Harm, produced by Hourglass Films, takes a provocative look at the massive and secretive industrial farming business in rural America–and poses the question, “Are the economic rights of agri-businesses more of a priority than the very basic human rights of individual Americans?” Tickets limited; on sale May 21 at Bedfordplayhouse.org

Looking Ahead: Screening and Q&A Event with Glenn Close, July 30.

‘Annie’

Summer Musical Theater and Arts Day Camp will be doing a production of Annie on Friday, July 13 at 7 p.m. at Whippoorwill Hall, Armonk Library. Tickets are available at the door or by advance reservation, 914 238 0388. Adults are $15, Children 12 and under are $10. The camp runs from June 25-July 13 in Chappaqua from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., Monday to Friday. The kids will study two ins-truments, make sets, do fine art, singing, acting, and dancing and have a blast performing the show. More information: amadeusconservatory.com

Gotta Have Arts

If you have followed the Inside Press long enough, you know that we love the arts. For this special arts edition, we also went out of our way to round up some highlights in and around town. We encourage you to reserve tickets to your favorite theater company–or discover some new ones here, and the stellar productions and/or lectures and readings planned. For a family bonding experience like no other, don’t forget to take in a Summer Concert too on your favorite town green. So, for a fine afternnoon or evening out, here are some exemplary suggestions we gathered for our June ‘arts’ focus:


BY ELLA ILAN

Jared Rosenberg is only 14-years-oldand already making an impact.

On Saturday morning, April 28th, this Ar-monk ninth grader held a fundraiser called The Hypercar Circle at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.

Car enthusiasts gathered to admire exotic cars including an Aston Martin Zagato, a

community

Ninth Grader Organizes Car Show Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s

Ferrari 275 GTB, Lamborghinis, Porsches, McLarens, a Lotus, and one of Jared’s favorites, the Gemballa Mirage GT.

“When I was younger I went to Cars and Coffees around the country and became really interested in supercars and hyper-cars. I decided to combine my passion for cars with a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s,” said Jared. Jared’s grandfather passed from the disease ten years ago.

Jared started an Instagram account of car photos which grew to over 10,000 followers. Networking through social media and other car shows, Jared promoted his event, invited proud car owners to come and display their cars and secured sponsorship for his event by duPont Re-gistry. The event raised $2,000.

“It excites me to see 14-year-olds just digging in and loving cars. They will be the caretakers for these exotic cars that will one day be vintage,” said attendee Lilly Pray of the Malcolm Pray Achievement Center in Bedford which showcases classic cars and organizes educational programs to help youth see what they can achieve in life when they put their mind to it.

Jared Rosenberg, the car show organizerPHOTO BY ELLA ILAN

Alzheimer’s affects an estimated 5.5 million people in the United States. To learn more or donate, go to www.alzdiscovery.org

And at ‘ChappPac’…

Friends of Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, a New York non-profit (with federal status pending), is working with the Town of New Castle and community to help create a live cultural arts center in Chappaqua. Friends of ChappPAC will kick off various programs and initiatives later this year. Stay tuned for ways to get involved. Or, email

Michele Gregson at [email protected] for information on how to become involved or learn about opportunities to support it.

No Spring Chicken

Staged Reading of ‘No Spring Chicken’ By Ginna Hoben With Ginna Hoben and Sheffield ChastainFriday June 15, 2018, 7:30 p.m.Q&A immediately following. At the Whippoorwill Theatre, North Castle Public Library Kent Place, Armonk hudsonstage.com“All she wants is a baby. ‘No

Spring Chicken’ is a refreshing and heartfelt comedy about one 40-year-old’s effort to achieve, survive, and (without medication)complete a healthy pregnancy, to fulfill her life’s wish to have achild.” Broadway World

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BY EVELYN MERTENS

A 97-year-old Holocaust survivor belts out death metal lyrics as the camera traces her every grimace and growl.

A young red-haired woman, arms riddled with bug bites, slyly challenges her tiny tormentor.

A Haitian-American teen finds nowhere to hide when he is forced to confront a parent about hugely uncomfortable truths.

These are among the moments captured on screen by eight emerging filmmakers, all participants in the Jacob Burns Film Center’s (JBFC) Creative Culture Fellowship program that premiered its 2018 roster of films on April 5. Launched in 2016 to, os-tensibly, fill “a gap in support of filmmakers in the Hudson Valley,” it offers an abun-

dance of support and resources to a new generation of Spielbergs, Spike Lees and Sofia Coppolas.

The Selection Process

Applicants to Creative Culture submit a reel with three work samples, an artists’ statement and a short film proposal. Once accepted, each fellow receives mentorship, studio space, production equipment and networking opportunities plus a stipend to fund, wholly or in part, a short film; the pro-gram helps each fellow secure independent funding for a second work.

This year, the genres range from magical realism to mixed media to poetic docu-mentary to a claymation ballet. As Creative Culture Director Sean Weiner notes, the intent is to “select filmmakers making wildly different types” of films. He adds, “By

selecting the strongest projects we end up with a diverse group.”

Sean Weiner: CreativeCulture Director

Weiner is, in fact, the secret sauce behind the program’s success. Beyond his official designation as director and mentor, an unofficial dubbing could be, as fellow Emily Ann Hoffman says, “super-human.” Weiner’s own journey began with a pen-chant for acting and visual arts that evolved into filmmaking, an art form that “scratched both itches.” A Cinema Studies graduate of SUNY Purchase with an MFA from Hun-ter College, he has taught documentary filmmaking to incarcerated persons through the Westchester Department of Corrections and helped that population discover that they are more than “what everybody says they are.”

At the Burns, Weiner formerly ran the high school program, Creators Co-op, and a one-on-one fellowship program.

Accolades All Around for Weiner and the Program

Leah Galant, a fellow, credits Weiner who “harnesses our vision and helps us execute it” and the artists who bring “talent, passion and drive.”

Creative Culture Director Sean Weiner with filmmakers Emily Ann Hoffman, Kerry LeVielle, Leah Galant and Reginald Altidor at the pre-

miere of the 2018 Creative Culture films shown at the Jacob Burns Film Center. PHOTO BY LYNDA SHENKMAN

Creative Culture Fellowship Program An Incubator for Emerging Filmmakers Thrives at the Jacob Burns Film Center

Gotta Have Arts


Emily Ann Hoffman, creator of “Bug Bites,” Bedford. Hoffman studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where she discovered animation which “sparked film for me.” It allowed her “to tell a story,” and add humor to the mix.

While at RISD, she created The Emily and Ariel Show with another Creative Culture fellow, Ariel Noltimier Strauss, which was accepted into several festivals including LA, New Orleans, and Tricky Women (in Aus-tria). The experience “helped me unders-tand the indie film world.”

Her first Creative Culture film, a claymation film, Nevada, got into the highly competi-tive Sundance 2018. Funding her second film, “Bug Bites,” helped her understand the process of securing money through crowdfunding and grants. A Sundance Ignite Fellow in 2017, she is currently a screenwriting mentee with Sundance’s Feature Film program.

Leah Galant, creator of “Death Metal Grandma,” Cortlandt Manor. Galant was named one of Variety’s “110 Students to Watch in Film and Media,” while majoring in documentary film production at Ithaca College.

She was looking for a job as an usher at the JBFC when she learned about Creative Culture. “This was a project I really wanted to do – it was a perfect time in my life for this to happen,” she says.

Galant was a Sundance Ignite Fellow in 2017 and another of her short films, “Kitty and Ellen,” also about Holocaust survivors, screened at DOC NYC 2017. “Death Metal Grandma” premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and will screen at Hot Docs Canadian Documentary Festival.

Reginald (“Reggie”) Altidor, “Do Not Disturb,” New Rochelle. Altidor started writing stories at eight and filmed comedy skits inspired by Dave Chappelle while in middle school. “It was the baby steps of filming,” he says.

A class in filmmaking at Westchester Community College matured his interest; he received a B.A. in film production from Brooklyn College.

Altidor praises Creative Culture for working with persons from “different backgrounds coming together for a common goal.” As each film was different it took away the competitiveness that sometimes occurs in film school. “We worked collectively, in a group,” he says.

Altidor’s first Creative Culture film was “The Jux.” He currently has three short films in post-production and is working on a fea-ture film and freelances as a writer, director and actor.

Portrait of the Artists

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Emily Ann Hoff-man of Bedford has had her films accepted at several festivals internationally and nationwide.

Leah Galant of Cortlandt Manor introduced her film at the Creative Culture premiere in April.

Reginald Altidor of New Rochelle introduced his film at the Creative Culture premiere in April.

Reginald Altidor, a fellow, says, “Sean is the type of person every filmmaker needs by their side – to motivate them, to push them, to make them think from a different perspective to achieve diffe-rent reactions from your audience which you wouldn’t have been able to attain on your own.”

What’s next for Creative Culture? Weiner hopes to have a database of talent in the film community including cinemato-graphers, musicians, sound designers, and other film crew members become more interactive and connected.

The successes are mounting. Films produced through the program have gotten into 37 festivals including the prestigious Sundance and SXSW (South by Southwest). Several fellows are already wor-king on feature-length films.

What does the future hold for the emerging filmmakers? Envelope please...

Evelyn Mertens is a PR specialist, a writer, and a playwright as well as a film and theatre buff who lives in Briarcliff Ma-nor. This is her first piece for the Inside Press.


Blues Traveler plays at last year’s Pleasantville Music FestivalPHOTO BY JONATHAN CUNNINGHAM

Add These LocalMusic Festivals to

Your Summer To-Do ListBY ELLA ILAN

C ouldn’t get to Coachella? West-chester has two great festivals coming your way this summer. The

Clearwater Festival and the Pleasantville Music Festival are both top-notch events right in your backyard.

The Clearwater Festival

The Clearwater Festival takes place on Sa-turday and Sunday, June 16 and 17 on the banks of the Hudson River at Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson. Performers will include Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, The Mave-ricks, Ani DiFranco, They Might Be Giants, Rhiannon Giddens, and hundreds more.

An Environmental Twist

This two-day event, founded by the late folk legend Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi, combines musical performances and green activism. In 1966, recognizing that the Hudson River had been devastated due to years of pollution, Seeger decided “to build a boat to save the river.” He hosted small local concerts where he opened his banjo case to collect donations to build the Clearwater, a tall ship that would be a symbol of environmental advocacy.

The festival’s parent organization, Hud-son River Sloop Clearwater (“Clearwat-er”), pursues Seeger’s mission to protect the river. Clearwater’s grassroots efforts

have resulted in the passing of landmark legislation including The Clean Water Act. Funds raised at the festival will go directly to Clearwater.

“My hope is if you’re coming for the music because you love the lineup, you check out the Clearwater information and discover that because of Clearwater’s efforts, you could swim in the Hudson now,” says fes-tival director Steve Lurie. “Maybe you even become a member and maybe you sign a petition and maybe you also walk away as a supporter.”

Fun for the Whole family

Catering to families, a special stage will host performances for kids, juggling and roving artists, storytelling, and more. Fes-tival-goers can visit the “Working Water-front” and take free rides on small boats or purchase sail tickets for the tall ships.

Guests can explore the Handcrafter’s Village, the Green Living Expo, and visit the many tents and exhibitors. An Artisa-nal Food and Farm Market will sell food sourced from the Hudson Valley.

Hudson stage at Clearwater Music Festival PHOTO BY ECONOSMITH.COM

Blues Traveler plays at last year’s Pleasantville Music FestivalPHOTO BY JONATHAN CUNNINGHAM

Gotta Have Arts


Friends of Karen’s40th Birthday Celebrationat Rye Playland

community

Aperennial family-favorite outing during the summer is a trip to Rye Playland. Families can now combine fun with philan-thropy when the park hosts Friends of Karen’s 40th Birthday

Party on Saturday evening, June 9, at 5:30 pm. The fun and festivities include a BBQ dinner overlooking the beautiful Long Island Sound, unlimited rides at “America’s Premier Playground,” fantastic entertain-ment, a gigantic birthday cake and lots of surprises.

It’s a fun way to celebrate the 40th Birthday of Friends of Karen, a lifeline to families caring for children battling cancer or another life-th-reatening illness. Tickets include dinner, unlimited rides all evening on

Rye PlaylandPHOTO BY JUNE MARIE SOBRITO

the Playland attractions, a strolling magician, face-painting, a performance by the Lawless Band and much more.

Friends of Karen based in North Salem is the only non-profit or-ganization in the New York Tri-State area that provides compre-hensive support, at no cost, to over 300 families a month who are caring for a child battling cancer or another life-threatening illness. In the past four decades the organization has helped more than 15,000 children and families in the Tri-State area.

The non-profits team of social workers, child life specialists and creative arts therapists ensures that each family – and each family member – receives an individualized program of emotio-nal, financial and advocacy assistance throughout their child’s illness.

The organization helps relieve the family’s everyday needs andconcerns to improve their ability to cope with their child’s illnessfrom diagnosis through treatment, which can last many months or even years.

Proceeds from the 40th Birthday Party will help relieve families of the financial hardship of huge medical bills, enormous travel costs for daily hospital visits, mounting expenses for housing, childcare, sibling support, and other necessities when facing a health crisis.

To purchase tickets, visit www.friendsofkaren.org or contact Gwen Salmo at (914) 617-4051.

PHOTO BY JUNE MARIE SOBRITO

About twenty thousand people are expec-ted over the course of the weekend. Ticket prices through June 15 are $68-$280 de-pending on whether they are day passes or weekend plus camping passes. Prices are higher at the gate. Clearwater Members re-ceive a 20% discount off the non-member prices. Kids 11 & under are free.

The PleasantvilleMusic Festival is

New York’s Backyard Jam

Less than a month after the Clearwater Festival, the Pleasantville Music Festival will take place on Saturday July 14th at Parkway Field in Pleasantville. Artists will include The Psychedelic Furs, The Lone Bellow, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Cracker, John Hall, Lizzie and the Makers, and many more.

This event has grown considerably since it began fourteen years ago as a small folk festival attracting about five hundred people. Upwards of 5,000 people are expected to descend upon Parkway field, setting up chairs, blankets and tents for the day.

Winners of the Battle of the Bands, a com-petition amongst Westchester residents 26 or younger, will perform original songs on stage and open the festival. Last year, By-ram Hills High School graduate Ari Perakis and his band Riiza won and opened at the festival.

Who is in the Crowd

“We are a music festival for people who like the idea of a music festival more so than the actual reality of a music festival,” says Pleasantville Music Festival director Bruce Figler. Mr. Figler is referring to the mana-geability of the festival for a family. “It’s just one day, you can park at Pace University, take the shuttle over, enjoy the music, bring your kids, and then go home. You don’t even need a babysitter.”

This contemporary rock music festival aims to appeal to the average Westchester homeowner, likely in their forties or fifties. Festival organizers strive to satisfy different elements within that demographic, whether it be people who like jam bands, acoustic music, top 40 hits, or hard rock.

“We try to arrange the lineup in such a way that everyone who comes will be able to see someone they know and like,” says Mr. Figler.

To entertain the children, there will be a kid zone with face-painting, rides and amuse-ments. There will also be a vendor village with various merchants and a food court. Beer garden sponsor Captain Lawrence Brewing Company will serve beer to adults. Tickets are $45; $30 for students or se-niors; free for children 12 and under.Both festivals are zero-waste events, using sustainable practices to reduce waste and protect the environment.

For more information, to volunteer or to order tickets, go to www.clearwaterfestival.org for the Clearwater Festival and to www.pleasantvillemusicfestival.com for the Plea-santville Music Festival.

Ella Ilan lives in Pleasantville. She lo-ved seeing Blues Traveler at last year’s Pleasantville Music Festival and hopes to go to both festivals this year.


BY AMY KELLEY

While Caramoor Center for Music andthe Arts in nearby Katonah needn’t

be compared to anywhere else, some visi-tors do see favorable similarities between Caramoor and a certain other renowned site for music in the Berkshires. Does Tanglewood come to mind?

But music aficionados need not battle traffic to the Berkshires. Caramoor, located on an historic estate owned by Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of northern Westchester’s great cultural treasures.

A look at the summer calendar–available at Caramoor.org–reveals a tremendously wide selection of musical events. From Mozart’s The Secret Gardener, which will be performed in Caramoor’s Sunken Garden, to American Songbook, classical and world music and even sound art installations, there’s a summer full of music planned from many eras and genres.

Caramoor’sSummer Schedule SpansMusical Genres &Delights Audiences

Family-Friendly Fun

Caramoor’s schedule includes, as always, many events for families that are truly kid-friendly and a perfect introduction to music for little ones. One perennial favorite is Dancing At Dusk. “It’s a really lovely family program,” Barbara Prisament, who handles outreach for Caramoor, said of the program, now in its 10th year. “It’s from late afternoon to early evening and it’s very reasonably priced.” This summer, favorites from other years will be featured. Dancing At Dusk will be held on Wednesdays, June 27, July 18 and July 25 at 5 p.m., and in-cludes music and dancing; tickets are $14 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under.

The Knights, an orchestral collective from Brooklyn, will perform a family concert at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. “That’s going to be great,” Prisament said. The group includes a “steel pan virtuoso.”

July 14 brings another family concert, at 11 a.m.: Bridge to Broadway, a journey fromthe music of Mozart through today’s Broad-way musicals that will include the work ofSchubert and Cole Porter, Verdi and IrvingBerlin. Tickets are $14 for adults and $7 forchildren.

On July 1, Caramoor will host a free slate of activities, including, at 4 p.m., a per-formance of an outdoor percussion work called Inuksuit by prize-winning composer John Luther Adams. The work will include more than 60 percussionists, and promises to be interesting to all ages.

“It’s meant to be performed outside–it has been performed on a mountaintop, and on the border between the US and Mexico,” Prisament explained recently. “You can come and walk through the grounds and hear the sounds of the percussionists mixed with the sounds of nature.” Children can also take advantage of a special per-cussion activity at 2 p.m. that day. The event is free with reservations.

New Programming Director This Season

Adams is only one of 22 living composers whose work will be performed at Cara-moor this summer under the new head of programming, Kathy Schuman, who is vice president, artistic programming and executive producer.

Schuman has said she intends to take ad-vantage of the beautiful grounds at the 90-acre estate by featuring more “site-specific outdoor work” as well as more early music, world music and new music–as well as continuing to offer opera, jazz (in collabo-ration with Jazz at Lincoln Center) and also sound art. “It’s her first season and we’re really excited about that,” Prisament said.The new is well-balanced with the clas-sics, though, and visitors can come for a performance of Handel’s Atalanta by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra or hear Tchaikovsky performed by the Orchestra of Saint Luke’s.

This season also features an American Roots Music Festival on June 23 and a Jazz Festival on July 21, both of which feature multiple performances. “It’s such a pleasant place to be with ample free parking, and you can bring food for a picnic or order ahead from our caterer,” Prisament said. “It’s a lovely way to spend a summer day or evening.”


PHOTO BY GABE PALACIO

Gotta Have Arts


BY MARLENE KERN FISCHER

If you have had difficulty finding a parking spot in Armonk or Chappaqua, you are not alone. As both towns have grown, so too have parking problems. Add in the popula-rity of larger vehicles and SUVs and parking space is at a premium.

With new businesses coming into the towns and ongoing construction (such as on lower King Street in Chappaqua), finding a spot can be tricky. This is especially true by the train station and in merchant spa-cing in Chappaqua and on Main Street and at the DeCicco’s lot in Armonk.

The parking limitations make it necessary for the towns to be vigilant about enforcing parking regulations. Community Service Worker Manny Antoniou, who is in charge of parking and traffic in Chappaqua, says the primary reason he issues tickets is for being in a spot too long. He is often stopped by people searching for a spot and suggests that they try the back of the commuter lot where you can pay by plate. He knows that adding more spaces would be the obvious solution but recognized that improving the parking situation needed to be done by “research and survey,” a pro-cess which could take a while.

Popular Parking Violations

Other parking violations for which he tickets include parking in two spaces, parking too far from the curb, or in a handicap-ped spot or fire zone. When asked about whether people who park in two spaces do purposely or not, Antoniou responded that, “Sometimes the offender is simply in a rush but sometimes they do it intentionally to protect a new car from dings.” Antoniou said he can “usually tell” the intentions a parking spot hog has and uses his discre-tion to ticket. He also urged people to stay

off their phones and to “not ignore officers when they are directing traffic.”

In Armonk, the parking situation is not much better. During the midday hours, you may find yourself circling the DeCicco’s lot or scanning Main Street as you drive by in hopes of finding a vacant spot. One store owner in town, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The biggest problem we have in Armonk is employees parking on Main Street. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed.” If you are willing to walk a bit to your destination (especially now that the weather has finally improved), there are often spots available in the CVS lot or the library parking lot.

New Spots Plannedfor Armonk

There is some good news on the hori-zon though; the town is in the process of adding approximately 80 spots behind and next to the Hergenhan Recreation Center, which should help alleviate the parking situation.

Sergeant Huffnagle of the Town of North Castle Police Department said that although parking is definitely a concern, he has found that most people in town are respectful of the handicapped spots. He also noted that with all the restaurants in town, Armonk has become a “culinary hub” and that means more cars parked for longer periods of time.

The North Castle officer in charge of parking marks tires on Main Street, which has a one-hour time limit during the hours between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. The parking officer is also the animal control officer, so if he has to leave Main Street to deal with a situation with a coyote, raccoon, deer or other animal, you may get lucky and avoid a ticket if you are in a spot for more than

an hour. (It is not recommended that you count on him being away, however.)

Parking Lot Etiquette 101

There are things you can do to help the parking situation. As a resident of Armonk for 20 years and a self-proclaimed parking lot maven, below are some helpful tips:

Pull out of your spot in a timely fashion. We all have the urge to check our phones and I know I am not alone in having replied to a text or two while sitting in my car. However, when I have to respond to a text (like when my son asks me to pick him up at school), I try to keep it brief. Composing a 2,000-word e-mail, flat ironing your hair, putting on make-up, or reading a book while someone is waiting for your spot is not cool and will not earn you the Citizen of the Year award.

Leave enough space between your car and the car next to you. Not being as thin as I used to be, when someone parks too close to my car I have had to slither in to the dri-ver’s seat, as well as enter my car through the passenger side, which requires a level of flexibility I do not really possess.

Give cars spaces to parallel park.You can make fun of how badly someone parallel parks, but only after you give them enough room to get into a spot.

In Addition...

To avoid accidents Sergeant Huffnagle wants to remind citizens to “use their signals” when they are planning to park so other drivers are aware of their intentions.

Allow pedestrians to cross the street. We are small friendly towns; Armonk is Frosty the Snowman’s birthplace, for goodness sake. You won’t melt in the ten seconds it takes for someone to cross from the Post Office to Hickory & Tweed.

Huffnagle stated that he thinks people typically do not intend to be discourteous and that most problems arise because, “People are in their own little world and can be oblivious to other peoples’ concerns and time constraints.” I agree and believe that we can each do our part to make the parking and traffic situations in our towns much better.

Marlene Kern Fischer is a 20-year re-sident of Armonk and freelance writer whose work can also be enjoyed on her site, Thoughts From Aisle Four.

The Parking Conundrum inThe Castles,Plus Ways to Alleviate It

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Time Out with John Berman, CNN Anchor & Armonk Dad · THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTH CASTLE & BEYOND |...

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