The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

Greeley Boys Swim & Dive Team Wins State Championship Title Second Year in a Row

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Chappaqua, NY – On March 4, 2023, Horace Greeley High School’s Boys Swim & Dive Team earned the State Championship title at the 61st annual NYS Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Boys Swimming & Diving Championships held at Ithaca College. This is the second year in a row that the team has won the title. They are the first sports team in Greeley’s history to win back to back state titles. With a final score of 247 points, Greeley won the meet by 50 points over the second-place competitor.

Greeley also won the divisional and sectional titles for 2023. NYSPHSAA is made up of public high schools divided into 11 sections, as well as the NYS Catholic High School Athletic Association, and the NYC Public School Athletic League. Greeley competed as part of Section 1, comprised of teams from Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties. In total, 433 athletes from teams throughout NY State competed at the meet.

Four Seniors and six Juniors of the 35-member Horace Greeley Swim & Dive team represented the team at the two-day championship meet by achieving qualifying time standards throughout its regular season of eight dual meets, divisionals, and sectionals. All ten members of the team qualified for finals in the meet. This was a true team effort, with all team members contributing points to the final score.

The 400 free relay team (Hudson Chung, Erik Nadecki, Oliver Engel, and Connor McHugh) swam a 3:05.53 and came in 1st place, achieving a school, section, and state record and qualified for automatic All American status (top 100 times for the year). In addition, the team’s 200 medley relay (O. Engel, Nadecki, Jack Moran, and Trey Schlomann) came in 4th, and the 200 free relay (Lawrence Gulotta, Jamie Lynch, Schlomann, and McHugh) came in 8th.

Other top 20 finishers include:

Hudson Chung: 12th in the 200 free and 19th in the 100 fly

Jack Cornish: 9th in the 500 free

Eric Engel: 18th in the 200 free

Oliver Engel: 13th in the 200 IM and 7th in the 100 back

Connor McHugh: 7th in the 50 free and 6th in the 100 free

Erik Nadecki: 3rd in the 200 IM and 2nd in the 100 breast (All American consideration in both events)

In addition, McHugh was honored for Sportsmanship for Section 1, Chung and Lynch were named as Scholar Athletes, and Chung and Moran were elected as Captains for the Section 1 team.

To learn more about Greeley Sports Boosters, visit https://greeleysportsboosters.org/. To learn more about NYSPHSAA, visit https://nysphsaa.org/sports/mswim.

News courtesy of Greeley Sports Boosters. To learn more about Section 1 Swimming, visit http://www.section1swim.com/

Chabad Center Invitation to a Community Passover Seder: “Don’t Pass Over Passover!”

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Is Passover almost here and you are without a Seder? Don’t worry!  Whether you are by yourself or with family, there are two wonderful Community Passover Seders to attend, both sponsored by Chabad, and they are promising a traditional, meaningful–and delicious–experience.

Chabad Center invites you to join  their Community Passover Seders on Wednesday evening, April 5, beginning at 7:45 p.m., and Thursday evening, April 6 beginning at 8 p.m.  Both Seders will take place at at American Legion Hall in Armonk, N.Y.

The Seders are being hosted by Rabbi Yosef and Esther Butman. “We want to make sure that everyone has a place for the Seder night.”

Relive the Exodus, discover the eternal meaning of the Haggadah, and enjoy a community Seder, complete with a hand-baked round Matzah, fine Passover wine, and a wonderful catered meal spiced with unique traditional customs.

Don’t pass over Passover!

RSVP to chabadacp@gmail.com    www.chabadacp.com

 

New Castle Fire District No. 1 Announces Bond Referendum to be Held April 25

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Bond Referendum would Authorize Borrowing Funds for Fire Station Addition

Project Designed to Ensure the Safety and Health of Volunteer Firefighters by Providing Space to Accommodate Modern Emergency Apparatus and Decontamination Facilities

CHAPPAQUA, NY (March 2023) – The New Castle Fire District No. 1 has announced that a bond referendum vote will be held April 25 to authorize the Fire District to borrow funds for construction of a 13,000-square-foot addition to the current fire station in Chappaqua.

The modernization and expansion would provide the Fire Department with the space to accommodate modern emergency apparatus and equipment as well as decontamination facilities. It will also ensure the safety and health of the volunteer firefighters of the Chappaqua Fire Department. The project is estimated to cost approximately $15.2 million with construction starting November 2023.

The current fire station, which was built in 1954 and expanded in 1979, is grossly inadequate to meet the legal requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and  the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). As a result, current conditions expose Chappaqua and its taxpaying residents to costly litigation in the event of a serious accident or death of a volunteer firefighter.

“The Fire District’s proposal is not what the Fire Commissioners WANT but rather what they are REQUIRED to provide under the law,” said Brian Murphy, Chairman of the Fire District’s Board of Commissioners. “The Fire District has been studying the fire station space needs for nearly 20 years. Since the project was first studied in 2003, construction costs have nearly tripled. The sooner this project begins, the better,” he added.

Based on the 2022 average assessed value of $178,508 for all taxable residential parcels in the Town of New Castle that are served by the New Castle Fire District, the estimated average annual tax increase would be $282. For the parcels in the Town of Mount Pleasant served by the New Castle Fire District, the estimated annual increase would be projected at $225. These estimates are subject to change based on interest rate and other market fluctuations.

Prior studies dating back to 2003 recommend additional bay space to accommodate future needs; drive through bays to accommodate 7 or 8 vehicles; adequate storage space; decontamination capability and bunking for up to 10 firefighters. The current fire station bays are too small for today’s larger and wider apparatus. The space between the modern fire-fighting apparatus in the current fire station is less than 3 feet. A firefighter in gear can barely pass through the bay, creating a dangerous and potentially deadly situation. Studies recommend 8 feet between each piece of apparatus.

Lack of adequate decontamination facilities is another issue to be addressed in the modernization project. When materials burn, they release a number of carcinogens  including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Firefighters may also encounter other known carcinogens such as asbestos and diesel exhaust. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), “the fire department shall provide for the cleaning of protective clothing and station/work uniforms by a fire department facility that is equipped to handle contaminated clothing. Fire departments shall provide facilities for disinfecting, cleaning, and storage in accordance with NFPA 1581, Standard on Fire Department Infection Control Program.” The current fire station does not have NFPA compliant equipment for disinfecting, cleaning and storage.

The new addition is being designed by Mitchell Associates Architects which has more than 40 years designing buildings and 30 years designing fire stations. The firm has designed 193 public safety projects, 331 facilities and 77 fire station renovation projects. The firm has a full-time staff dedicated solely to fire station and emergency facilities design.

More about the District’s hopes for a fire department addition can also be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/809065743/f90f65b36e

The April 25th vote will be held at the fire station at 491 King Street from 12 noon to 9 pm. For more information about the bond referendum vote and the proposed modernization project, please visit www.ncfd1.org

News courtesy of the New Castle Fire District

Don’t Resist JUST DESSERTS at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center April 28-30

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Just Between Us: Dessert comes first, the playful among us like to say!  And now, an irresistibly delicious new Broadway-style musical, Just Desserts is coming to the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center! The whole family is invited to enjoy what its producers are calling “a charming, professionally performed musical (performers are Actor’s Equity Association artists) about a baking contest, and six strangers coming together, and after much mystery and drama, becoming friends and supporting each other!”

 Oh, and this: 100 percent of Just Desserts proceeds are being earmarked toward the wonderful San Miguel Academy in Newburgh!

As a collaboration between two area music powerhouses–Frank Shiner, producer and Brad Ross, composer–Just Desserts bills itself as “a charming show about a baking contest and the interaction between the contestants. “The music has a traditional Broadway sound, and it is VERY family friendly!” relays Shiner.  Read on for more, direct from Shiner, below.   — Grace

JUST DESSERTS: A Musical Bake-Off

Book and Lyrics by Barbara Campbell

Music by Brad Ross

Directed by Tom Wallace

It’s sweet. It’s savory. It’s five strangers putting their hearts, reputations, and baking skills on the line to become the crème de la crème of bakers at a county fair. The heat is on to create three different types of desserts during the finals. A determined young woman dreaming of opening her own bakery. A sexy nail technician who wants to fit in. A shy school nurse who doesn’t want to be there at all. A mysterious man from Brooklyn who arouses suspicion about his past.  And the reigning champion who is confident she’ll garner yet another victory this year. They’ll all get their just desserts at the Jefferson County Bake-Off! There’s a little mystery, a little romance, some potential cheating, and some back-stabbing – exactly what you expect when the competition is fierce – and the results are deliciously satisfying!

100% of your ticket purchase goes to San Miguel Academy of Newburgh… helping to break the cycle of poverty. Anyone attending can buy tickets and / or sponsor tickets so that those less fortunate can attend. “I would like to the children from the school and their families be able to attend,” noted Shiner, who explained that the San Miguel Academy takes Children from abject poverty and puts them through a 12-year, tuition free program. “This is truly a miracle in our own backyard… These kids had no chance in life, and they are becoming business leaders, working in politics, teachers, and wonderful family people. As of last year, it is a coed program.

The cast of Just Desserts will perform on Friday April 28Th, (7:30 p.m.) Saturday April 29th (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday April 30 (3 p.m. matinee)

A Frank Shiner music production, tickets can be reserved here: https://frankshiner.com/

“Fiddler on The Roof in Yiddish” Cast Members in Special Concert & Conversation at ChappPac on March 4, 2023

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On March 4th, at 8 p.m., the non-profit Friends of Chappaqua Performing Arts Center (ChappPAC) will be presenting a concert and conversation with members of the cast of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. There is also an opportunity to participate in a meet and greet with the cast after the performance!

A portion of the proceeds from this performance will be donated to UJA’s efforts to help Ukrainian refugees. Tickets can be purchased through the ChappPAC website: chappaquaPAC.org. ChappPAC is located at 480 Bedford Road in Chappaqua.

The 90-minute show will share the story of the how  Yiddish “Fiddler” came to be, featuring Zalmen Mlotek, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s artistic director and the production’s musical director, who conceived the New York production, along with Merete Muenter, the associate director of the show, and Lauren Jeanne Thomas, the infamous fiddler. The concert will also have several songs and screens with English subtitles.

Cast member Bruce Sabath, was integral in casting this concert along with Michele Gregson, Chair of ChappPAC. “We tried to do this concert two years ago and everything was set and then Covid came along so we put it on hold,” said Bruce Sabath who played Lazar Wolf in the production. “Our shtetl of Anatevka, which is in the Ukraine, has become a real family after all the years we’ve been together with this production. Putting this concert on in Westchester County is really special for us and donating some of the proceeds to help Ukranian refugees gives the performance even more meaning to the cast.”

“ I saw the production this past December and hoped we could resurrect the concert at ChappPAC,” said Michele Gregson. “We are thrilled to be able to bring this incredible version of Fiddler to Northern Westchester, along with many stories shared by the cast of how a small theater production at the Jewish Museum downtown, which was supposed to have a very limited engagement, became such a crowd favorite and played for 18 months and then again for seven weeks in 2022.”

The cast members who are scheduled to appear are:  Abby Goldfarb, Ben Liebert, Rosie Jo Neddie, Raquel Nobile, Bruce Sabath, Adam Shapiro, Drew Seigla, Stephanie Seigla, Jodi Snyder, James Monroe Števko, Lauren Jeanne Thomas, Bobby Underwood and Mikhl Yashinsky.

News Courtesy of the Friends of Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. Photo courtesy of “Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish”