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Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

Westchester’s 11th Annual 9/11 Serve & Remember Events begin September 9

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In honor of those whose lives were lost or forever changed by the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Volunteer New York! will join as hosts of the 11th annual “9/11: Serve + Remember” event taking place throughout our area from Thursday, Sept. 9–Sunday, Sept. 12.

“This year’s 20th anniversary serves a grim reminder of the nation’s darkest day, but it also reminds us of how thousands came together afterward, helping each other, comforting each other and rising through tragedy. We encourage everyone to participate to honor the lives lost and pay tribute to the first responders who saved lives and continue to battle illnesses acquired from that day,” said County Executive George Latimer.

Online registration is now open for individuals, groups, and families. To sign up or learn more visit volunteernewyork.org/service. Advanced registration is required for all 9/11 Day service opportunities.

“For over 10 years we’ve given thousands of community members a way to take part in the National 9/11 Day Movement. Each year built on the solemn legacy of the last,” said Jeanette Gisbert, Volunteer New York! Executive Director. “We encourage all past and potential volunteers to join us this September in the spirit of remembrance and resilience. If ever a time to show unity, the time is now.”

This year’s 20th Anniversary Day of Service events will include two special large-scale park cleanup projects on Saturday, September 11 at Tibbets Brook Park in Yonkers and Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson thanks to a partnership with Westchester Parks Foundation.

Erin Cordiner, Director of Philanthropy & Community Engagement, Westchester Parks Foundation, said “Parks have the power to transform lives, shape lives, and preserve memories. We are proud to stand with Westchester County and Volunteer New York to mark the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and encourage residents to sign up to help us honor the anniversary and improve the quality of life in our community.”

All projects on Sunday, September 12 will take place at either a New Rochelle Volunteer Hub at IONA College or a Valhalla Volunteer Hub at Westchester Community College. Please review online opportunity description to find out if a project is family-friendly or has requirements, like wearing a mask.

 

2021 9/11: SERVE + REMEMBER EVENT SCHEDULE: www.serveandremember.org

Thursday, September 9 at 7 PM

  • Free Webinar: Volunteering with Equity in Mind (Virtual)
    • All volunteers are encouraged to participate in live event
    • The last 18 months have shined a light on the glaring inequalities between those that have and those that have not. Join Charles Curtis, Volunteer New York! Community Outreach Manager, for a live presentation of the original Volunteer New York! webinar, “Volunteering with Equity in Mind” where we will share volunteer tips on how best to advocate for those in our community and bridge the gap between those we serve and those who serve.

 

Saturday, September 11

  • Croton Point Park Cleanup Event (Croton-on-Hudson)
    • Coordinated in partnership with Westchester Parks Foundation
    • Shifts:  9 AM – 11 AM* / 12 PM – 2 PM

 

  • Tibbets Brook Park Cleanup Event (Yonkers)
    • Coordinated in partnership with Westchester Parks Foundation
    • Shifts:  9 AM – 11 AM / 12 PM – 2 PM

 

Sunday, September 12

  • Westchester Community College (Valhalla Volunteer Hub)
    • Create Fleece Blankets for Children in Local Hospitals
      • Supports Westchester-Rockland Project Linus
      • Shifts:  10 AM – 11:30 AM* / 12 PM – 2 PM*

 

    • Create Literacy Kits for Elementary Students
      • Supports Youth Literacy
      • Shifts:  10 AM – 11:30 AM* / 12 PM – 2 PM*

 

    • Create Inspiring Cards for Deployed Service Members
      • Supports United for the Troops
      • Shifts:  10 AM – 11:30 AM* / 12 PM – 2 PM*

 

  • IONA College (New Rochelle Volunteer Hub)
    • Create Fleece Blankets for Children in Local Hospitals
      • Supports Westchester-Rockland Project Linus
      • Shifts:  10 AM – 11:30 AM* / 12 PM – 2 PM*

 

    • Create Literacy Kits for Elementary Students
      • Supports Youth Literacy
      • Shifts:  10 AM – 11:30 AM* / 12 PM – 2 PM*

 

    • Create Inspiring Cards for Deployed Service Members
      • Supports United for the Troops
      • Shifts:  10 AM – 11:30 AM* / 12 PM – 2 PM*

 

*Denotes a project or volunteer shift where wearing a mask is mandatory or subject to latest CDC guidelines.

ABOUT NATIONAL 9/11 DAY OF SERVICE

9/11 Day was created in 2002 as a way to meaningfully honor the memories of those lost on September 11, 200 and to inspire Americans and others to do good deeds in support of creating a better and more peaceful world. It’s also a day that is meant to help rekindle the extraordinary spirit of togetherness, volunteerism, and compassion that arose in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy.

Since becoming a National Day of Service, 9/11 Day has grown incredibly into the United States’ largest day of charitable service. By volunteering on 9/11 Day each year, you help support their mission to transform the anniversary of September 11 into a worldwide day of good and a symbol of American resilience –helping to keep the spirit of all who were lost alive in our hearts and minds creating a positive legacy that can be passed down for generations upon generations to come.

Learn more about the #911DAY movement at 911day.org

EVENT SPONSORS

            The 2021 9/11: Serve + Remember community-wide day of service is presented by Volunteer New York! and Westchester County, and in partnership with Westchester Parks Foundation. With thanks to the generous support from major sponsor, Robison Oil. As well as additional support from event sponsors Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts and NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital. With special thanks to media sponsor 95.5 K-Love Radio and project sponsors Levitt Fuirst and Sterling National Bank. As well as to our Sunday volunteer hub host sites IONA College in New Rochelle and Westchester Community College in Valhalla.

ABOUT VOLUNTEER NEW YORK!

The core mission of Volunteer New York! (volunteernewyork.org) is to inspire, mobilize, and equip individuals and groups to take positive action to address pressing challenges, support non-profits and improve the quality of life in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. For over 70 years the organization has encouraged adults to serve, youth to build character, families to bond, young professionals to lead, mature adults to share their wisdom and businesses to engage through volunteerism.

Last year Volunteer New York! helped to inspire over 35,000 volunteers to take action and to coordinate over 360,000 hours of service that supported more than 500 nonprofits and local organizations, providing a value of $11.7 million back to our community.

 

New courtesy of the Westchester County Executive office.

‘SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD’ at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center

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Limelight Theatre Company will present four live performances of SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, featuring the talents of both Westchester and NYC-local professionals at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center at the end of this month on August 27, 28 and 29.

This highly anticipated production marks Westchester’s return to live professional theatre and will premiere on Friday, August 27th at 8pm. The opening night will be followed by performances on Saturday, August 28th at 3pm and 8pm, as well as on Sunday, August 29th at 3pm.

Written by Jason Robert Brown, the production of Songs of a New World is directed by Westchester’s own Richard F. Grasso, with music direction by Stephen Ferri. With lighting design by Adam Lobelson, sound design by Jon Weston and John Millerd, and a spectacular live band with all-new orchestrations, this production’s stellar team kicks off Westchester’s newest professional theatre company’s first mainstage production in a re-opened New World. Featuring incredible professional talent from both Westchester and New York City, Limelight Theatre Company announces its incredible cast: Grant Evan (Man 1), Stephanie Scuderi (Woman 1), James Harris (Man 2), and Raquelle Viteri (Woman 2). 

The show itself is about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, to take a stand, or turn around and go back. These are the stories and characters of today. Songs for a New World is the first musical from Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Bridges of Madison County) and this moving collection of powerful songs examines life, love, and the choices that we make.

“With the last 17 months of COVID-19, the world has been very closed off and people have spent a very long time not socializing in person. We are in a “New World” now,” says Richard F. Grasso, Director of the production, “My hope is for audience members to feel connected to each character in a different way, and by the end of the piece, I hope everyone will have felt transported and lifted through the power of live theatre.”

About Limelight Theatre Company: The Limelight Theatre Company is a nonprofit professional theatre company that strives to provide inclusive, accessible and affordable performing arts to Westchester and Putnam County, NY. Support the return to live theatre as Limelight Theatre Company tells important stories and places incredible artists and creators in the limelight. The Limelight Theatre Company plans to provide an array of events in the future, including mainstage productions, staged readings, and concerts, as they raise the voices and inclusivity of all artists, cultures, and backgrounds in our performing arts community. Join the return to live theatre right in the heart of Westchester and purchase your tickets for SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD today at https://www.limelighttheatrecompany.com/performances. For more information, you can visit their website at www.limelighttheatrecompany.com or email info@limelighttheatrecompany.com.  

In Remembrance of Danielle Taylor Leventhal

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Danielle Taylor Leventhal, beautiful ray of sunshine and strong-willed woman, passed away on August 4, 2021 at the age of 27, after four years of outliving terminal cancer. She is survived by her parents, Eric and Jennifer (Hecht) Leventhal of Rye (formerly Chappaqua); brother Alex Leventhal; Cavapoo Hudson; maternal grandparents Kelvin and Carolyn (Robinson) Hecht of Avon, CT; paternal grandparents Dr. Gerald and Judi (Blumenreich) Leventhal of Scarsdale, NY; Aunt Carrie Hecht Trookman (Nate) of Colorado Springs, CO; Uncle Charles Hecht (Robyn) of Needham, MA; Aunt Robyn Leventhal of Portland, OR; cousins across the country and dear friends and Alpha Phi sisters around the world. 

Danielle was born in 1994 and grew up in Chappaqua, NY where she graduated Horace Greeley High School in 2012. In 2016, she graduated from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, with a double major in painting and art history. Carrying the school flag as a Grand Marshal during commencement was one of the highlights of her life. 

A gifted artist, Danielle was the recipient of the Jeffrey Frank Wacks Scholarship for Fine Arts, the Mary Cowan Harford Award in Watercolor, and the Scholastic National Silver Medal for Painting. In addition to her commissioned paintings – including one for Hillary Rodham Clinton – she worked for several art institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and Matthew Marks Gallery. During her remission, Danielle worked as a Graphic Designer for Makovsky Public Relations and as a Dreamweaver at Eleven Madison Park.

Two charitable organizations added joy and meaning to the last years of Danielle’s life. First Descents empowered her to push herself beyond her diagnosis by “out living it” through outdoor adventures like ice climbing. SOUL RYEDERS taught her to accept the kindness and resources offered by incredible volunteers who support neighbors with cancer. In 2019, she introduced these two groups to one another, and they have collaborated since on programs to change the lives of other young adults battling cancer.

A funeral will be held Friday, August 6th at 11:00 a.m. at Temple Beth El in Chappaqua, NY.

In memory of Danielle, donations can be made to Danielle’s Dreams, via SOUL RYEDERS 

COVID Recommendations are a Moving Target

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Editor’s Note: We contacted Northern Westchester Hospital for guidelines on the latest news surrounding COVID, for thoughts on breakthrough infections, vaccinations and mask wear. Here, expert insights and advice from Debra Spicehandler, M.D., Co-Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northern Westchester Hospital

By Debra Spicehandler, M.D.

To mask or not to mask? That is just one of the questions generating confusion as the CDC tries to nail down current COVID recommendations as the very contagious Delta strain gains traction. We continue to learn more, but the Delta variant appears to cause more severe illness and may spread as easily as chicken pox. In addition to a growing number of breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated, it appears that symptomatic vaccinated people can also spread the Delta variant.

Dr. Debra Spicehandler

During the past few weeks, New York seemed to have pushed COVID back to the point when people felt comfortable eating in restaurants, attending weddings and going back to the office.  Not so fast. Almost overnight, the Delta variant has become the dominant COVID strain, and we are seeing rates of infection rise especially among the unvaccinated.

Here is what we know:

Being vaccinated is key, but vaccine hesitancy persists, and there is discussion about mandating vaccines among certain groups, including healthcare workers.

We are now seeing breakthrough infections even among people who are vaccinated as a result of the now dominant, highly contagious Delta variant. The good news is that breakthrough infections among the vaccinated seem mild, in most cases, and do not require hospitalization. It is unclear whether people with breakthrough COVID cases will have any of the long-term effects we’ve seen that include cardiac issues, long-lasting fatigue, lung problems, joint pain, and brain fog.

Though we have not seen definitive data, federal health officials announced both vaccinated and unvaccinated people who contract the Delta variant of COVD may carry similar levels of viral load and spread the disease even when asymptomatic. A recent New England Journal of Medicine study of 1,497 vaccinated Israeli healthcare workers found 39 breakthrough infections with three quarters of those people showing a high viral load.

This information raises other questions: if we are seeing more breakthrough infections, is it because the Delta variant is more efficient, or does the efficacy of the vaccine wane over a certain period of time? And, if so, how long do vaccines last?

It is beginning to look as though people who have been vaccinated will soon need booster shots.

As COVID rates rise, the CDC recommends that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors where transmission of the virus is high, such as New York City and surrounding suburbs, including Westchester. Since the virus is rising in New York, I recommend caution. It is still okay to be outside without a mask if you are vaccinated, but it looks like indoor masking should be reinstituted, and people should follow the most updated guidelines on the CDC website. This is an evolving situation. Even if we know people have been vaccinated, we cannot be sure that someone has not been exposed to the Delta variant.

For the vaccinated, COVID symptoms can be extremely mild. But if you are concerned that you may have COVID–especially if you have other co-morbidities–then get tested.

Patients who test positive and are at high risk for developing a severe infection may be eligible for infusions of monoclonal antibodies. This risk group includes people 65 and older, who have diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, obesity, asthma or who are immunocompromised.

Because recommendations are changing so quickly as we learn more, check the CDC website for the most current information. And, if you think you may have COVID, check with your physician. For more information, visit Northwell’s Digital Resource Center.

 

 

Teatown Wildflower Wetland Restoration Reveal

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Ossining, NY – Teatown was proud to “reveal” and celebrate the completion of their Wildflower Woods Wetland Restoration Project on July 15, 2021. This multi-year project was the result of a successful collaboration between Teatown stewardship staff, environmental engineering and landscaping professionals, and funders, including the Land Trust Alliance and a generous anonymous donor from the larger Teatown community.

Joined by Town of Ossining Supervisor Dana Levenberg, Town of Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater, and Mike Weinberg from State Senator Pete Harckham’s staff, Teatown Executive Director Kevin Carter and Director of Science and Stewardship Dr. Danielle Begley-Miller spoke about the importance of the project, and what it meant for Teatown moving forward.

“This was a significant effort that took many years. I love it because it checks a lot of the boxes – it’s a habitat restoration project, but it also elevates the visitors’ experience, the hikers’ experience at Teatown,” Carter said in his remarks.

Town of Ossining Supervisor Dana Levenberg echoed Carter’s sentiment, and spoke about the project’s benefit to the surrounding area.

“The bottom line is, all of our communities benefit from Teatown and the continuation of learning about environmental stewardship” Levenberg said.

The Wildflower Woods demonstration area was created to show the effects of white-tailed deer browsing on local forests. The location of the project allows for increased public visibility, but also increased impacts from its proximity to the road. The project reduces the amount of sediment entering Teatown Lake from the main parking lot, restores the sedimented area back into a wetland, and creates a space for educational opportunities. This type of information is important for the public to understand, and educating them about the restoration was something Town of Yorktown Supervisor Matt Slater commented on.

“Teatown is a wonderful asset for our community here at Yorktown and regionally as well,” Slater said during the event. “The educational components are so important for our children to understand the importance of maintaining this type of environment.”

A sediment catch basin was also installed to collect runoff from the parking lot and filter out dirt and debris. Over 7,000 native plants were planted during the project by Teatown stewardship staff and many wonderful volunteers, who gave their time and energy into seeing this project completed professionally and on-schedule. Teatown is also grateful to Barbara Restaino of Restaino Design Landscape Architecture PC, for helping conceptualize and organize the project. Restaino also attended the reveal event, and said that she looks forward to visiting Teatown often to check on the progress of the plantings and the success of the restoration.

The Wildflower Woods Restoration Project was made possible by a grant from the Land Trust Alliance and a very generous donation from an anonymous donor within the Teatown community.

About Teatown

Teatown is an environmental education organization offering programs to 20,000 adults and children each year. We manage over 15 miles of hiking trails on our 1,000-acre preserve and hold public and education programs for families and schools as well as special events.

Teatown Lake Reservation is located at 1600 Spring Valley Road, Ossining, NY 10562. Visit our website at www.teatown.org or call 914-762-2912 for more information.

Story via News courtesy of Teatown