The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Amy Kelley

Dive In: The Pool Clubs of Chappaqua

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There are four swim and tennis clubs in Chappaqua. The cost to join doesn’t vary too radically–there’s a bond and an annual fee–and all offer rental memberships so prospective members can try them out.

Each one welcomes visitors to come and see and consider joining. They’re all located pretty close together. Yet, with all their similarities, each club is different enough to inspire a loyal allegiance in many of its members.

Birchwood Swim & Tennis

681 Quaker Road

Ron Jendzejec, president of Birchwood, said he thinks the club has a particularly beautiful layout. On a recent snowy Sunday, Jendzejec pointed through a fence to show a reporter just where a family could sit to have a great view of both the wading pool and the playground.

Others must agree, because membership sales are ahead of schedule this year and “last year we had to turn people away for the first time in eight years,” Jendzejec said. The club borders Audubon land and features paddle tennis as well.

“I love the club,” Jendzejec, who has been president for 11 years, said. “I joke with board members that I’m like the Franklin Delano Roosevelt of board presidents–there are no term limits, I enjoy doing it and seeing the changes at the club and we have a great board.” His kids used to spend all day at the club, swimming and playing tennis. There’s also basketball and an outdoor ping-pong table.

Birchwood also offers special Golden Guest memberships to older members who no longer need family memberships.

Chappaqua Swim & Tennis Club

1019 Hardscrabble Road

Amanda Weinstein, membership chair for the pool’s board, said that at CST, nannies and caregivers come free with a family’s membership. The club, which features a sunny yellow and blue color scheme, has a cafe catered by Villarina’s. There’s regular tennis and platform tennis, a T-shaped pool, a basketball court and a putting green.

“My kids don’t go to camp–they spend the summer at the club,” Weinstein said. “People ask me, ‘aren’t they missing out on the camp experience?’ and I always say no. There’s a real mixing of the ages at the club. I’ll see Harry playing tetherball with a 16-year-old and so on. It’s really beautiful.”

CST’s swim coach, Dan Levy, is a teacher who is great with kids; “he really makes the swim team accessible for all levels of swimmers,” she said. The tennis pro also works at Club Fit. CST also holds the Swim Across America event annually which is open to the public and is a top site raising funds for the American Cancer Society.

Seven Bridges Field Club

160 Seven Bridges Road

Marianne Dorner, membership chairperson for the club, said her family has belonged to the club for about 15 or 16 years. “It’s one of the oldest clubs in the area,” Dorner said. “It was established in 1936.” The pool was actually hand-poured by members in the 50’s–prior to that, swimming was in the club’s pond. Dorner said that’s probably why the swim team name is the Swamp Rats. “We have many old-time members who stop by and say they were a Swamp Rat way back when.”

In the beginning, Dorner said, the club only admitted members from the Seven Bridges area. “That was many, many years ago. We now accept members from all over, including Yorktown, Mount Kisco and Ossining. We’ve diversified and we love to have people come visit.” Seven Bridges, besides offering trial memberships, also allows trial weekends.

There is paddle tennis open all year, and special paddle tennis memberships. And at Seven Bridges, Dorner said, they “get their tennis courts open before anyone in town. We call it the best-kept secret in Chappaqua because people don’t realize how beautiful it is until they come visit,” Dorner said, adding that the club does not charge guest fees.

Willowbrook Swim & Tennis Club

586 Millwood Road

“We have been members since we moved into town 13 years ago and we just never looked back,” Harriet Engel, the board marketing chair for Willowbrook Swim & Tennis, said. “It’s such a warm and welcoming club.”

Engel’s children started swimming at Willowbrook, then began swimming year-round; her eldest son now swims at Greeley. Willowbrook reports that it has the most competitive swim team of the four clubs. But to Engel, besides the swimming, what stands out about Willowbrook is head coach Kelly Blacker’s focus on water safety. “She considers it her most important task to get every child to learn to swim,” Engel said. “Between swim team and tennis camp, my kids and many kids spend all day there.”

Willowbrook has also made arrangements for members to play golf twice per month at Anglebrook Golf Club in nearby Lincolndale at a special rate – two visits per month per membership.

Blacker said she values the family-oriented nature of the club, and considers the setting lovely. “It’s in the woods and it’s so peaceful; it’s very beautiful in the evening.”

10 Things to Know About Youth Soccer in Chappaqua

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PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAPPAQUA AYSO

1. Chappaqua offers a lot of soccer … there’s a Chappaqua branch of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) which plays locally until fifth grade and then competes against nearby communities, and also the Chappaqua Youth Soccer Club (CYSC), which plays in the Westchester Youth Soccer League (WYSL) and so teams travel farther – when people say ‘travel soccer’ in Chappaqua they generally mean CYSC. (There are teams at Horace Greeley High School, of course, and modified programs at the middle schools, too.) Everyone from super-athletic soccer enthusiasts to those who play soccer as a second sport or in a more relaxed fashion to children and teens with special needs–all these and more can find a way in Chappaqua to kick the black-and-white ball around with some peers while improving their skills and getting some fresh air.

2.… for kids of all ages. CYSC offers teams this year for children born in 2010 and afterwards; AYSO offers soccer to kids as young as pre-K. Both programs go all the way through high school. Copies of birth certificates are required for proof of age. Because AYSO has programs for younger players, many children start out playing for AYSO, Jonathan Taub, longtime commissioner of Chappaqua AYSO, said. Some continue with AYSO, which takes all children. There are no tryouts and no children are cut. Others switch to CYSC, which has annual tryouts in May.

3. Both programs are stand-outs. What’s the difference between AYSO and CYSC? Well, Taub said, “everyone knows all about AYSO.” It’s a national program that offers soccer to a wide range of ages and abilities, and is known for the slogan “Everyone plays.” AYSO unabashedly takes all comers. CYSC offers a more competitive, time-intensive experience; prospective players must try out annually. Lisa McGowan, co-president of CYSC with David Schreiber, said the “very large majority” of youngsters who try out are ultimately offered a spot on a CYSC team. After U9, players are assigned to a team based on ability and skill level, which is different than AYSO’s ‘balanced teams’ model. The AYSO U19 high school co-ed team is, Taub said, the largest program of its kind in the county. CYSC was given WYSL’s Club of the Year award in 2016, and the club was recognized for its commitment to a “player first” philosophy and commended for providing a “fun, safe and challenging environment” with “excellent leadership.” It was the first time WYSL gave out these awards.

4.… and have the support of many local volunteers. According to McGowan, close to 100 volunteers pitch in to make the program work, alongside 15 professional trainers (professional soccer coaches with many years of experience and many certifications). Chappaqua’s AYSO depends on many dozens of vounteers as well. Some volunteers, McGowan, Schrieber and Taub among them, don’t even have offspring currently playing soccer in the programs to which they devote their efforts. “We’re doing it because we love it,” Schreiber said.

Young AYSO players
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAPPAQUA AYSO
5. The players do need to be from Chappaqua/New Castle… CYSC teams are open to kids who reside in New Castle or attend the Chappaqua Schools. Chappaqua AYSO requires that players be residents of the Chappaqua school district, Taub said.

6.… which is a place with a lot of enthusiasm for the sport–the numbers are amazing. More than 700 kids play in AYSO’s program, Taub said, and according to McGowan, well over 400 players fill the ranks of CYSC’s teams. (The only overlap is with the U9 kids who play for CYSC: those players are required to also play for AYSO.) This enthusiasm is fostered by cooperation between the various programs and also the schools. Fields must be shared and schedules worked out. “The relationship in town between CYSC and Chappaqua AYSO is really excellent,” Schreiber said. “We work with them on field availability and many other issues.” While according to Schrieber there’s no formal relationship between the club’s efforts and the soccer program at Horace Greeley, “there are three coaches who also coach at the high school,” he said, stressing that there’s no sharing of information between the programs and totally separate tryouts. AYSO offers high school players both fall and spring seasons. CYSC only has spring seasons for high school players–at school, soccer is a fall sport.

7. Kids can play sometimes, or all year … AYSO offers spring and fall seasons and CYSC offers a 10-month program, except for high school teams.  “All of our teams practice in the winter including the high school teams,” McGowan said. Winter practices start shortly after the fall soccer season ends at the high school and are held indoors at Armonk Indoor Sports Center. In the summer, there’s a CYSC camp at the end of August that boasts an 85-percent participation rate. “It’s a five-day camp and each team has three hours of practice during the (camp) day,” Schrieber said. “During that one week, they’re getting in a lot of practice.”

(L-R): CYSC players, Wylie Glantz, Jacob Fragin, Zach Boyriven, Ryder Goodman
PHOTO COURTESY OF JARED FRAGIN
8.… and switch between programs. Many of Chappaqua’s soccer-playing youngsters start with AYSO and segue into CYSC, then to school soccer, while playing AYSO or CYSC in the club season. Some players leave soccer to devote more time to another sport, then come back. “The beauty of AYSO is that if you leave you can come back three years later. We’ll always have a place for every child to play soccer at AYSO,” Taub said. Schreiber and McGowan also said that players who have left CYSC for other athletic opportunities do return.

9. Sportsmanship is highly prized In fact, good sportsmanship is front and center on AYSO’s national website. “We pride ourselves on sportsmanship, focusing on development versus number of wins,” Schreiber said of CYSC. “I one-hundred percent agree,” McGowan said, adding that learning to be part of a team is very important.

10. and so is inclusion. AYSO has offered a VIP team for a few years now which serves kids with special needs. Josh Lurie founded the program several years ago, Taub said. Volunteers including Spencer McGowan and other high school students help children and teens on the team. “We’re happy to have everyone play,” Taub said. In addition, financial assistance is available for those who can not afford to pay team fees.

Chappaqua Crossing: Proceeding Apace

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Despite contentious debates for more than a decade, construction at Chappaqua Crossing is proceeding ahead in various phases. “Come this summer there will be more people living in that building,” New Castle Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein said in March as he pointed to a section of apartments in the so-called cúpula building–the building topped with four sculptures of Pegasus. Currently there are already 15 families calling the building “home.”

Lower down, other details from the old Reader’s Digest building’s past as a longtime employer of up to 4,000 people have been carefully preserved: well-made windows, fanlike brickwork above them, a rotunda room that used to house receptionists’ desks, irreplaceable interior doors, and a library, formerly used by Reader’s Digest staff, that curves out front and leads to a terrace.

“They’ve really preserved the architecture and a lot of the special interior aspects have been preserved,” Geoffrey Thompson, Summit/Greenfield’s spokesperson for the project, said. Thompson credits builder Bill Balter of Wilder Balter Partners for a special appreciation for preservation. “He recognized right away this was a special building and a special opportunity.” The apartments are a mix of affordable housing, housing intended for town employees, which are somewhat more expensive, and market-rate units.

A Phased Approach

As for the retail component, “the shell is almost done,” Greenstein said. In early spring, April 1 looked like a likely date for a building permit so the ‘buildout,’ or work on the interior, could commence. Then the retail component will be the main focus of effort. Greenstein explained that Department of Environmental Conservation rules prevent working on more than a five-acre area at a time, which is one reason this project is being accomplished in phases instead of all at once.

The townhouses, built by Toll Brothers, will come next. “The construction on the townhouses isn’t even going to start until the retail is done,” he said. “Even if they got their site plan approved tomorrow.”

There’s also office space at Chappaqua Crossing, including the corporate headquarters of Caremount, and Northern Westchester Hospital has medical offices there that are up and running. Other tenants include Digitech. Thompson said 200,000 square feet is already leased and there’s another 300,000 still available.

Building Retail and Improving Roadways

Roadway improvements are scheduled for this summer, and “once roadway improvement is done, they can open retail,” Greenstein said. “The roadway improvements have to be done for Whole Foods to get their CO,” which stands for certificate of occupancy. So far, confirmed tenants include a Whole Foods, a Life Time Fitness (which will include a spa and children’s play area) and Chase Bank, Thompson said at press time, with other businesses expressing interest and in various stages of negotiations.

The retail section of the project, which is located to the southeast of the cupola building, has a varied look to it and all sides of the project have been designed to look equally good, unlike some other retail spaces that prioritize the look of the front of the buildings.

New York State will determine whether or not the work on 117 will be managed by means of a detour. “You’re not going to widen a roadway without some disruption,” Greenstein said.

The changes to 117 will result in a left turning lane for motorists driving north on 117 who seek to make a left onto Roaring Brook Road. This will mean motorists going straight will no longer have to wait until drivers trying to make lefts in front of them find a break in traffic. There will also be a right lane for those traveling south, Thompson said.

Jitney Links Chappaqua Crossing with Downtown

Soon, there’ll be one or two extra ways–besides one’s car–to go between downtown Chappaqua and Chappaqua Crossing. The first will certainly be a jitney. Summit/Greenfield is “required to start a jitney shuttle as soon as the cupola building is occupied,” Greenstein said, recalling that Reader’s Digest once operated a similar service.

The second, a possible walking trail currently called ChapLine, is under consideration by the town board. “The first trail we looked into doing impacted a lot of wetlands,” Greenstein said, explaining that the board is now considering another route, but complexities such as possible easements must be taken into consideration.

The former Wallace Auditorium, also on the former Reader’s Digest property, now the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, has been up and running since last fall and there are already events scheduled for as far ahead as September.

“The property is going to be a diverse group of activities,” Thompson said. “It’s an overused saying, but ‘live/work/play’ really does apply to this property.”

For 45 Years, Club Fit Keeps Up With The Times

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On a recent weekday afternoon, lime and cantaloupe infused waters awaited members at the entrance of Club Fit in Briarcliff, and the fruit’s colorful cheer was echoed by the motivational sayings lining the walls. “Do something your future self will thank you for,” urged one.

But while Club Fit Briarcliff certainly offers many opportunities for the individual, what sets it apart from many gyms and fitness facilities is a focus on serving the entire family. Now celebrating its 45th year, the club, and its sister location in Jefferson Valley, offers a family-friendly experience with a special focus on giving back to the community, while offering a wide range of standard and modern fitness offerings.

From areas for children that are divided by age to special times for basketball for ages 40 and up, Club Fit supplies things to do for all ages. And with a focus on offering fun, age-appropriate childcare, parents can take advantage of all the club has to offer.

“One thing we’ve really expanded in the last 15 years is our childcare,” Ellen Koelsch, an owner of the club with her brother, Bill Beck, said recently. “We have enough space to dedicate to kids under five and kids five to 12. As a working mom myself, I know you can’t just leave the 6-year-old home alone.” The space for older kids has a small basketball court, air hockey, plus video games, with a catch–they’re played standing. “They’re getting used to a fitness environment early,” Koelsch said.

Childcare manager and party coordinator Melissa Lawrence, a longtime Club Fit employee, agreed. “I’ve been here 22 years and it’s great to see these kids grow up and see them return as adults–it’s pretty cool.”

After school, some kids come to Club Fit by bus. They can unwind, then take a swim or tennis lesson and “you can get out of work, do 20 minutes of cardio and grab your kid,” Koelsch said.

At Club Fit, the fitness center is flooded with natural light; and off to the side is something a little unusual–a space reserved for women only.

The club also has nine tennis courts, physical therapy on-site, and a huge pool area with spaces for lap swimming, lessons, swim team practice and a large hot tub. Parents with little ones can utilize the zero-entry area. There’s a spin area with more than 60 seats and racquetball as well.

There are also many spaces for group exercise classes–and Club Fit keeps up with the trends, offering the types of classes often found in small boutique gyms. Currently, members can take CFX classes, which are “our version of a functional fitness class, using your own body weight,” Koelsch said. “We’re kind of blending going to a studio for small-group attention with a full-service experience with childcare. We know family is important and time is valuable, so we make that kind of class available to the community. Exercise is important–people know that, they know it has to be a part of their lives, but what’s hard is to keep it interesting.” Besides CFX, the club offers TRX classes as well as more standard classes such as Zumba, which tend to be larger. The goal is to offer smaller studio-like classes within the club. “So your ‘neighborhood’ can stay the same, but you’re always on the cutting edge of fitness,” Koelsch said.

Club representative Wendy Courtney is another of many long-term employees. “When I started with the club, Ellen was little,” Courtney said. “The club was born and raised for the community and that’s how we developed – everything here was born for this community.” The club is constantly sending surveys to members and uses the responses to direct growth and change and improvement, Courtney and Koelsch said.

“It’s great to hear the good news but we learn from the bad news. Our members are our eyes and our ears,” Courtney said. “Our membership knows we want to hear from them.”

Personal trainer Beth Kear said at Club Fit, “the owners are very involved and supportive of the staff. Anywhere you go, you’ll see it – everything, from the minute you walk in the door has that family feel–friendly, welcoming, non-intimidating. Member integration is a big priority.”

That’s why newcomers to the club are given not just a session with a trainer, but are walked through every aspect of using a club–from how to use a membership card to how to use the machines. “You should feel comfortable from when you walk in the door,” Koelsch said.

Because some people who need to start exercising are very unaccustomed to the health club environment, Club Fit has a special program called Help RX. It’s a short-term, discounted program with “a lot more hand-holding,” Koelsch said. That way, prospective members who have been told by their doctors that they need to start exercising can try the club out.

Club Fit also offers a senior discount and half off membership fees to active duty police, firefighters, EMTs and military. And if there are area power failures–well, Beck said, they’ll open their doors to those who need hot showers, as they have before.

“We’ve been in our community a very long time,” Koelsch said. “And we love giving back.”

Chappaqua, What Changes in 15 Years!

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It has been 15 years since Inside Chappaqua launched … so much has happened and so much has changed, even as Chappaqua remains in many ways the same: great schools, a reasonable commute and a community that’s strong and caring. It isn’t easy to compile a list of fifteen items for fifteen years and a lot of great events and strides forward go unmentioned. But here’s a sampling of some of what’s made news in Chappaqua over the last decade and a half.

1. Seven Bridges Middle School opens, 2003. It seems like a long time ago now, and many town residents didn’t even live here yet when it happened – but what a big deal it was when Seven Bridges opened! Built at a cost of $32.5 million, Seven Bridges has since housed half of the district’s fifth-through-eighth graders and all of the children who attended those first years are now post-college age. Prior to the opening of Seven Bridges, fifth graders attended the elementary schools.

2. Chappaqua schools embrace full-day kindergarten, 2003. After years of discussion, Chappaqua’s kindergarteners started attending school for a full day, just like the bigger kids. Some parents rejoiced, others lamented that the school day was too long for little ones.

3. Chappaqua resident Hillary Clinton is re-elected to the Senate, 2006. Senator, Secretary of State, neighbor and valued community member; and so many in Chappaqua fervently wish her upward trajectory hadn’t stopped there. But who knows what the future holds? More from both Clintons, no doubt, and many in town were gratified when the pair solidified their roots by purchasing the property next door in 2016. Photo by Marianne Campolongo

4. Glass wall added to front of library, entrance re-configured, 2006-7. A bond vote to fund this project went down in the 90s so the library took the long view and started saving, library director Pamela Thornton said. Those who enjoy the bright and airy periodicals section in particular look back with gratitude.

 

5. Our Family of Readers statue comes to Chappaqua Library, 2010. It’s a terrific addition to a public space and perfect at sending a favored message of libraries: reading is for everyone. Created by sculptor Penelope Jencks, the sculpture was installed at Reader’s Digest headquarters in 1993 and presented to the library when the company left Chappaqua for Manhattan, Thornton said.

6. Chappaqua Farmer’s Market opens outside, 2011. Located at the train station, the Chappaqua Farmer’s Market keeps growing, while offering free and easy parking. “Every year we’re amazed we can fit more vendors…and more customers keep coming,” Pacale Le Draoulec, the market’s director, said. Le Draoulec and the market’s board keep considering the best way to grow. “We curate the market very closely,” she said. “ We want to be a farmer’s market first and foremost.” That means more fruits and vegetables than prepared foods. During the colder months, the market has first-Saturday pop-ups at the First Congregational Church. When the market reopens outside again in May with a return to the train station, Le Draoulec aims to “bring in more organic.” And of course, the weekly entertainment and the community-like atmosphere make this the place to be on Saturday mornings.

7. Chappaqua Community Garden opens, 2012. A space to grow at 233 N. Greeley Ave., this garden has “about 20 plots in the middle of town,” according to the website of Intergenerate, the organization that manages it. This year, expect to see black-eyed Susans, cosmos and more blooming in the pollinator garden outside the gate, Suzi Novak, the garden’s coordinator and Intergenerate board member, said. While there’s a short waiting list for spots in the Chappaqua garden, at press time there was plenty of room at the new community garden slated to open this spring on the site of the old Millwood Swim Club on Route 100, Novak said

8. Strawberry Festival reaches 75th year, 2012. And it made it to the 80th too–with no end in sight, this beloved event is low-key and lovely. Strawberry shortcake is never outdated.

9. New Castle Town board releases RFP (request for proposals) for downtown revitalization project, 2013. The downtown is being totally redone now and there’ll be a plaque to commemorate the project right outside–where else? Horace Greeley House. The construction project, called Streetscape, will improve roads, sidewalks, public spaces and infrastructure as well as beautify with new street lamps and plants, as reported by The Inside Press last August. Downtown shoppers will be glad when the project’s completed  which is scheduled for October of this year. 
10. Take It Or Leave It Shed re-opens behind the Shell station, 2014. Town historian Gray Williams said the move was a great one, causing a lot more use.

11. Habitat for Humanity project kicks off with a meeting at the library, 2015. Soon a former Quaker meeting house will boast two three-bedroom condos. Local architect Bill Spade, as reported previously by The Inside Press, said the style will “match the original structure.” One senses the Quakers would have heartily approved.

12. Chappaqua passes 42.5 million dollar bond vote for schools improvements, 2016. It was a big bond that passed handily and the improvements will be many, including various improvements to aging infrastructure, global learning centers at the high school and all elementary schools, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) centers at the middle and high schools and more.

13. Chappaqua Crossing breaks ground, 2016. Hardly anyone in Chappaqua is unaware of the decades-long battle? struggle? negotiations? that preceded the current work transforming the old Reader’s Digest buildings into a mix of retail, residential and office spaces. Layoffs at Reader’s Digest impacted the community and when the offices moved to Manhattan, a beloved institution was missed by many.

14. New turf field and renovated track opens at Horace Greeley High School with a community celebration including obstacle courses, face painting, and a varsity football game on Sept. 8, 2017. Schools superintendent Christine Ackerman told the crowd at the celebration, “We are so fortunate to live in a community that supports our students in so many ways.” These were some of the projects funded by the bond approved in 2016.

15. Opening Night at Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, Sept. 28, 2017. The former Wallace Auditorium on the Reader’s Digest property opens as a community-owned theater space with 425 seats. This spring, Chappaqua residents and other lovers of culture and the arts can see Ricky Lee Jones, the Chappaqua Orchestra and more.