Andrew Vitelli

The Beauty of Armonk

October 21, 2016 by Andrew Vitelli

North Castle “and beyond” can easily boast more than its fair share of natural beauty in Westchester County. As you embark on fall foliage drives, you won’t have to travel very far to be dazzled by the colors arriving this season. While photos were taken just days before the colors started to change, they do offer a light hint of the lush panaroma sure to follow.

Pictured here are views from Wampus Brook Park in Armonk, Westmoreland Sanctuary in North Castle, and the Kensico Dam in Valhalla.

ANDREW VITELLI PHOTOS

Meet the Chamber’s Stacy Wilder

October 21, 2016 by Andrew Vitelli

Please tell us about yourself. How long have you lived in Armonk?

STACY: I moved to Armonk in 1994 with my husband, Allen Blum, and our two young children, Jeremy (now 26) and David (now 23).

When did you decide to get involved with the Chamber? What made you want to become involved?

STACY: I’ve always been involved in the community, first as a volunteer at the schools, then as a board member and president of the Windmill Club, as a co-chair of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show and, most recently, as the Director of Communications for the Armonk Chamber of Commerce.

I believe in the importance of giving back to the community. In order for a community to thrive, residents need to pitch in and lend a hand. It’s one thing to complain and keep your fingers crossed, but quite another to do something meaningful to effect change. Plus, the bonus has been getting to know the wonderful people in our town who make good things happen.

How has the Chamber evolved? How do you connect the Chamber to the wider community?

STACY: In the 22 years that I have lived here, Armonk has become a very different place. What was once a tiny stretch along Main Street has become a thriving downtown with a perfect central meeting space at Armonk Square. As the town evolved and the business scene grew, it became apparent that the Chamber of Commerce had to up its game.The current board, with Neal Schwartz as its president, has really stepped up communications between members and the surrounding community. Social media has been a great way to keep everyone, both residents and businesses, informed. Plus, Armonk Connect, our annual membership directory that gets mailed to over 8,000 households, provides the community with valuable local information.

Our newly revised website (armonkchamberofcommerce.com) gives easy access to our membership directory, activities and events. Members are also given their own URL web page, which we encourage them to utilize in branding their local presence.

Chamber membership has grown to over 130 members, who either have businesses here or who do business here. Monthly meetings provide a way for members to network and brainstorm about how to connect to the community. One way we do this is through a number of Chamber-sponsored events. Our Citizen of the Year dinner and golf outing in May honors a member of the Armonk community who embodies a long-time passion for making a difference in our town. It brings together business owners, town government, residents and their friends. During the summer months we sponsor First Thursdays, with entertainment and activities downtown. Merchant promotions and specials are geared towards bringing people into town to listen to music, stroll through local shops and eat at one of our many participating restaurants. In the fall, we host the Cider and Donut Festival together with Jamie’s 5K Run for Love in Wampus Brook Park. This year, for the first time, the Festival included the Byram Hills Pre-School Association carnival, which made it a great day for people of all ages. This festive event brings together friends and families from near and far, and gives Chamber members a chance to sponsor and provide fun activities. All of these events give local residents and attendees a chance to interact with our member businesses.

What are the Chamber’s goals, both short and long term?

STACY: We are always looking for ways to help our local businesses succeed. Short term, we aim to increase each businesses visibility through networking, events and web awareness. We also try to educate the community about the value of shopping local whenever possible. Our long-term goals have even greater payback. We have a vested interest in creating memories for our town’s patrons. Happy memories will keep people coming back for more, and that’s a winning scenario for everyone.

Cemetery Tour Brings Civil War Veterans to Life

October 21, 2016 by Andrew Vitelli

A piece of Armonk’s history will come to life this November. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church will take visitors back 175 years in time, as the church, which dates back to 1842, holds a dramatized tour of its historic cemetery. The tour, which will be held on Nov. 5 at 4 p.m., will include a selection of monologues delivered by performers cast by the Armonk theater company.

The stories told will focus on people who served in the U.S. military, particularly during the Civil War. Tour-goers will visit the gravesites of two veterans of the Civil War, U.S. Army Private William Freeland and Corp. Albert Ransom.

Freeland, who died of typhoid fever in 1864 at the age of 25 while stationed at Rikers Island, and Ransom will each be given new headstones this year by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Ransom was held as a Prisoner of War at the notorious Andersonville Prison in Georgia, where nearly a third of the 45,000 Union soldiers held there died of disease, starvation, overcrowding, or exposure to the elements. According to research by George Pouder, an Armonk-based historian and author, Ransom was so traumatized by his experience during the war that he lost all memory of his military service.

Much of the material performed at the cemetery tour is drawn from Pouder’s research. Pouder, a World War II veteran, published biographies of more than 100 Civil War veterans from North Castle, including 68 who are buried in the town’s cemeteries. After discovering that Ransom had no tombstone and Freeland’s was in a state of disrepair, Pouder worked with Rev. Nils Chittenden of St. Stephen’s to lobby the government to issue new headstones.

Tickets for the tour can be purchased online in advance at ststephensarmonk.org for $10, or at the door for $15; children under 12 are $5 in advance or $10 at the door. Visitors can also view the recently-renovated historic sanctuary of St. Stephen’s, with a visual history of the church’s artwork, artifacts, and photographs provided in the Parish Hall.

For more information about the tours, visit the church’s website or call (914) 273-3812. St. Stephen’s is located at 50 Bedford Road in Armonk.

Andrew Vitelli is a Westchester native and the editor of Inside Armonk.

In Gratitude

October 21, 2016 by Andrew Vitelli

Andrew Vitelli

By Andrew Vitelli

For our November edition of Inside Armonk, we have stories on history, politics, art, altruism, and some looks back at the last two months.

As Americans, the first thing that comes to many of our minds when we think of November is elections. With this year being a presidential election year (and an unusual one at that), it’s likely a lot of readers will have more than a little election fatigue by the time you’ve picked up this magazine. But even for those who have watched, heard, and read more than they can stand on the presidential election, the races closer to home often get overlooked. For this issue, we’ve spotlighted the race for Armonk’s representative in the New York State Senate, profiling both candidates and allowing readers to compare where they stand.

Election season is also a great time to look back at the country’s history and at the role our town played.

I’ve highlighted the work of the North Castle Historical Society whose members make sure this history isn’t lost for future generations. We have also included a preview of an upcoming tour of one of Armonk’s historic cemeteries, located next to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and the resting place of many Civil War veterans, for those who want to delve deeper into the history.

Our cover story last issue previewed the Armonk Outdoor Art Show. For this edition, we look back at that weekend, along with coverage of other art shows in the area. We also feature pictures from the Donuts and Cider Festival held in September.

For our Q&A, ‘meet’ Stacy Wilder, the director of communications for the Armonk Chamber of Commerce. Stacy tells readers how the hamlet has evolved in the 22 years she has lived in Armonk, and what the chamber has done in order to keep up.

We also highlight a charity event held this September in a spin studio, where cyclists took a “Spin for a Cure” with funds going towards the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

Finally, our November issue profiles Westchester County Airport, an often overlooked asset for the town and the region. We look at how the airport fits into North Castle and Westchester County, why travelers prefer the airport to some of the larger airports in the area, and how Westchester County Airport became what it is today.