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Anna Young

The Joy of Skiing: Three Options Close to Home

February 18, 2021 by Anna Young

For northern Westchester resident Lys Varcasia, grabbing her snowboard and heading up a snowy mountain only to come down at full speed with the wind blowing in her hair is an oasis like no other. 

With the current health crisis bringing stress and turmoil to so many over the last year, it’s only natural to desire an escape. And a classic day of letting loose in the snow, whether it be hitting the slopes for some cross-country skiing or snow tubing down a steep hill, might be just what the doctor ordered. 

And there’s no doubt it’s where you’ll find Varcasia on a weekend with her family. “My favorite thing is going down the mountain and just being free and not thinking about anything else,” she said. “Being in the mountains, the views are beautiful. And when you get off the jump, you’re not thinking about anything but the wind and picking up speed. It’s exhilarating.”

Ensuring Safety

Whether you’re an avid skier/snowboarder, want to glide down a mountain in snow tube, go shopping or just need a weekend getaway in front of cozy fireplace, ski destinations across the state have something for everyone, and have also implemented health protocols to ensure safety for all. 

Despite the distribution of the COVID vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advise those to wear a mask and social distance by avoiding large gatherings and keeping a six-foot distance. 

Health officials further warn to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, avoiding sick people, and staying inside if exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus. 

Here are some places you can enjoy safely with your family or friends. 

Hunter Mountain

While a roughly two-hour trek from Westchester County, Hunter Mountain is taking reservations for some fun in the… snow.

Whether skiing, boarding, tubing, shopping, dining out or just enjoying the scenery, Hunter Mountain has everything you need for a quick family getaway. The destination offers four separate mountains with a wide variety of terrain to cater to all ability levels. 

Pass holders are required to make a reservation to access the mountains and lift tickets must be purchases prior to arriving at the resort. Seasonal passes are no longer available for purchase. 

Due to health restrictions, reservations will be needed every day to access any mountain so riders can enjoy the outdoors with proper distancing between parties. Face masks or coverings are mandatory to access all mountains, according to its website. 

Additionally, all transactions at hotels, restaurants, ski and ride school, activities, and all other points of sale this season will be cashless, the website states, advising travelers to book online in advance via the resort website.  

Hunter Mountain is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thunder Ridge Ski Area

Want something a little closer to home? With 22 trails, three chairlifts and four magic carpets, Thunder Ridge Ski Area is the perfect spot to spend the day. Located in Patterson in Putnam County, the destination offers slow and gentle slows to meet the needs of newer skiers and snowboarders and high impact trails for more advanced riders.

Unlimited seasonal passes are available for purchase online, with prices based on age from children to senior citizens. Midweek season passes are also available for all ages at $295. 

Furthermore, lessons are offered for any beginner looking to learn.

Due to limited capacity, lift tickets must be purchased online and can be bought up to 14 days in advance of the arrival date. Online purchases are not refundable or transferable. 

Going with a group of friends but hate the snow? No problem. Take in the panoramic view with a cup of hot chocolate inside the lodge or glass atrium that overlooks the mountain base and slopes. Reservations will be required to eat, and diners will be limited to 45 minutes. 

Other safety restrictions will require all guests to a wear face mask or covering, unless eating or actively skiing. Seasonal lockers are not available, and guests will be prohibited from changing inside the lodge. 

Additionally, reservations will be required for all lessons and equipment rentals. 

Thunder Ridge Ski Area is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Windham Mountain Resort

Positioned in the Catskills, Windham Mountain Resort is worth the over two-hour drive to access the 285 skiable acres and 54 trails over two peaks, six terrain parks and 11 lifts. The destination offers skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and a ski and ride simulator. Snowtubing serviced by a conveyor lift and kids’ snowmobiles can be found at the resort’s Adventure Park.

Tickets for the Adventure Park are at a first come, first serve basis, and the park is expected to remain open through mid-March. 

Windham Mountain offers a variety of passes and tickets, though it is encouraged all tickets, including lift access, be purchased online. Daily tickets are only available when terrain is open for skiing and riding and must be purchased by 11:50 p.m. the night before a trip to receive a discount, according to the website.

Pricing and quantity of tickets will vary by day and are nonrefundable. Tickets unable to be used can be transferred to another day during the winter season. Advanced reservations for rentals will be required. 

No on-site purchase of rental equipment will be accepted. 

Masks are required, except during active skiing and riding, and indoor lodging will be limited to a 50 percent capacity. There will be no changing rooms, lockers, or cubbies available in the base lodge and no bags or personal belongings can be left in the building.  

The resort has also shifted to cashless transactions. 

Windham Mountain Resort is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Mountains, Ski destinations, skiing, snow

Discovering the Revitalized Parks & Trails Inside Briarcliff Manor

February 18, 2021 by Anna Young

Scarborough Park.  Photos by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

As Briarcliff Manor officials undertook a mission to revitalize and publicize the areas many parks and nature trails, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in residents and visitors rediscovering the outdoor luxuries the village has to offer. 

With nearly a dozen parks and walking paths neglected over the years, the Briarcliff Village Board and Recreation Department have taken on an initiative since 2019 to clean up the grounds, introduce new programs and enhance the trail system to make the outdoor amenities more accessible and interactive to those using it.

A Newly Marked Pocantico Park

Henry Jamin, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, said an area like Pocantico Park, the village’s largest park at nearly 71 acres, had several sections that were never formally designed to support a walking or hiking path. Those routes are now marked trails, he said.

“One of our initiatives was to improve our trail systems and do a better job of promoting it to the public, so that’s an ongoing effort,” Jamin said. “The trails have been there for years, but they were not marked.”

Improvements included replacing worn signage, grooming entranceways, creating new parking areas, and marking and mapping all the trails. With officials determined to bring more attention and foot traffic to village, a collaboration was made with The Hiking Project, an app that includes walking paths and trails across the country and allows users to add additional routes to explore. 

Briarcliff Manor Deputy Mayor Peter Chatzky took the Inside Press on a Park and Trails tour, much to our delight. “All the Briarcliff trails are mapped,” Chatzky noted with great enthusiasm, “and an interactive app can run on your phone to help you navigate a trail and pick an appropriate route based on topography and amenities.”

Exploring with a Handy App

The app, which also has a website equivalent, provides recommended trails, photos, difficulty ratings, mileage, trail conditions, and special features to look out for on that route. In addition, users are informed of available amenities, parking, ADA accessibility, pet rules, bicycle usage and if a location is family friendly. 

While the Law Memorial Park Walking Path is an easy, half-mile, family-friendly area where dogs and bicycles are allowed, the Pocantico Park Loop, which spans the Yellow Trail and Red Trail, is a nearly one-mile scenic loop that is rated at an intermediate/difficult level. 

But part of the plan was ensuring residents and visitors alike were aware of the new improvements and boosting those efforts to the public.Then the pandemic hit, and the desire and near desperation to be outside made the village’s attempts to promote its parks and trails almost pointless. 

“The pandemic really helped us get people out there,” said Village Trustee Sabine Werner. “We saw a real increase of utilization of parks and trails as people were looking to get out of their house.”

Jamin added how COVID re-emphasized the need for parks and recreation, noting how several programs have popped up in Law Memorial Park since March, including stroller stride workout classes, running groups, and yoga in the park. 

What is ‘Geocaching’?

With increased interest, the village opted to introduce a new activity last summer: geocaching. 

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt using GPS devices via cell phone that is played all around the world. Participants download the Geocaching App and navigate to specific coordinates to find hidden containers at various locations with trinkets inside. 

There are currently nine containers hidden in trails and parks throughout Briarcliff. 

“It was helpful in getting people out who wouldn’t ordinarily want to take a walk in the woods. It’s just an activity that’s fun and gets you into the outdoors,” Jamin said. “We’re constantly brainstorming what we can offer that is safe and helps people enjoy themselves and have some fun.”

For those looking for other types of amusement, Chilmark Park located on Macy Road offers two clay, two NovaPro all-weather and two har-tru tennis courts. The 8.3-acre site also provides a half-court basketball court, a soccer field, an athletic field, and a large playground. 

Law Memorial Park, which is in the heart of Briarcliff on Pleasantville Road, is home to the village pool and four tennis courts–three clay courts and one year-round all-weather court–with lights for evening play. The 7-acre park has a playground that includes swings, a sandbox, and play structures. Furthermore, the Village Library is on the Park’s eastern edge, with a new two-story pavilion officially open for use. 

Sunset Destination: Stunning Scarborough Park

Scarborough Park is the perfect place to take in the sights of the Hudson River or go fishing. The six-acre, 97-year-old park’s shoreline recently underwent a shore stabilization and erosion project. “It’s one of the only areas of Briarcliff that is actually on the Hudson,” noted Chatzky. “For years it was badly eroded. With $100,000 earmarked to resolve the erosion, the Village Department of Public Works bought huge boulders, and receded the grass twice with new dirt. Some new tree plantings enhance this gem which falls right below the Scarborough train station. Two memorial benches were donated by a current trustee Kevin Hunt in memory of his mother and father, Cathi Hunt and Charles “Chuck” Hunt, and of his son, Lars Hunt.

What a difference a village’s dedicated attention makes. Today, Jamin said Scarborough is the perfect place to relish the sunset. 

While the village has made progress over the last year, there are still many projects on the horizon. 

While officials are currently looking to connect the North County Trailway to Pocantico Park, other connections are in discussions along with park upgrades and new program ideas presently, two tennis courts at Chilmark Park are being converted into six pickle ball courts that are scheduled to open this summer.

“It’s all about expanding opportunities,” Jamin said. “There’s a lot to be done and a lot more to discover we can do.”

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Briarcliff Manor, Chilmark Park, Geocaching, Kate Kennard Trail, Law Memorial Park, North County Trailway, Pocantico Lake, recreation, Scarborough Park, Westchester Parks, Westchester Trails

When Cabin Fever Strikes: Three Fun Family Excursions!

November 13, 2020 by Anna Young

With so much uncertainty happening this year most might be seeking some semblance of normalcy at a time when families would be gathering to ring in the holidays together.

With New York’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 significantly lower compared to March, some restrictions have lifted enough over the months allowing for folks to get out and enjoy themselves. Businesses and destinations across the state have also implemented health protocols to ensure safety for all.

Whether it’s eating out, visiting your favorite museum, going skiing or cutting down a Christmas tree at the local farm, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises those to wear a mask and social distance by avoiding large gatherings and keeping a six-foot distance.

Health officials further warn to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, refrain from touching your eyes, nose and mouth, avoiding sick people and staying inside if exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus.

Here are some places you can enjoy safely with your family or friends this holiday season.

Photo by Jessica Norman

Untermyer Gardens Conservancy

According to the CDC, taking care of your mental health is imperative during times of increased stress and uncertainty.

Whether taking a break from work, eating healthy or exercising, there’s no better place to take a much-needed deep breath than Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers. With multiple gardens and paths spanning nearly 50-acres overlooking the Hudson River, a walk around the historic park is guaranteed to provide more relief than a stroll around the neighborhood or the grocery store.

Untermyer Gardens, located at 945 North Broadway, is open Friday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Due to COVID-19, admission is accepted through a free timed-entry reservation system which allows visitors to sign up for a 30-minute entry window and visit the garden for up to 90 minutes. Admission is free.

Along with guided tours every Sunday and areas specialized for professional photography sessions, the Conservancy will also host its annual Grand Holiday Illumination from Dec. 12 to Jan. 3. The event will run from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

“For the Illumination, only the Walled Garden will be open to visitors,” Jessica Norman, Outreach Officer for Untermyer Gardens, said. “It can be visited by those who cannot go up or down stairs, but the amphitheater and loggias are not accessible to those who can’t do stairs.”

She added heavy snowfall or significant ice will close the event until walkways are cleared and safe for visitors.

Reservations are required and can be made at untermyergardens.org.

Visitors must wear masks and exercise safe social distancing, with monitors stationed throughout the park ensuring rules are followed. Those refusing to follow guidelines will not be permitted to enter or remain in the gardens. Visitors must also follow the one-way routes indicated on the map and signage and not enter blocked off areas.

Photo By Douglas Camberis

The Museum of Ice Cream

While traveling to New York City may elicit some skepticism, there’s no confusion when it comes to ice cream.

Whether you’re diving feet first into the Sprinkle Pool, embracing a tribute to the history of gay pride in the Rainbow Tunnel, riding on the three-story slide, or admiring the dessert feast suspended by floating balloons, The Museum of Ice Cream has 13 exhibitions for ice cream lovers of all ages.

In-person and virtual ice cream making classes are also provided, along with ice cream crafted with true English toffee, 1950s inspired malted milk balls and ripe bananas, according to the website.

In accordance with the CDC, the facility will be deep cleaned before opening, throughout the day and before closing, with team members training to disinfect all touch points immediately after contact with guests. Spaces will also be sanitized after each viewing, the website states, with sanitizer stations in specific areas.

Masks are required and must be worn at all times. Those without one will be denied entry.  Refunds will not be offered to those who are removed from the building for not adhering to the guidelines, but will be given to those who become ill and cancel a reservation.

Groups larger than 10 will be prohibited. There will also be markers on the floor to ensure that a safe distance is met, the website states.

Tickets can be bought online and are $39 for adults and free for kids under two.

The museum, located at 558 Broadway in New York City, is open Thursday-Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

www.museumoficecream.com.

Photo by Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights

The annual Holiday Lights event at the Bronx Zoo will return this year on Nov. 20, with select dates available through January 10.

The event will encompass a larger area of the zoo and will accommodate social distancing procedures to avoid bottleneck areas. This year’s event will feature nearly 50 more animal lanterns than last year and will create five geographically representative lantern safaris that include species from different regions of the world.

People of all ages can indulge in holiday-themed music, ice carving demonstrations, costumed characters, stilt walkers, souvenirs, and seasonal treat like hot chocolate and s’mores. With s’mores a popular attraction, the zoo will also increase its fire pits from four to 12 this year.

A tree will also be erected to ring in the holiday spirit.

“2020 has been a trying year for all of us and has once again shown the resiliency of New York City and New Yorkers,” said Jim Breheny, Bronx Zoo Director and WCS Executive Vice President for Zoos & Aquarium “The city has always been the center of the holiday universe, and The Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights will help bring a sense of normalcy to the city.”

Tickets must be purchased online, with adult tickets $34.95 and $32.95 for seniors. Children 3-12 will cost $22.95. WCS members will receive a 40% discount, with members at the Conservation Supporter level receiving free admission.

If unable to attend the event, the zoo’s 265 acres and 8,000 animals are open for viewing. Visitors must purchase tickets in advance and reserve a specific date prior to arrival. The zoo, located at 2300 Southern Blvd in The Bronx, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. www.bronxzoo.com.

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Cabin Fever, Excursions, Family Fun, Family Outings, Holiday Lights, holiday season, Museum of Ice Cream, safe distance, social distancing, The Bronx Zoo, Untermyer Gardens Conservancy

Local Residents Help with the Refugee Crisis & Resettlement Needs

April 18, 2019 by Anna Young

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY REFLING

Four years ago, a photo of a Syrian boy’s lifeless body washed up along the Turkish shore went viral and enlightened so many to the plight refugees succumb just to have freedom, peace and safety.

The three-year-old boy, who was one of 12 Syrians who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea attempting to reach the Greek Island of Kos, encapsulated the determination and desperation refugees experience trying to escape the horror and danger they were born into.

That photo served as a catalyst for several residents and organizations throughout Westchester County to work together to support refugees overseas and aid in integrating and assimilating them as they sought refuge in the United States.

Armonk resident Jackie Tarascio said she was shocked by the image and felt an urgency to help refugees in anyway.

“When I saw it, I just felt like I had to do something. It was an awful image of these refugees seeking freedom,” Tarascio said. “It’s easy to go to dinner with your friends and have a day-to-day life, and then you become aware of what’s going on and you feel guilty for spending $5 on coffee, having a home, wearing a jacket or travelling through a border. These people can’t even cross a border to get to safety.”

Wanting to help those in need, Tarascio searched through social media for groups devoted to connecting refugees and volunteers, eventually joining several private groups on Facebook that serve both local families and those overseas. It’s a networking team that has been built up over the years and you learn the people you can trust, she said.

Tarascio noted many instances where her volunteerism assisted someone resettle locally, find a job, or acquire a doctor to perform an essential surgery overseas, adding that each individual and family is grateful to receive support. But while Tarascio is fortunate to help so many, she said it’s a highly emotional circumstance where some cases simply can’t be solved.

“Sometimes you need to come to terms with a family being unable to get out of their situation,” Tarascio said. “It’s a burden you expect, and it’s a weight on your shoulders and an awareness of what is happening. It took me seeing a news report to want to know more but if I can help get someone a stroller it’s heartwarming.”

Chappaqua resident Mary Refling, who started the Westchester Refugee Task Force in 2015, said she became aware of the violence in Syria after seeing the graphic photo in church one day. After learning there wasn’t a resettlement agency in Westchester, she said it was time to step up to the plate and help those seeking asylum.

“Most of the people in our group feel this real strong connection to this sense of civic responsibility that we are here and the privileges we enjoy as American citizens are due in part to our grandparents and our parents,” Refling said, noting how difficult it is for people to leave their life, and sometimes families behind, to emigrate to the United States with almost nothing. “We just feel like someone did this for us so it’s our turn to make it possible for the new generation of immigrants.”

Kathie O’Callaghan, president and founder of Hearts & Homes For Refugees (HHFR), felt similar discouragement after she launched her non-profit grassroots humanitarian group in 2015. O’Callaghan collaborated with several civic groups and faith-based coalitions to create the Westchester Refugee Initiative to broaden the scope of work they could do to resettle refugees. In the last two years, she said her organization has resettled 12 cases, or 100 individuals.

Jackie Tarascio

While O’Callaghan and Refling are proud of the work they are doing, both noted that the Trump Administration has made every effort to prevent refugees from seeking asylum in the United States. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of State, the number of new refugees in New York decreased from a high of 5,026 in 2016 to 1,281 in 2018.

With the number of refugees decreasing, O’Callaghan said her organization is focused on supporting recently resettled immigrants, citing that many of them have particular needs and run into obstacles as they integrate into the community. “The US has always been the country people look up to, and we’re not going to model the current behavior that this country has shown,” O’Callaghan said. “We’re not going to save the world by resettling refugees but it’s important that we make sure that we do our part. We’re not going to disappear.”

 

Filed Under: Armonk Cover Stories Tagged With: Hearts and Homes for Refugees, help, refugee, Refugee Task Force, support, Westchester County Refugee Task Forces

Residents Find Friendship and Intellectual Stimulation at Local Book Clubs

December 2, 2018 by Anna Young

When Chappaqua resident Kate Feher moved into the area four months ago she quickly missed the bonds she had made back home.

As a first-time mom adjusting to her new life in Chappaqua, Feher said she struggled to meet people and make friends. Her longing for friendship led her on a search to joining a group she had never been apart of before; a book club. But for Feher, her search for a friendly neighborhood book club turned into a grand effort to start her own group.

“I posted on the Chappaqua Moms Facebook page if anyone was part of a book club that needed new members. I thought I’d be meeting 10 to 12 ladies when I made that post,” Feher said. “I got over 100 responses and realized there was a clear and untasked need and excitement around joining a book club.”

As Feher began organizing her newest venture, she said it was imperative the club have equal ambition and wine. “People are looking for intellectual stimulation, but also social connection and book clubs have a good balance of both,” she said. “Reading is good down time and if you have a book club forcing you to take some down time hopefully it helps people take time for themselves.”

On Nov. 1, Feher kicked off the first meeting of the Chappaqua Moms Book Club, a group comprised of roughly 75 women from Chappaqua, Bedford, Briarcliff, Pound Ridge and other neighboring towns.

With 75 a large number for a community book club, Feher said the club will be broken down into five separate groups who will meet once a month at a place of their choosing and control their reading choices. While each group will run autonomously, suggestions will be made by Feher based on a survey she issued to members prior to the November meeting.

Suggested books include, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon, The Power by Naomi Aiderman, and Less by Andrew Sean Greer.

While the entire group will meet once a year to discuss their experiences and reading choices, she added that the club was less about books and more about meeting other people in the community and making new friends. Women like me with new children that really don’t know anyone just want to get to know other people, she said.

“I think a lot of people use social media to connect but it’s a digital connection, it’s not a person-to-person meeting and I think people are missing that,” Feher said. “I think this is a way for people to get to know others and feel more connected to the community. People in the community and so many women are so hungry for it.”

Book Lovers meet monthly at the North Castle Public Library as part of the Current Affairs Book Club. Photo by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

But women aren’t the only one’s hungry for engaging conversation. For Armonk resident Daniel Vock, it was his passion for history and topical news that served as the catalyst to launch his Current Affairs Book Club five years ago at the North Castle Library.

After attending a similar book club in Greenwich, Conn., Vock approached library officials with the idea of starting his own club in Armonk. Since then, he has collaborated with North Castle Library librarian Mary Johnson to obtain non-fiction reading material either listed on The New York Times bestseller list or suggested by the groups five core members.

With the group meeting on the second Tuesday of each month, excluding August, Vock said their 90-minute discussion will revolve around the book, and what’s happening in the news, which Vock said always results in a lively discussion.

“We learn from reading the book and we learn from each other,” Vock said. “If you don’t learn from history, history will repeat itself again. And that’s what we feel we’re seeing now, and we learn from debating.”

Along with reading books, Vock said they will occasionally invite the books author or other historical authors and specialists to join the book club in their discussions.

But while most book clubs are comprised primarily of women, Vock said his group, comprised of all men, struggles to attract female membership. With energetic discussions and debate a core value of the club, he added he also wishes residents who are in support of President Donald Trump would join the group to enable a more well-rounded debate.  “We’re missing that component to the club because we can’t build on those opinions,” Vock said.

Despite the occasional controversial topics up for discussion, Vock said his group of “fair-minded” men gives senior citizens, like himself, the opportunity to get together and talk about the many national and international issues facing them. He joked it also gives his wife a break from his political gab.

“The men that are in this group I consider as brilliant and well-informed people who have led a full life, have seen a lot of things and have a lot to contribute,” Vock said. “We want to learn and exchange ideas rather than impose points of view.”

Chappaqua resident Holly Blum, who has been a member of Words with Wine Book Club since 2013, agreed that book clubs provide a night out and enlist members from all different backgrounds, education and upbringing to contribute and provide a more dynamic dialog.

“I’ve met a lot of great people through the book club,” Blum said. “What I really like about it is that it brings together a lot of different women who I would not have had the opportunity to know of otherwise.”

Blum said she appreciates her book club because they allow the reader to reflect on their experience with the book, while also giving room to reexamine the book with the roughly three-hour discussion that erupts during their monthly meetings.

“The women in the book club are not particularly shy about sharing their opinions,” Blum said. “It’s really an opportunity to get together with semi-likeminded people who enjoy a glass of wine, who like to read and hopefully have something interesting to contribute, book related or not.”

The need for stimulating conversation, friendship and community is exactly why Armonk resident Anita Luden Greenwald started Book Club Armonk three years ago.

While her kids were growing up, Greenwald said she was part of an Armonk-based book club for 16 years until it eventually disbanded due to residents retiring or moving out of the area. Some time later when her kids were all grown up and out of the house, Greenwald said she was in search for a new group of people who shared her desire for camaraderie and had a commitment to the community.

When a search on the Armonk Moms Facebook forum led her to a thread about reading and book suggestions, she decided to launch the Armonk Book Club.

“I got this resounding yes from people I didn’t know to join this book club,” Greenwald said. “I reserved a table at Beehive Restaurant and we all came with books we wanted to read. We had 12 to 15 people come and it was incredible.”

Book Club Armonk is comprised of 12 Armonk residents who meet monthly at a members’ home for snacks, wine and conversation. With books chosen a year in advance, the group will provide suggestions on reading material, and the books that share an overlap will ultimately be chosen. The rest is based on reviews, Greenwald said.

“It’s very democratic,” she said. “Somebody inevitably is always organized with questions from a book club guide, but someone will start talking about how they felt about a book and then everyone continues to chime in.”

While most book clubs choose their selection based on the book, Book Club Armonk centers their choice on the author.

“We choose an author, so you can read whatever book you want by the author and then compare notes and look at similar writing styles,” Greenwald said. “It’s really an interesting way to do a book club. Everybody was willing to try this, and through our Facebook page we poll to see who the author will be.”

Since she pioneered the group, Greenwald said it’s something she looks forward to every month, adding that the group encourages people to talk about more than gossip but share in intellectual discussion and get to know each other on an intimate and personal level. When you run into other members in town, it’s so nice, she said.

But as an avid reader, she said there’s nothing better than getting lost in a book.

“Books take you on a voyage to other locations, other cultures and other time periods,” she said. “There’s nothing like having a cup of tea with your book with the fireplace going. It’s perfect.”

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Book Clubs, bookclub, community, friends, locals, Love of Reading, North Castle Public Library, reading, social

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