The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Ella Ilan

Getting to Know North Castle’s Newly Elected Town Supervisor Joseph Rende

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North Castle Town Supervisor Joe Rende PHOTO BY ELISE TRAINOR

After a nail biter of an election ultimately requiring a vote recount, the triumphant Joe Rende proudly took office as North Castle’s new Town Supervisor on January 1st with a positive outlook and a determination to make sure North Castle continues to be a town to take pride in.

Public Service As A Great Calling

A resident of Armonk for over ten years, Rende made this his home when he and his significant other, the Honorable Linda S. Jamieson, Justice of the Westchester Supreme Court, who has lived here for forty years, were seeing each other. Rende, a lifelong resident of Westchester, grew up and raised his family in Port Chester. As a young businessman running and operating his family’s home heating oil business, Rende Economy Fuel, with his dad, he was always very interested in politics. A registered republican at the time, Rende became active in various campaigns for different people running for elected office in Port Chester. His political career officially began when he was asked to take an open seat on the village planning commission. He eventually served as chairman of the village planning board, then as an elected member of the board of trustees, deputy mayor, and later as Westchester County’s deputy director of emergency planning and management.

Rende attributes his interest in government to his father, who was a big influence on him. Dinner table conversations often involved local and national politics. Rende’s father was always very active in their community and even ran for political office.

“I always viewed public service as a great calling and certainly necessary as an important part of our form of government,” says Rende. “I always had a sense that you need to give back to your community and what better way to do it than public service. It was instilled in me by my dad, who I was very close with.”

Living in North Castle, Rende, now an involved member of the local democratic party, continued to take an interest in town-related issues. When former Town Supervisor Mike Schiliro decided not to seek another term, Rende felt there would be a void in leadership and threw his hat into the ring.

On the Agenda

PHOTO BY ELISE TRAINOR

One of the first things Rende is focused on is getting the North Castle Eagle sign, a town landmark, back up. The sign, which greets visitors at the intersection of Route 22 and Route 128 was unfortunately knocked down on December 11th.

Rende is also turning his attention to several capital improvement projects. One of those projects involves renovating the recently purchased town swimming pool. He has been working with an engineering firm, the town administrator, and the superintendent of recreation to develop a plan to address those necessary improvements. Other potential projects include improving Town Hall, upgrading the crammed police department, assessing all the town facilities, and putting together a focused capital improvement plan to ensure that there is no further damage to the overall envelope of each of the town’s buildings. He also plans to address the highway department’s lack of a facility to house the newer bigger trucks used to maintain the roads. Storing the trucks outside where they are exposed to the inclement weather has led to their faster degradation and reduced years of service from these vehicles.

Also on the agenda is the review and approval of several large development plans that have already gone through lengthy processes of planning and zoning. Rende’s vast experience on the Port Chester planning commission and board of trustees has provided him with a great grasp for smart development and makes him an asset for the town in that regard.

Leadership Skills

As the current Director of Business Development at Judicial Title Insurance Agency, Rende has plenty of flexibility that will allow him to balance his profession with the role of town supervisor. His career has allowed him to develop management skills that will serve him well in his new position. His leadership experience came at a young age owning his own business with his dad. When he later sold his business to Robison Oil and took a management role there, he really honed his leadership skills.

“To me, leadership has always been about motivating people to work towards a common good,” he explains. “I like to empower people and give them the necessary tools to do their job and make sure they have the resources that they need. I encourage people if they come to me with a problem, to also try to bring a solution. I will never fault anyone for trying to solve a problem. If you need my help to figure out a better way, I will do that.”

Rende also emphasizes that the importance of compromise. Even though different members of the board and various elected officials can have different views, he recognizes that “everyone has the community’s best interest in mind, and he looks forward to working with them.”

In his Spare Time

When Rende has free time, you can find him just being “grandpa.” He and Judge Jamieson share ten grandchildren. Their weekends typically revolve around activities with the grandkids. In the summer, they spend time at the lake at the Windmill Club. They play some golf at various association outings, but most of the time they are enjoying their grandkids, their friends, and some traveling as well.

Pride in North Castle

One thing Rende really appreciates about North Castle is the community’s involvement and enthusiasm for the town. “Events like the Fol de Rol, the concerts in the park and town square, the Armonk Outdoor Art Show, the Stayin’ Alive Fun Run, the Frosty Parade, and the funds raised by these events for great causes really show me the heartbeat of the town,” he says.

Recognizing that it was a close election, Rende knows that he will have to stay on top of his game and hopes to prove to the entire community that he is more than capable of doing the job. “I won’t rest on my laurels and take anything for granted. Hopefully after my first term, residents who voted for me as well as the ones who supported my opponent will recognize that I was a good choice, and I was worthy of it. I am going to make sure this continues to be a town we can be proud of.”

The Mount Kisco Child Care Center – A Home Away from Home ‘Nurturing the Whole Family’

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PHOTO BY CAROLYN SIMPSON

One of the most fraught moments of being a parent is entrusting the care of your precious child to someone else. A visit to the Mount Kisco Child Care Center (“the center”), which I fell in love with on my recent visit, can put any reluctant parent’s mind at ease, should they be lucky enough to make it off the long waitlist to enroll.

From the moment you walk into the center, you feel the warmth in this “home away from home.” Peeking into the infant rooms, where babies range in age from three months to 18 months, I can’t help but feel joy and giggle in response to several little ones who look and smile my way.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see the smiley babies every day,” says Executive Director Dawn Meyerski. “If I’m frustrated with work, all I need to do is spend an hour in the preschool and I remember why I do this.”

“It’s a lot of fun to work here,” says Victoria Rivera, infant supervisor, and head teacher. “I get to snuggle all the babies and it’s amazing to see the connection we make with each family and the difference we make, working as a team with the parents.”

In the toddler program, for those 18 months to three-years-old, the focus is on language acquisition, self-help skills, social skills, and, of course, potty training. Meyerski estimates that in the center’s history, they must have potty trained close to 7000 children.

The programs are designed with intention and thoughtfulness. For example, in the preschool classrooms, the three, four, and five-year-olds are purposefully combined so that their activities are geared towards where they are developmentally versus chronologically. So, if a three-year-old is ready for more advanced activities, they can pursue them, but if a four-year-old isn’t ready, they are not embarrassed since everyone in the class is doing different things.

The directors and teachers work together to support the children and families when needed.  A social worker on staff helps families navigate more complex resource needs for special developmental services or subsidy reimbursements, as well as things like the death of a pet, a parent loses a job or becomes sick, really anything that the family encounters.

The belief at the center is that for the child to succeed, the whole family needs to be supported. The before and after school programs provide a true safety net for working parents, letting parents feel secure that their child has a place to go after school while they are at work, even when school lets out early for a snow day. For vacations, the center offers full day programming so parents can work. In the summer, they provide full day summer camp programming, including martial arts, swimming, field trips, and more.

Throughout the pandemic, the center stayed open, easing the burden for many working parents while their school age children completed remote learning at the center. “We had 40 kids from seven different school districts using all different learning platforms. Those after-school teachers were incredibly adaptive…

“We made it happen,” says Meyerski.

At MKCCC’s ‘Feed Me Fresh’ gala: Executive Director Dawn Meyerski with a 2023 honoree: Selamawit Wieland-Tesfaye, owner of Mimi’s Coffee House.

Feed Me Fresh

One of the biggest reasons people choose the center is the food services. Mostly everything is prepared on site in the kitchen and they try to use as little processed food as possible.

In addition to feeding the kids, the center encourages the children to understand where their food comes from with their signature Feed Me Fresh program, a comprehensive garden-to-table nutrition education curriculum. All the classrooms have their own raised bed gardens where they plant and harvest the same food the kitchen uses to make their lunches. The center combines gardening teaching units with cooking classes and related activities. If they are harvesting zucchini, they will come in and make zucchini boats. Later, when zucchini shows up on the lunch menu, they recognize it and are far more willing to eat it.

“One of my favorite gardens that we plant is the three sisters garden,” says Meyerski. “The school age kids plant corn, the toddlers plant squash, and the preschoolers plant green beans. They are companion crops that grow better together than they do apart. We use this to talk about the importance of working together. I love it because it’s symbolic of who we are and how we support each other.”

When the kids are on the playgrounds, they walk right past and pick snap peas off garden beds and eat them. In a display of pride and ownership, they independently check on the status of their growing vegetables.

“What I love best about it,” says Meyerski, “in a world where you can have anything you want in thirty seconds, where instant gratification is so real, you cannot make a carrot grow any faster than a carrot grows. They have to slow down and nurture it.”

Funding the Center

About half of the enrolled children pay the full tuition to attend the center. Tuition for the infant program runs nearly $2500 per month. The actual cost of care for infants and toddlers exceeds the tuition charged, but charging a higher rate would price out most families. The other half of the children are on scholarship, based on their family income. The center works with the Department of Social Services for some subsidies, but the bulk of their funding comes from donations. The center runs as a nonprofit and raises funds to support the children. It is their critical fundraising efforts that allow them to offer quality childcare to middle and low-income earning families, providing peace of mind to working parents.

Naturally, one of their biggest fundraising campaigns, the annual Feed Me Fresh gala, incorporates the center’s focus on fresh food. This year’s event took place at Ivanna Farm on September 23rd. This event started 19 years ago with incredible support from local restaurants who donate an evening of delicious, fresh, and inventive food. “Despite the rain this year, everyone showed up!” reported Paula Backer, the center’s Director of Development. All the restaurants, our sponsors and all our amazing supporters, came out despite the weather. We really felt the love of the community coming together around us in support of our families and what we do. It was beautiful and the food from our restaurant supporters was the best ever!”

courtesy of MKCCC

Meaningful Lessons to Remember

Despite their newest challenge of finding enough qualified teachers in the current labor shortage post pandemic, the center provides amazing programming.

A good teacher knows that kids learn best when they learn about things that are meaningful to them, so the staff at the center strives to create memorable lessons. If the kids are eating pizza for lunch, they will follow up with a walk down to the local pizza parlor for a social studies lesson about their community. Upon their return to the center, they will set up a pizza parlor and sell slices for a dollar apiece and learn about fractions as they cut the pie. As they make the menu, they learn their letters, and when they make the pizza and learn how to make cheese melt, they learn about science. Something as simple as pizza can prompt multiple learning opportunities.

This year, the center is collaborating with the STEM Alliance to bring in STEM programming for the preschool classes. The center is very grateful for a grant received due to the support of New York State Assemblyman Chris Burdick for in-house STEM training for the center’s teachers for next year.

Meyerski hopes to bring back their cherished intergenerational programming, in which senior citizens from My Second Home, a senior living provider, used to rent space at the center and interact several times a day with the children in organized activities. The program has not resumed after it was paused for safety reasons during the pandemic.

PHOTO BY CAROLYN SIMPSON

Extended Family

“MKCCC is a special place and I consider the adults who work there extended family,” says parent Stacey Cafaldo. “My daughter lost her confidence at another center and from the moment she started at MKCCC they made her feel strong and assertive. They reignited her love for learning and brought out the absolute best in her. Their unconditional assurance and support helps each kid develop into the best version of themselves possible.”

“It’s like a family here,” says toddler supervisor and head teacher Vanessa Kardos, who has worked at the center 21 years. “My first group of children are walking across the stage graduating college right now – seeing them become these amazing, mature and wonderful adults coming back as volunteers sometimes makes me so proud that I laid that foundation for them. Between the family feeling here and having so much fun with 2-year-olds all day and the love we get from them when we walk into a classroom, it makes you forget anything negative in the world. You’re giving so much love and getting so much love all day long.” For more information about the center, please visit mkccc.org.

Tanya Tochner Takes Her Flair for Design to the Next Level to Transform Homes

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ROCKS Jewelry Gifts Home Design owner Tanya Tochner          Inside Press Photo

With her Chappaqua jewelry and home store now in full bloom, ROCKS Jewelry Gifts Home Design owner Tanya Tochner has spread her wings to run a successful interior design business. Tochner applies the same creative eye and talent that she has used to curate her beautiful store to designing people’s home spaces.

As a Chappaqua resident for 22 years, Tochner feels right at home at her store in Chappaqua Crossing. The store carries affordable fine jewelry and accessories for the home. Many customers are people that she has known for years and whose children have grown up alongside her children. Some store customers have developed into interior design clients over the last few years.

Before
After
 

Design in all its Forms

For Tochner, the interior design business naturally evolved. It began with store customers, fond of her home accessories, asking her to come to their homes and help them accessorize. These home consults gave rise to requests for her to renovate an entire bathroom or kitchen. Tochner now has a general contractor, an architect, and a team of professional tradesmen that she works with regularly to tackle any renovation from soup to nuts.

Word of mouth has spread and Tochner has found herself incredibly busy with a steady stream of clients. She attributes the rapid growth of her interior design business to everyone having spent so much more time at home due to covid and thus deciding to redo their homes.

In addition to designing homes and running the store, over the last year, Tochner was presented with and seized on the opportunity to stage luxury homes and apartments for real estate sales in Westchester and New York City. This new undertaking developed organically from having the store and doing interior design.

“This business that started off as a jewelry business fifteen years ago, me being a jewelry designer, expanded into home which became interior design which became that plus staging, so it’s all come full circle,” reflects Tochner. “But at the end of the day, it’s all about design. That’s what I love.”

The Brick-and-Mortar Advantage

As the owner of Rocks, Tochner finds it easier to source products than the typical interior designer. She has access to over 300 vendors so she sees more furniture, art, and accessories than many designers.

“As a brick-and-mortar, I have an advantage because I can offer deeper discounts to my clients with my dealer discount, rather than an interior designer discount, so I pass that along. There is also an element of immediate gratification since I carry stock so a client can just come into the store and we can pull from the store,” Tochner explains.

Why Hire a Designer

Tochner recommends hiring an interior designer because it helps clients stay on budget. Clients also save money with access to designer discounts. Additionally, she points out that “you may know what you like but not know where to find it.” A designer can help you source things for your space.

Tochner says her first consultation with a client is crucial to understanding her client’s aesthetic and what they want for their home. It is a collaborative process taking into account the client’s wishes, their needs, and how they intend to use the space.

Although her personal style is very modern, Tochner has designed spaces that are contemporary, traditional, mid-century modern and more.

“It’s all about listening to my client and making it personalized because it’s their space, not mine. Some people know what their aesthetic is, but for the ones that don’t, I can guide them through options.”

Satisfied client Lisa Schwartz says, “Tanya is an absolute pleasure to work with. She has an incredible eye for color, texture, and layout. She creates spaces that are chic but also comfortable and inviting. Tanya has helped transform my home and I couldn’t be happier with the results!”

To reach Tochner, email her at tanya@rocksjewelrygiftshome.com or call the store at (914) 219-5808. Rocks is located at 480 Bedford Road in Chappaqua.

A Treasured Friendship Circle over Canasta & Mah-Jongg – the Games Being Played Across Living Rooms & Generations

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(L-R): Aimee Marcus, Lisa Deitelzweig, Courtney Gordon, Debra Tillinger, Elizabeth Zimmerman and Cindy Rosenblatt   Photo by Donna Mueller

Chances are that if you live in the suburbs, you play or know someone who plays either mah-jongg or canasta. Though vastly different, the games are similar in the most important of ways; they are sources of socialization, entertainment, and cognitive stimulation. For many women who left the workforce to care for their children, these games are a lifeline where they can participate in adult conversation and share the experience of motherhood with other women in the suburbs. For some, these games are a passed down ritual from their mothers and grandmothers. For the elderly, it can ease loneliness and isolation.

What is Mah-jongg?

Mah-jongg is played by four people using domino-like tiles engraved with Chinese symbols and characters. The players draw and discard tiles to assemble a winning hand. Joan Rosenbaum, who teaches mah-jongg classes at North Castle Recreation Center, says “mah-jongg is a game of skill, strategy, socialization, and luck.”

Mah-jongg originated in China in the mid-1800’s primarily as a male gambling game. It began spreading throughout the world as a result of increased trade along ports of travel. In the 1920s it gained popularity in America. Naturally, with such widespread play across continents and cultures, various adaptations of the game developed and groups each had their own table rules. Many Chinese Americans played as a way of connecting to their heritage, but the game also became a popular pastime amongst Jewish women in the suburbs and in bungalow colonies in the Catskills. In 1937, a group of Jewish American women in New York City decided to standardize the rules of the game and formed the National Mah-jongg League. The league issues a card every year listing winning combinations of tile which change every year.

Rosenbaum eagerly awaits the new card’s release every Spring. After its release, her telephone always begins to ring with her friends calling to discuss the new hands. Rosenbaum remembers sitting by her mother and watching her play and wanting to be “just like her.”

“On game day in my house, I would put on a new tablecloth, put the racks out, mix the tiles, and sit down,” recalls Rosenbaum fondly. “The chattering would begin – what the women ate for dinner the night before, what they bought in the store, etc. Then the music of the clicking of the tiles began, a sound only a mah-jongg set can make. You cannot duplicate that wonderful sound.”

Armonk and Bedford residents Lisa Deitelzweig, Courtney Gordon, Aimee Marcus, Cindy Rosenblatt, Debra Tillinger, and Elizabeth Zimmerman have been playing together every Thursday for over 14 years. Both Tillinger and Zimmerman play with sets passed down from their grandmothers. They started playing when their children were in preschool and have kept Thursdays as their sacred mah-jongg day ever since. The women rotate houses weekly, serve lunch, and share lots of laughs.

“We went through the trenches together raising our children,” says Deitelzweig. “We support each other, and we have fun together. Our cardinal rule is ‘what is said at mah-jongg stays at mah-jongg.”

Besides playing and discussing everything ranging from politics, family, books, recipes, and tv shows, this group celebrates birthdays together and plans theatre and movie outings. Mah-jongg has been a jumping off point for many enriching activities in their lives.

What is Canasta?

Canasta, which means “basket” in Spanish, is a rummy-type game generally played by four players in two partnerships using two decks of cards. Players attempt to make melds of seven cards of the same rank and accrue as many points as possible. Canasta was invented in Uruguay in 1939 by two bridge players who wanted to create a quicker game than bridge but one with less of a luck factor than rummy. It spread throughout South America in the 1940’s, was introduced in America in 1949 and surged in popularity in the 1950’s. The Canasta League of America was founded to standardize the rules of the game.

Armonk resident Susan Cott, a private canasta instructor, says her whole life changed when she learned to play canasta.

“As a stay-at-home mom, I was always running errands and never made time for myself,” says Cott. “When I finally learned to play, it forced me to have at least one get-together a week with some friends. Additionally, I made so many new friends when my game would need a substitute player or when I would sub in someone else’s game.”

“Teaching canasta is such a joy for me,” she says. “There are two aspects that I love. Everyone is so confused at the first lesson, but then I start seeing the lightbulbs go off and that’s the best feeling for me. Secondly, I feel like I’m a matchmaker. When people walk away from my lessons having formed canasta groups and new friendships, that’s an amazing feeling. It’s very rewarding.”

Armonk resident Lori Cohen appreciates the game for its welcome diversion to her everyday life. “It’s my time to shut everything else out,” she says. “We’re often having so much fun chatting that we forget where we were in the game.”

During the pandemic, canasta and mah-jongg groups alike desperately missed their games. Determined to play, Rosenbaum and her friends took turns playing in each other’s garages dressed in coats and hats. One of her friend’s coats almost caught fire one day from one of the heaters. Zimmerman and her group played outside or on Facetime with iPad. To really spice things up, Bedford resident Darielle Cohen even invited her group over for “pool canasta” with an inflatable floating card table in her swimming pool. Clearly, no one was willing to relinquish these meaningful moments of fun and camaraderie.

Besides all the fun, both games demand some serious mental gymnastics to stay engaged in conversation while simultaneously paying attention to the game and formulating a strategy. One thing is undeniable; bits of conversation between hands, while shuffling tiles or cards over the years has led to beautiful friendships.

For more information on mah-jongg lessons through the Town of North Castle recreation department, go to northcastleny.com.

To reach Susan Cott for your own canasta lessons, you can email her at canastamastasusan@gmail.com.

Lessons are available by private instruction or via the Town of North Castle Recreation Department.

Spring Gardening: What to Plant & When

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PHOTO BY WENDY ROSEN

With spring around the corner, we reached out to some local gardening experts for guidance on what you can plant in your garden that will bloom this spring and summer. Whether you naturally have a “green thumb,” or you are newly interested in growing vegetables or flowers, we have you covered!

Lisa Eichler, a talented garden designer in Westchester County and proprietor of Legarden Designs, recommends using a “sequence of blooms” to keep your garden blooming beautifully all season long. When designing and installing gardens for her clients, Eichler likes to use a mix of evergreens, flowering shrubs, perennials, and annuals to ensure the garden stays aesthetic throughout the season. Annuals need to be planted every year, while perennials are planted once and last for multiple years.

Photo by Lisa EichLer

Planting Before the Frost Date

According to Eichler, any planting done before the “frost date” of May 10th is called spring planting and is subject to freezing. Thus, it is best to choose hardy, cool weather flowers, which can be found at your local nursery in late March. In a spring container, Eichler may include pansies, which she loves for their “colorful and happy little faces,” as well as sweet alyssum and hyacinth, both of which have a lovely fragrance. She also recommends nemesia, which come in a wide range of colors, and ranunculus, which has both annual and perennial varieties. If one wants to add daffodils or tulips to an early spring container, these can be purchased already sprouting from the nursery. When these cool weather flowers start to wither by mid-June, they can be pulled from the garden and replaced with summer flowers.

Early flowering perennials, such as phlox, can also be purchased from the nursery and planted in early spring, but they have a limited flowering time, as is the case with most perennials. Some favorite perennials that Eichler loves to use are “creeping Jenny” (botanical name: Lysimachia nummularia), which is a yellow vine that lasts the whole season, and hellebores, known for their rose-like blossoms and green foliage.

Photo by Wendy Rosen

Planting After the Frost Date

After May 10th, gardeners can begin their summer planting. Some deer-resistant summer annuals include ageratum and begonias. Eichler also likes to include colorful grasses, commonly known as fountain grass, to add dimension. One of her favorite plants is coleus, which offers lovely foliage.

Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

Tom Roth of family-owned Roth Nursery, which has been in Armonk since 1948, supplied us with helpful information on flowering bushes and evergreens that can be planted in early spring. Roth has worked at his family business since he was a young man and works alongside his brothers, Carl and Walter, and his son, Tommy Jr.

Some deer-resistant, flowering evergreen shrubs that Roth recommends planting after the ground thaws in early spring include broadleaf evergreens like andromeda, which produce white flowers, P.J.M, which sprout purple flowers, and certain species of holly, like American holly and Dragon Lady Holly, which produce red berries. His recommendations for deciduous flowering shrubs include viburnum and spirea. Boxwoods, while they do not flower, are also a great choice for deer-resistant evergreen shrubs. As for bigger evergreens, Roth suggests Norway spruces, Green Giants, and white spruces.

Perennials that Roth suggests planting in early spring include bleeding hearts, ferns, Russian sage, catmint flowers, and any herbs. He recommends keeping things moist while they get established, which usually takes a season.

Planting Your Own Vegetables

Armonk resident Wendy Rosen of Homegrown Gardens, Inc. designs and builds beautiful vegetable gardens for her clients. Rosen had been in film production for many years when the pandemic hit, slowing the industry significantly. Rosen had her own vegetable garden for 20 years, so curating beautiful gardens for others was a natural next step.

“I needed a new creative outlet and Homegrown Gardens was born,” she said. “Producing a garden is similar to producing a TV commercial; it’s all problem-solving and finding solutions.”

Photo by Wendy Rosen

Rosen teams up with carpenters and masons to build enclosures and sets her clients’ gardens up from soup to nuts. She finds it especially rewarding when clients text her pictures of their harvests throughout the year.

“One thing I’ve always loved most about having a garden is sharing our harvest. Most people bring a bottle of red to a dinner party, I bring a squash!” she says.

For spring gardening, Rosen recommends planting cucumber seeds outdoors in mid to late March, carrot seeds in late March, and beans in mid to late April.

For summer gardening, she advises planting peas outdoors in early May and tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, zucchini, and basil all on Mother’s Day.

For fall gardening, Rosen says fennel seeds can be planted outdoors in late July, radishes and peas in early August, carrots and kale in mid to late August, lettuce in early September, and spinach in mid-September.

Replacing and replanting new vegetable plants ensures a long growing season. Each season, Rosen recommends rotating everything in your garden as each variety takes different nutrients from the soil.

Each of our experts was a treasure trove of information and had plenty more to share. To contact Lisa Eichler, visit her website at legardendesigns.com. Roth Nursery is open to the public and is located at 42 N Greenwich Road in Armonk, phone # (914) 273-8399. To contact Wendy Rosen, visit her website at homegrowngardensinc.com.