The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Grace Bennett

Enjoy Our Debut Edition

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Grace’s cut and blow dry by Lisa Koebbe Bevan, owner and Master colorist at BELIEVE Beauty Lounge, a full service salon on 95 Manville Road in Pleasantville, believebeautysalon.com Makeup (and photo!) by Kara Delfino, karadelfino.com.

Please know that a lot of heart and soul went into producing this first issue of Inside Pleasantville! If you have lived in the area long enough, many of you may already have seen an Inside Press publication in a neighbor’s home, or perhaps at a real estate office–where the magazines make a giant impression (I’m told!) with area visitors considering a move here.

I’ve been publishing for 16 years after launching the first edition of Inside Chappaqua, The Magazine for New Castle and Beyond in April 2003. Five years ago, following that success, I decided to get two Castle pubs underway and produced our first Inside Armonk. And now here we are delighted to be covering your vibrant Mount Pleasant communities too with this first edition of an Inside Pleasantville!

I’m always grateful to my Inside Press team, including Caroline Rosengarden who lives ‘Inside Pleasantville’ with her beautiful family. She is positively a most enthusiastic proponent for the community.

Also, enjoy the work here by Lisa Samkoff, our consummate professional designer who brings a special flair to every page. Wonderful Stacey Pfeffer edits our Chappaqua and Armonk editions from which you may see some relevant articles appearing here too. First and foremost, as a publisher, I understand no community’s residents live in a bubble, so I do share from other communities, and will continue to as much as I can.

I also so appreciate Ryan Smith and Rick Waters, who designed and maintain our site theinsidepress.com. You can find all the stories here online too, a downloadable edition, along with other ‘in between postings,’ all as much as time and energy permit! Behind the scenes, we have Analia Boltuch, our invaluable account manager, and always a rotating group of talented ‘regular’ freelance writers and photographers. This issue’s cover work plus the photos for the Pleasantville Music Festival, for example, are from Pleasantville’s very own Lynda Shenkman, who shot many of my first Inside editions too.

Ultimately, this pub comes to you after 22 years of happy Westchester living, having raised two terrific children: my daughter, Anna, 26, and son Ari, 22, both living in the city. I also visit my dad a lot in Yonkers. He’s going on 97 and still in good health at a senior residence. Being empty nest, and having this amazing Inside Press team in place, I’m expanding our publishing efforts.

Chappaqua’s also is just a hop, skip and jump to Pleasantville. In fact, when I think of ‘fun times’ in Westchester, Pleasantville elicits those feelings enormously, whether it’s at gorgeous Rockefeller Preserve, or enjoying countless movies at the incomparable Jacob Burns Film Center, or even acting classes I discovered with Rachel Jones at the Howard Meyer Acting Studio/Axial Theater! In the meantime I can live vicariously enjoying others performing in stellar shows such as those at Arc Stages, or setting aside a day to dance or sing along with the mega talented musicians at the Pleasantville Music Festival.

All these places and institutions and more – don’t miss a terrific story on Cycle for Survival! – are covered in this debut edition, which I hope you will treasure and keep as a collector’s item. We will be ‘back again’ with a back to school September/October 2019 edition arriving in your home by late August too. Remember, you can read us online too at theinsidepress.com and follow our assorted musings primarily on Facebook and Instagram.

I am aiming for at least four editions in 2020, so stay tuned for more fun and meaningful coverage in which we will keep on ‘Sharing the Heart of Your Community.” And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also communicate a resounding THANK YOU to all the generous sponsors and contributors who made this edition and future ones possible. ENJOY!


Grace Bennett
Inside Press Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

14 Resident Veterans Honored at the Bristal

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Bristal Assisted Living at Armonk, an assisted and independent living community, celebrated Veterans Day honoring a group of 14 residents who served in the military. State, county and town officials joined the ceremony, commending the veterans for their courage and service.

North Castle Town Supervisor Michael Schiliro, on behalf of the North Castle town board stated:  “Your bravery is like that recently witnessed by first responders going into the wildfires of California. It’s no different than what all of you did for all of us so many years ago, and we just can’t thank you enough.”

Honoring veterans at the Bristal (L-R) North Castle Supervisor Michael Schiliro; State Assemblyman David Buchwald; North Castle Councilwoman Barbara DiGiacinto; North Castle Councilman Jose Berra; North Castle Councilman Steve D’Angelo;The Bristal at Armonk Executive Director Samantha Krieger; County Legislator Margaret Cunzio; and U.S. Navy Veteran Stephen Smith representing the Byram Veterans Association.  Photos By Grace Bennett

State Assemblyman David Buchwald noted, “Your service is inspiring to the entire community. This day is about each of you and the men and women you served with. I wouldn’t miss this opportunity for anything.”

County Legislator Margaret Cunzio presented an American flag that had been flown in a search and rescue helicopter. It was given to her by a cousin, a Major in the Air Force who had recently returned from service in Afghanistan. A second cousin, she also noted proudly, is a lieutenant colonel who served five tours of duty.

“He (the Major) was in Syria last year, and had just returned home to his nine month old baby girl and three- year- old son. There’s a video of him coming home and his son saying:  “That’s my daddy. My daddy’s home. My daddy’s safe.”

“I am honored and proud to display this flag,” she said. 

Photos by Grace Bennett

Goodbye to 2018; Why, Hello ‘Beautiful’

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Ok, I’m trying to stay positive. Still, it feels good to say ‘so long’ to what has been downright ugly. We have seen the impact of hate mongering and a gun epidemic across America, from the spike in hate and lethal crimes across the board, as was the case with the terror directed toward so many prominent individuals via U.S. mail, and immediately thereafter, the horrific tragedies via gunfire at the Tree of Life Synagogue and at the Thousand Oaks nightclub. Then disaster struck, as we sat back helpless taking in the massive wildfire in California and its accompanying death toll of nearly 90 people with hundreds still missing, And in our backyard, as we went to press, The Inside Press team was saddened to learn that a passionate community campaign to bring Armando Rojas back home, had not succeeded. A saving feeling prevails, however: There is great comfort when we all come together as a community to mourn tragedies and put our heads together on how to make our future brighter for all of us and future generations.

As the publisher of a magazine for communities that are off the charts charitable, I also know that behind all the bad news, there is much that’s positive and promising and beautiful on the landscape for our future, and so we will be keeping our eyes peeled for all that. As we head into 2019, via our team, we’re going to keep bringing what’s ‘beautiful’ in our lives to you, from the ‘Inside’ out, for certain. For our first edition in 16 years of publishing, a March/April 2019 book, please look for our ‘Beautiful’ theme throughout, and get in touch early to ask how you can support us. Please write to grace@insidepress.com.

Beautiful Gedney Park playground on a Winter’s Day. Photo by Grace Bennett

In the meantime, thank you to all the residents here ‘and beyond’ who read and share stories we work hard to produce. Thank you to all the generous sponsors who support  community print and online coverage. Wishing you and our families much warmth and joy and all things beautiful through the holiday season.

Why I Plan to Vote Blue on November 6

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If there is one thing ‘about me’ I’d want anyone to know about my politics, it is that while I have always been a registered Democrat, I am not hyper-partisan. I am loyal only to the truth. By now, many of you (I hope) won’t be surprised to hear that.

But given the ‘pick your side’ nature of American elections, being a Democrat has always felt more in line with values that include compassion and good will and a sense of generosity toward your fellow man and woman and child.

So let’s talk about what feels ‘most’ wrong two years post Election, 2016.

I feel with every fiber of my being that Trump has been such a big fat horrible mistake for this country. He is worse than the bad dream we envisioned. He is now more the nightmare we can’t wake up from as he has completely divided us, and consequently, we’ve now witnessed an unprecedented escalation of hatred and accompanying violence toward every population, it sometimes seems, except white men and women of privilege.

He has given the fringe, shrill anti Zionist set on the left a window of opportunity to exploit, and I won’t let up on that either. Not as a child of Holocaust survivors whose war-torn parents met and married in Israel, drinking from a Kiddush cup, celebrating their union and their survival against all odds. I will fight to challenge every single politician, blue, red or purple, to support Israel as we move toward 2020, and hope you will too.

For now, however, there’s a bottom line I have come to terms with: Voting for the enabling band of GOPers helps keep ‘him’ in office…and consequently:

* Our health care is on the line.
* Our personal safety is at continuous risk from gun violence and ‘activated’ alt right individuals and gangs.
* The fate of our air and ocean continue to be deeply compromised by this climate science denying bunch.
* The trauma on children inflicted at the border is completely unacceptable and will impact them for a lifetime.
* As a woman who celebrates the hard fought gains made for myself and my sisters, I will not sit back and watch this sexist gang make decisions that could roll back the clock for our daughters.
* I will stand up for my gay and trans friends who are under attack too.

We all deserve better. Much better.

First order of business, change up this very bad hand we’ve been dealt.

#VOTEBLUE on November 6th!

Please keep reminding our youngest voters, too. While I may veer away from making official endorsements, there are times for anyone who cares about our country’s future to speak up, and now feels distinctly like one of those times. I’m grateful I still have freedom of expression to share that thought and a forum in which to do so. There is so much at stake…

Imagining the Glorious Possibilities of ‘I Can’

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Can I do this? Yes I Can!

When you are Empty Nest and single, but still living in the suburbs, ‘Back to School’ feels more like an experience from the sidelines—I admit to being more observer, than participant. It’s also easy to fall into ‘missing my kids’ mode, and I so do. However, this year, I plan to celebrate their wings by approaching life with a hefty dose of joie de vivre.

Indeed, the possibilities are rather glorious. While I consider others’ September scramble for book supplies and finding out teacher assignments, and while I certainly wish our Chappaqua Schools a very happy 90th birthday at Greeley’s homecoming, in truth, my mind wanders a bit as I plot multiple ways to fill more ‘me time.’

Two words I’m saying more: ‘I can.’ I can get to the gym more. I can go to karaoke or a favorite musician’s gig (if I can take a nap first, that is). I can take more walks in our amazing ‘hoods and parks. I can sleep longer. I can meditate or schedule an occasional massage. I can write a novel or a movie, or start a new publication…yes, I think about that, if I can simply pull myself from social media a bit more! Or I can get over myself and accept however each day plays out!  I can volunteer. I can get more politically involved, as fraught with ‘issues’ that sometimes feels. I can binge on a hot TV series, wrack up movies at the Burns, and I can cook more or I can treat myself to lovely meals. I can hop Metro North more to take advantage of the amazing city we live a stone’s throw from. I can make a bucket list travel wish come true. One certainty: I can keep soaking up precious time spent with my 96-year-old Poppy.

I can… I can…

Fortunately, anytime I feel like stepping up Community life, I can do that, too. I’m ultimately blessed to live in an area where, in truth, fun opportunities abound at any life stage–our ‘Happenings’ section makes that clear–whether its stopping by Community Day, the Chappaqua’s Children Book Festival or Armonk’s Outdoor Art Show and Cider and Donut Festival–these are all on my I Can calendar too. Ultimately, I plan to do it my way, in Can Do…the world is my oyster…mode.