Illeana Baquero

THE SHOW MUST GO ON! Byram Hills High School’s Theater Community Thrives in the Wake of the Pandemic

February 25, 2023 by Illeana Baquero

When Kyle Banks took over the Byram Hills High School theatre department in 2021, he was stepping into a whole new world in more ways than one.

Aside from adjusting to his new roles as choir director at the high school, co-teacher of the H. C. Crittenden Middle School choir, and director of the Varley Players, the BHHS Jazz Choir, and the Byram Beat a cappella club, Banks was also adjusting to the world of the performing arts at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was completely uncharted territory,” he said. “We always did things a certain way, and then suddenly we just couldn’t do them that way anymore, and we had to come up with completely new strategies.”

As the pandemic surged, forcing students into at-home learning, those new strategies included virtual rehearsals, maintaining 12 feet of social distance during in-person rehearsals, and masking during performances. The adjustments made putting together collaborative performances even more complicated. It left the company struggling to find their familiar groove.

Despite the challenges they were facing, the Varley Players persisted.

The Varley Players Persevere

“It speaks to how badly the arts are needed in a time like that,” Banks explains. “We as the production team and the students were all still so committed to making it happen, and I think it was really appreciated by everybody in the community both on-stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience.”

Banks was thankful to have the support of multiple previous leaders within the department, such as former director John Anthony Lopez, who he worked with for a year prior to Lopez’s retirement from the district in 2021. He also credits former assistant director James Gulick and other Varley Players leaders who remained on board through the pandemic, including Susan Pieratti and Danielle Brooks, for guiding him through the transition. Banks’ background as a music director at other school districts and as a theatre performer himself further prepared him to tackle this new challenge.

Some of the changes implemented, such as the extended rehearsal period allotted to the company during the production of their Winter 2021 musical Fiddler on the Roof, did allow them to put on a fantastic show despite COVID restrictions.

However, for the students who had regularly taken part in theatrical productions and other extracurricular activities at Byram Hills, not being able to see their peers in-person or come together as a group without masks and social distance was yet another obstacle. Across the board, Banks describes, it was tough for the kids to acclimate to a COVID-era social world. He notes that having the theatre department up and running, in whatever capacity they could, helped students find a sense of belonging, a consistent social circle, and alleviate some of the stress and uncertainty of the time.

Now, the company has been able to return to normal rehearsals without social distancing and masking. Banks says that the change has been a breath of fresh air, and has made everyone involved in the production process even more grateful for the opportunity to perform together for the first time in nearly two years.

“It was huge,” he said. “The energy that it brought to the production and to everybody involved was really incredible, and since then it’s been a lot of the same; everybody’s super grateful to be back to normal, to feel like we can do these things again without having to worry too much.”

Returning to full performances after a nearly two-year break didn’t come without an adjustment period of its own. Both the students and the production team had to re-acclimate to demanding, in-person rehearsal schedules and working together as a group once again, as many in the cast, crew, and production team felt “out of practice.”

On Meeting the Challenges

Regardless, Banks says, each member was more than willing to put in the work required to get back into the swing of things.

“We all realize how much we were missing because of the pandemic, so to be back doing that again, whether it’s a bit challenging or not, it’s worth it,” he said.“It is such a community and it provides such an outlet, and it can be a huge stress reliever, even though sometimes it gets stressful.”

Whether it be getting involved on the production side to sing, dance, act, work together as a team, and step outside oneself for a few hours, or on the viewers’ side to escape the day’s worries and enjoy a live show, the arts played a powerful role in getting people through the height of the pandemic.

“There’s something indescribable about the feeling you get when you put on a show with the people that you care about so much in the company. I think it’s really helping everybody, on my side, on the production team side, for the cast, and providing these artistic experiences for audiences as well,” Banks explained.

In the future, Banks looks forward to welcoming new faces to the Varley Players and expanding the program even more. He looks forward to students becoming more involved in the process of putting on a show and taking ownership of more of the aspects that make it up, both on the cast and crew side.

He describes a slight dip in participation during the COVID years, as many were out of school, unavailable, or uncomfortable participating in certain group activities, but also finds that numbers have been steadily increasing in the time since.

“If I ask any number of people who do theatre at Byram Hills what the most important thing is to them, the first thing that comes up is the sense of community and family that comes with it,” Banks said.

That family persists beyond students’ four years at the school, as evidenced by their upcoming spring production of Freaky Friday: The Musical, with music and lyrics by Byram Hills High School alumnus Tom Kitt.

“It’s a really fun show, the cast is really excited about it and so is the production team. The energy has been really electric since we started the process,” Banks said.

Audiences can come enjoy the show on March 9th, 10th, and 11th.

The Chappaqua Fire Department Wants your Help!

August 25, 2022 by Illeana Baquero

Fire Chief’s All-Important Call for Volunteers

Photos courtesy of the Chappaqua Fire Dept.

Chief Paul Eiden spoke to The Inside Press about the continuing and pressing need for firefighting volunteers from the community. He also provided valuable suggestions as to how Chappaqua residents can get involved. Fortunately, volunteers have joined throughout the summer to help the department respond to emergencies in the area. But while volunteers of any age over 16 are encouraged to join, Chief Eiden noted that adults who will not be attending school during the academic year are at this juncture the ideal candidates.

“The adults are the key because of the longevity we hope to obtain by bringing in folks who are out of school,” he explained. For those who would like to get involved, Eiden explains that no experience is required: “The only thing they really have to provide is their time.”

“The initial training at the fire academy is long,” he went on. “It’s north of 130 hours over a period of a couple of months, but we provide residents with any kind of training they need before they go to the academy, and then any type of support they need for skill refreshers.”

Intrigued? What You Need to Know

So what does that 130-hour training process look like?

Eiden describes the time commitment as a few nights during the week as well as every Saturday. Once that training process is completed, the fire department follows the New York State Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) requirements which allow their firefighters to qualify for pension credits.

For points to be allotted to the firefighters for alarm response, volunteers must make at least 10% of the alarm calls that the department receives per year. Eiden explained that given the number of alarm calls the Chappaqua Fire Department receives, this amounts to about 45 to 50 alarm calls per firefighter in a year, or about three to four per month.

“You know that there are people who will drop whatever they’re doing to help you at a moment’s notice, and you would do the same for them. It sounds very cliche to use the phrase ‘brotherhood and sisterhood’, but it really is true.”
– Chappaqua Fire Chief Paul Eiden

However, Eiden also noted that 95% of the Chappaqua Fire Department membership far exceeds this minimum, with each firefighter responding to about 30-50% of alarms per year. This allows the department to send multiple trucks on calls and alarms, which Eiden says is a “really good feeling as a chief, to know that I’ve got these folks coming in ready to work and able to do what we need to be done when there’s an emergency.”

“The minimum standards for the amount of time you have to give throughout the course of the year is not insurmountable,” Eiden ensures. “It’s definitely manageable within the family structure, whether or not you’ve got other activities outside of the work environment. We find a role for everybody.”

Even once volunteers begin responding to emergencies, Eiden finds that it is crucial for firefighters to continue practicing their skill set and keeping on top of drills and training. He uses the expression that “these skills are perishable,” particularly because Chappaqua does not receive as many emergency calls as a department in an urban environment would. As such, it is essential to regularly refresh the basics. One such opportunity is on Thursday nights when the firehouse hosts “house duty”.

House duty offers members an opportunity to run drills, training, and check their apparatus and equipment to make sure everything is functioning and properly in inventory. People come by to have their questions answered and to see what a volunteer fire department is all about. “For instance, Thursday night we’re going to have a drill we call ‘core competencies,’” Eiden said. “There are five or six different stations that each of the firefighters will go to: connecting a hydrant, putting up a ladder, starting a chainsaw.”

Working together so often, and in such stressful conditions, makes for a unique bond between members of the firehouse. Eiden says that “it really is a very large family… so that when you walk into that building you know that the person on your left and the person on your right have your back with whatever you need–whether it’s going out on an emergency or something going on at home.”

Indeed, the camaraderie between firefighters goes beyond just their time in the firehouse. Eiden tells a story of a time he was away on college visits with his daughter and had an electrical issue at his house. He called up another member of the firehouse, who used to be a general contractor, and he came over to Eiden’s house to resolve the problem while Eiden and his daughter were away.

“That kind of feeling is definetly what we are all about,” Eiden said. “You know that there are people who will drop whatever they’re doing to help you at a moment’s notice, and you would do the same for them. It sounds very cliche to use the phrase ‘brotherhood and sisterhood’, but it really is true.”

Eiden’s daughter is now a firefighter at Chappaqua Fire Department as well, and his son does the same in Mount Kisco. The chief expresses pride not only in his children becoming firefighters, but also in the relationships they are building as they grow within their departments and become leaders themselves. Outside of its work responding to emergencies, the firehouse reaches out to the community to spread fire prevention and safety tips.

Community Education Opportunities during Fire Prevention Month

October is Fire Prevention Month, which means that the Chappaqua Fire Department will visit the Chappaqua nursery schools to speak to the children and acclimate them to being around firefighters in case of an emergency.

And they make it fun and memorable, too. “We bring a couple of our firefighters, and we talk to the kids; the firefighters go from being in street clothes to being completely dressed including being on a tank of air where they sound like Darth Vader,” Eiden explained.

“The gist of that is so that the kids can see how they went from being just a regular person, who was talking to them and making them laugh, to being a firefighter, so that they’re not afraid if a firefighter has to come to their house for an emergency and they’re not all of a sudden intimidated by this person in weird clothing.”

As the firefighters go through the stages of getting into their gear for the children, they associate each step with things that the kids are familiar with. For example, they liken their protective clothing to hoods, raincoats, or boots one may wear when it rains. “We’ve found that really helps the kids have a better understanding of what’s going to happen when we show up,” Eiden said.

“Another thing we do is ask the teachers to emphasize when they’re doing the weekly recap note that goes out to the parents, fire drills in the home,” he went on. “In a corporate environment, we have fire drills in the office. Kids have fire drills at school. But how many families have a meeting place outside of the house in case a fire alarm goes off? Do the kids know they shouldn’t go back in to get their favorite toy or find the family dog? They have a job, and their job is to get out of the house.”

Teaching your children about what to do in case of an emergency, the location of fire extinguishers in the home, and setting up a meeting place outside of the home are key topics to discuss as a family to be prepared in case of an emergency. For more fire prevention insights, don’t miss the the Chappaqua Fire Department’s Open House, which is hosted on one of the first two weekends in October for Fire Prevention Month.

At the Open House, firefighters will start fires in a metal trough, so that residents can practice using a fire extinguisher to help put it out. Residents can also watch as firefighters use the jaws of life to cut up a car, simulating a car accident. They also offer activities for kids, including a fire hose with a nozzle on it and a spinning target which allows them to try using a fire hose.

Eiden says they also give out coloring books and “some take-home things so that if parents are really engaged, they can bring it home and extend those lessons.” Volunteer applications are available on the Chappaqua Fire Department’s website, and residents are always encouraged to get involved any way they can. Chief Eiden concluded: “What better thing to do then support your friends and neighbors in that way?”

Visit chappaquafd.org for more info.

Photos in this article are all courtesy of the Chappaqua Fire Department.

Armonk Fire Chief: “The More Volunteers, The Better”

August 25, 2022 by Illeana Baquero

Photos Courtesy of the Armonk Fire Department

The Armonk Fire Department is one of a handful of fire departments in Westchester County which combine fire and EMS services into one department – which makes regular recruitment efforts indeed critical. With that dual role in mind, Armonk Fire Chief Carlos Cano stressed the importance of regularly recruiting volunteers with varying schedules to efficiently serve the town.

“The more volunteers you have, the better,” Cano said. “Then you have a variety of people that work in different fields, and their schedules are different, so it becomes easier [for the department] to cover calls.”

Already, Cano says that the department has had to hire a paid EMT to cover weekdays while most volunteers are busy with work or other commitments. This shortage of work makes finding volunteers with varied availability even more important.

For the most part, however, Cano says that the Armonk Fire Department has been faring very well as far as recruitment. The department consists at the time of this writing of over 20 EMTs including one who just joined this summer.

“We have people who come in that want to become either EMTs or firefighters, and sometimes our fire guys serve as ambulance drivers and run it as attendants and catch a little bug; they say, ‘you know what, I can do this,’ and they become EMTs,” Cano said. “Or vice versa, we have some people who come in as EMTs and go on fire calls, then think, ‘that looks like fun’ and they want to take a fire class.”

The department, he shared, sees upwards of 1,100 emergency calls per year, averaging to three or four calls per day. Cano calls it “demanding,” but the more volunteers who can respond to calls, the better.

Interested? Here’s what to do ‘Next’

How then can one become a volunteer firefighter or EMT? Cano says that there is no prior experience required for those who are interested in becoming members, and that the department provides training for whichever path volunteers choose to follow.

“You can take the Firefighter 1 class at the training center in Valhalla or sign up for an EMT class at one of the different venues where it’s offered,” he explained. “For firefighting, once you become a member, we will help you or tell you where to go. You can also sign up for updates from the county, and then every time there’s a class offered, you’ll get notified via email to come in for a class. The same goes for EMTs.”

Firefighter 1, the training course for firefighters, amounts to roughly 137 hours of training. For EMTs, Cano says the training is closer to 210 hours. These are typically completed on two or three nights during the week and occasional full days on Saturday for about four months total.

To enroll for a volunteer role in the department, visit the department site, armonkfd.com, for an application. Or consider talking to representatives from the department first at one of their popular outreach events such as EMS Week or Fire Prevention Week. These are announced via posters hung up about town, and on social media.

Fire Safety Lessons in the School District

The Armonk Fire Department has also worked with some of the Byram Hills district schools to emphasize the importance of fire safety measures in the home for Armonk families. Cano says that schools will sometimes bring kids to visit the firehouse and learn from the firefighters.

“When I do those tours for the kids, I use those 45 minutes to talk to the parents and educate them about us, because a lot of people think that we’re a paid department. We tell them that we’re always looking for people, and if you want to volunteer, here we are!”

Other ways that the department reaches out to the community and promotes safety in the home is through free CPR courses on the first Thursday of each month led by H. C. Crittenden Middle School nurse Julie Gallagher. Classes take place at the firehouse from 7-9 p.m.. The classes themselves are free and it’s $22 to purchase a certification card from the American Heart Association. The email to register for CPR training is cpr@armonkfd.com.

As far as volunteer work with the department itself, Gallagher shared a similar sentiment to Cano regarding balancing outside commitments. “Although it is a volunteer position, most of our members spend between 10 to 20 hours per week responding to calls, training with other members, and cleaning and inventorying the apparatus,” she said.

“Everyone has a ‘pay job’, so it can be a very tricky balance,” she continued. “Often, the time commitment to the fire department eats into our home lives because emergencies happen at all hours of the night and day. Our spouses and family members need to be very understanding! Most EMS calls last an hour, but a working fire could keep you away from home the entire night!”

‘A Second Family’

Working together so often, and in such stressful conditions, makes for a unique bond between members of the firehouse. Gallagher feels that the relationship is like “a second family.”

“We work together helping people, their homes and local businesses and to do this, we need to work as a team,” she explained. “Firefighting and EMS are jobs that you cannot do single-handedly! No-one can lift a patient onto a stretcher or put out a fire by themselves. We truly need each other to take care of emergencies. We trust each other with our lives, because many situations that we are involved in are dangerous. When you join our fire department family, you should be open to making new friends, learning many new skills, and doing physically demanding work as a team.”

Indeed, the Armonk Fire Department emphasizes the role in protecting one’s community and picking up new skills on their website, noting that you can expect “a little hard work, a strong sense of community, the benefits and excitement of learning new skills and… a desire to help neighbors in a time of need.”

Members of the Armonk community interested in joining the department can also stop by the firehouse on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. to watch their weekly cleanup and drills and speak to volunteers and firehouse staff about what membership entails.

A Call for Volunteers at the “Relaxed, Friendly & Supportive” Pleasantville Fire Department

August 25, 2022 by Illeana Baquero

Chief Madison Martineau spoke to Inside Press about the importance of getting volunteers from the community, and ways that Pleasantville residents can get involved.

While he notes that some members over the years have come and gone due to moving in or out of town, volunteer numbers have remained fairly steady over the past few years. For anyone interested in joining, Martineau reassures that no experience or prior training is required, and that all necessary training is provided by the firehouse.

“On occasion, we gain members who have prior experience, but the majority join with no experience at all,” he said.

The Training Process

Martineau explained that members who sign up to become volunteer firefighters receive free training, including education in the American Heart Association CPR, AED, and First Aid. Volunteers will also go through the department’s in-house Probationary Training Program.

“This gets people familiar with our apparatus and equipment, policies, and some basic operational strategies,” Martineau explained. “This program helps members become comfortable enough so they are ready to respond to alarms in a safe manner and handle basic tasks on scene. To become an Interior Firefighter, members must take the NYS Firefighter 1 course which is offered at the Westchester County Fire Training Center in Valhalla. There are many other NYS courses offered to members, if they wish to train in more specialized areas such as driving apparatus, vehicle extrication, water rescue, etc. Members also participate in in-house training drills on Monday evenings.”

Anyone over the age of 16 is encouraged to apply to the Pleasantville Fire Department and help their neighbors in need! Martineau explains that volunteers can also choose to work as interior firefighters, who should meet certain physical requirements, or exterior firefighters, who assist with scene support and carry out many important tasks at fires and other alarms.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PLEASANTVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

The value in bringing more people on board is not necessarily improving response times, as Martineau explains that Pleasantville FD is fortunate enough to already have a team of dedicated members who respond quickly when dispatched, but that “they will provide more helping hands at alarms, drills, and other PFD events.”

Working together so often and entrusting one another with their lives makes for a unique bond between members of the department.

“The firehouse is a relaxed, friendly, and supportive environment,” Martineau said. “For many members, their strongest friendships have been made within the firehouse and these friendships last for years, even when members leave the department.”

As far as balancing work and family life in addition to volunteer work, Martineau notes that “the firehouse is also very family oriented. Spouses and families are frequent visitors to the firehouse for events and functions.”

This fall, the department is offering several events and outreach for the Pleasantville community to get involved in and learn about fire safety and prevention in the home.

“Each September, we run a fire prevention program at the Bedford Road Elementary School for students in grades K-4,” Martineau said. “Early fire prevention education is an important component of keeping residents safe. We also participate in programs at the Pleasantville Middle School and Pleasantville High School. Events at Pleasantville High School also serve as important recruitment events since students ages 16 to 17 can join our Junior Corps program.”

Martineau also encouraged members of the Pleasantville community to attend the firehouse’s biennial Open House event, during or around National Fire Prevention Week from October 9 to October 15. There, the department will provide information about home safety, fire extinguisher use, and other important safety information for Pleasantville families.

The volunteer application can be found at pleasantvillefd.com. All are encouraged to lend their time to help their neighbors in need!

For more about volunteer firefighting, please visit https://www.theinsidepress.com/our-volunteer-firefighters-tradition-sacrifice-and-rewards/ by Ella Ilan which also spotlighted volunteer efforts and other highlights of the Briarcliff, Ossining and Pleasantville Departments.

Pro-Choice Community Express Fear, Outrage & a Call to Action to News of Roe v. Wade Being Overturned

July 12, 2022 by Illeana Baquero

As America prepared to celebrate the anniversary of its independence, pro-choice advocates across the nation mourned what they felt was a step backward in the fight for women’s rights and bodily autonomy.

On June 24, the Supreme Court released its decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, one which overturned the constitutional right to abortion provided by the landmark rulings in Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). Their decision now leaves it up to each state to set their own laws regarding abortion access.

The official ruling reads: “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

In the wake of the decision, women’s rights activists and advocates for legal abortion access across the nation have come forward to express their sorrow, frustration, and fear for the future of the nation and American women’s right to control their own futures.

Cheryl Brannan, president and founder of Sister to Sister International, feels that “it’s a travesty.

“A woman should have full autonomy over her body and the absolute right to make a choice. That’s what access to healthcare is all about,” Brannan said. “It’s a travesty to justice and an intrusion on a woman’s personal life. It’s almost like we’re property…Instead of moving forward, we feel we are moving backward.”

As far as steps being taken in our local community, she said that she had recently met with the local board of legislators and supported them in their work to pass legislation that will provide additional protections for women.

Brannan said, “I am happy that here in New York State with our elected officials, they are conscious and savvy enough to know that we need to have legislation that supports women’s ability to choose and have an abortion as wanted, however I do think that it’s important that it’s codified because if not it can be rolled back just like Roe v. Wade was.”

She went on, “This could affect us very negatively if not codified, one, and secondly, especially for low-income women and women of color, coming from other states where it may not be legal, they could certainly make a beeline for New York state, which, of course, would lead to more people coming through the system, which is one drawback of Roe v. Wade being overturned. A lot of women don’t have means to travel to another state, and if they do then of course it’s going to be a lot more people accessing services here locally. No matter how you cut it, it’s not a good thing.” https://www.s2si.org/

Susan Chatzky, a Briarcliff resident, shares a similar sentiment.

“Obviously, our centers are going to see more volume. We’re not ideally located for most of the states in question who will have issues, the only thing that makes us favorable is that we do have Planned Parenthood at or near most airports, like there’s one near LaGuardia, there’s one near White Plains, but it necessitates flying, which is a tremendous expense,” she said.

Chatzky went on: “Women are going to suffer, women are going to die, and there are going to be a lot of people who are going to be born and live their lives unwanted, and without resources, without access to food, shelter, education, healthcare, and all of the other things we already don’t have enough of. It’s incredibly sad.”

Mini Timmaraju, president of national pro-choice advocacy group NARAL Pro-Choice America, said in a statement posted to their website that “the impact on the real lives of real people will be devastating. The Supreme Court has given the green light to extremist state lawmakers who will waste no time springing into action to put in place total bans on abortion…The 8 in 10 Americans who support the legal right to abortion will not let this stand. There is an election in November, and extremist politicians will learn: when you come for our rights, we come for your seats.

“The people who will be hurt most by the Supreme Court’s decision are those who already face barriers to accessing abortion care–including women; Black, Indigenous, and other people of color; those working to make ends meet; the LGBTQ+ community; immigrants; young people; those living in rural communities; and people with disabilities,” Timmaraju said.

She continued: “Leading up to the Supreme Court’s decision and emboldened by the Court’s anti-choice supermajority, extremist state lawmakers doubled down on their attacks on reproductive freedom in an orchestrated effort to undermine our fundamental right to make our own decisions about abortion without political interference. Anti-choice lawmakers have already filed over 500 restrictions on abortion this year, including bans on abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy, bans before most people know they are pregnant, bans modeled after Texas’ vigilante-enforced ban on abortion, total bans on abortion, and medically unnecessary restrictions on medication abortion care.

“With the legal right to abortion in jeopardy in over half the states in this country and the Supreme Court’s decision making clear that we cannot rely on the courts to protect our fundamental rights, electing candidates who will fight for our freedom to decide is more urgent than ever,” Timmaraju concluded. https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/fight-back-for-our-freedom/

Brannan shared a similar call to action, noting that she “invite[s] people to join our movement. They can do so by emailing us using the contact information on our website, and we will continue to fight. But most importantly, we are encouraging people to register to vote, and we are encouraging them not only to galvanize and make our voices heard in New York state, but also in other parts of the country, because we need to be heard in Congress.”

Chatzky offered ways to get involved both on the local level, by phone banking and supporting pro-choice candidates when it comes time to hit the polls, as well as supporting national organizations in the form of donations or volunteer work.

“The Brigid Alliance is excellent,” she said. “They’re offering funds for transportation for people to move about. AirBnB actually donates a certain number of rooms to people who need medical care if it’s unavailable where they live, so people can look into supporting that. We were looking at trying to establish some sort of house hosting website where you could sign up to become a host and people could find you online for free, including hiring a private investigator to do background checks to ensure that people on both ends will be safe.” https://brigidalliance.org/

Additionally, Chatzky mentioned organizations which use the assistance of volunteer pilots to help people fly, at no cost, to other states in order to get access to the healthcare they need, Elevated Access being one example.

Brannan, Chatzky, and Timmaraju’s messages all offer similar notions of hope for progress in the face of what they feel is regression for women’s rights in America. They encourage concerned Americans not to give up on fighting for justice or take a passive stance if they live in a state which has not restricted abortion access, but rather to use this as an opportunity to organise and exercise their voices through votes and volunteering in order to create the change they hope to see.

Illeana Baquero