The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

Adopt-A-Best Friend

by

adopt a petBy Heather Skolnick

We’ve all heard the adage about how a dog is Man’s Best Friend, but really, in today’s age, shouldn’t it really be amended to be Everyone’s Best Friend? As a dog owner myself, I know I believe it. And this community is certainly a great one to raise a canine child, with its abundance of parks and trails for our four-legged friends to run around and play.

While there are many options for a family to find a dog (or cat!), one terrific, local option to consider is Adopt-A-Dog, a recognized charitable organization based in Armonk. The organization’s stated mission is to “Save, Socialize and Secure Loving Homes for Unwanted or Abandoned Dogs and Cats,” according to their website.

With so many unwanted pets, adopting from Adopt-A-Dog is a wonderful way to bring a pet into your family. Adopt-A-Dog just celebrated its 35th anniversary at the end of April. In their 35 years, over 13,500 animals have been saved and placed in loving homes. That’s an incredible number of animals who found forever homes thanks to Adopt-A-Dog’s wonderful efforts. This amazing statistic can be attributed to three friends who saw a need in their community to address the growing number of dogs in need of a home.

Executive Director Kristen Rice explained the organization in these words: “The dogs here have lost their homes, their families, and their world. These poor animals don’t know where their families are, or why there were put in this situation. That’s why we go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of every animal entering our shelter. We focus on all aspects of our animal’s quality of life to ensure a smooth transition into an adoptive home.” And they sure do.

Local resident Felice Erlich brought a new pet into her home about two-and-a-half years ago from Adopt-A-Dog. Her family’s experience with the organization started when she and her daughter began volunteering.

That is when they saw first-hand how amazing and loving the staff were to the animals. Felice said of the staff, “They were very clearly doing what they loved.” Felice and her family ultimately took home Dali, a two-year-old dog who had recently undergone surgery. Felice remembers, “The staff was so dedicated that they even insisted on her staying on at the shelter for one more week after her surgery so that they could be sure she was ready to ‘go home.’” Felice’s daughter was so moved by her own experience with Adopt-A-Dog that she began her own fundraising campaign called ‘Sarah’s Blanket.’ She makes pet blankets with all the proceeds going directly to Adopt-A-Dog.

There are many ways to be involved with this wonderful organization. First, of course, if you are looking to add a pet to your family, please consider Adopt-A-Dog. Fostering a pet is another option. This shorter term commitment can be for a puppy or kitten to an older dog or cat. Sponsoring a pet financially is a great choice if you want to support the organization but are not ready to add a pet to your family. Or, volunteer! Time can be spent with the animals or in other ways. Adopt-A-Dog also has an Amazon Wishlist–items can be purchased directly through Amazon and will help support Adopt-A-Dog’s needs. Adopt-A-Dog is a wonderful asset to our community. People come from both near and far to find their new best friends right here in Armonk!

Heather and her husband became New Castle residents nine years ago, at which time canine child Freddie joined their family. Since then, a daughter and twin sons followed suit. When Heather isn’t spending time with her family (including Freddie!), she works for a footwear company.

At Westmoreland, an Escape from Civilization (But Not from North Castle)

by

Inside Armonk June WM pond 3Article and Photos By Andrew Vitelli

It’s hard to hide 640 acres–roughly a square mile–in the woods of northern Westchester. But Westmoreland Sanctuary, located on the borders of North Castle, Bedford and Mount Kisco, is as close to a hidden gem as Westchester nature lovers can hope to find in their neck of the woods.

“It’s not well known,” Ann Paul, the director of the sanctuary, explains. “We don’t have a huge budget or bandwidth to promote a lot of our programming.”

Westmoreland, established as a not-for-profit nature center and wildlife preserve in 1957, isn’t completely undiscovered; there are approximately 30,000 visitors per year to the nature center or on the 7.5 miles of trails which wind around the property. But walking through Westmoreland’s woods gives the visitor a closeness to nature hard to find on some of the area’s more popular trails.

“You have a lot of wooded area, so you have extended, mature forests,” Ms. Paul, who grew up in the Bedford area, says. “We’re not well-groomed. It’s a lot more rugged than some of the other parks.”

At Westmoreland, you may not get the soaring views of the Hudson River or Bear Mountain Bridge that hikers a bit north experience. But the trails, surrounded by thick forest, offer a sense of wilderness that is hard to find elsewhere. Even a short trek into one of the sanctuary’s dozen or so trails feels like an escape from the world around.

“It gives you that wonderful feeling that you’re farther than you actually are from civilization,” explains Steve Ricker, the Director of Conservation and Wildlife Management. “We try to keep our trails away from the edges, too, so you do still get that deep forest wilderness feeling.”

Westmoreland Sanctuary was established in 1957, by Helen Frick, a millionaire philanthropist and the daughter of steel magnate Henry Clay Frick. Some of the property’s most interesting artifacts are much older; two graveyards on the site date as far back as the 1600s, while the building which now houses the nature center and museum is a reconstructed pre-revolution church.

“It’s one of the few buildings that were not burned during the burning of Bedford in 1776 during the Revolutionary War,” Ms. Paul notes.

Westmoreland features the picturesque Bechtel Lake (see above), just a short walk from the parking lot, as well as Lost Pond, which is deeper into the woods. A range of wildlife can be found in these woods, including a variety of birds (including wild turkeys), turtles, frogs, and snakes (this reporter survived two garter snake sightings during a brief walk along the Easy Loop trail). Even bobcats, coyotes and a bear have been spotted roaming the sanctuary. For solo or groups of hikers, the Westmoreland Sanctuary offers trails of varying lengths and difficulties, while the nature center gives hikers a starting point with clean bathrooms and trail maps. But Westmoreland Sanctuary is much more than a series of trails. The sanctuary hosts programming, events, and classes for all ages, part of their mission of connecting children, parents, and the citizenry at large with the world around them.

“In the society we’re in today, a lot of people don’t have this time to come outside and they don’t know what’s safe or not safe,” Stephen Sciame, the sanctuary’s director of education, says. “So if they feel too scared to come out here themselves, they’re not going to bring their kids.”

Westmoreland has an environmental education program that dates back 30 years, developed in conjunction with New York State standards. It’s staff, though small (there are three full-time workers and a part-time bookkeeper), consists of experts with deep backgrounds in their fields. Westmoreland sees around 10,000 students each year, offering summer camps and after-school programs and working with schools and scout groups to bring children to Westmoreland. The sanctuary also hosts birthday parties, and sometimes takes its show on the road to science fairs and community events.

In July, Westmoreland will host an interactive production of The Wizard of Oz, which will allow the entire audience to walk through the sanctuary’s own Yellow Brick Road and meet their favorite characters (auditions were taking place as this magazine went to press). Other programming and events planned for this summer include a Nature Immersion Camp, a Wilderness Survival Camp, and orienteering meets (for an up-to-date list of what’s going on, visit westmorelandsanctuary.org).

Inside Armonk June WM“The idea here for our mission is to get the kids outside,” says Ms. Paul. “For those kids who would not typically get outside and would not typically spend time in the outdoors and in the woods, we’re encouraging their interest in here.”

Westmoreland is looking to expand its adult education programs. Parents who bring their kids, Sciame notes, often know less than their children about the outdoors.

“Nature has a little bit of that fear factor nowadays,” Sciame, an Eagle Scout with a Master’s Degree in Education, acknowledges. He hopes to channel the interest generated among reality T.V. watchers by shows like Man vs. Wild and Naked and Afraid to get fans of these shows to the sanctuary to learn their own survival skills (visitors will not, he clarifies, be naked).

“We’ve been using the hype that’s been generated by society to create survival-based programs, learn a little bit about natural navigation, learn about what edible foods and medicinal foods are out there, and do a quick public program on that,” he says.

Westmoreland, a public charity, is always free to visitors (though donations are accepted). While it spans three towns, it’s not affiliated with any of them. There are 14 members on its Board of Directors, on which Ms. Paul served for 15 years before becoming director.

For the staff at Westmoreland, reaching as many people as possible and exposing them to all the sanctuary and the outdoors has to offer is the ultimate goal. Ricker, who has worked at Westmoreland for 20 years, even makes an annual trip to the Children’s Center of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility with the sanctuary’s animal ambassadors.

“I want people to come and be accepted for who they are, and I don’t know that everyplace you go around here that’s true,” Ms. Paul explains. “I want people to come and do what they want.”

Andrew Vitelli is the editor of Inside Armonk magazine and also an avid, occasional hiker.

New Castle 10k/5k: A Family Affair

by

The New Castle 10k/5k is one of the most anticipated events in town each year thanks in large part to the hard work of the town’s Recreation & Parks Department. Many families have more than one member participating, too. Runners/walkers were blessed this year to wake up to clear skies, the sun poking through and mild temperatures before embarking on a five or ten mile course. For a full list of the race winners this year, please visit: http://georesults.racemine.com/Town-of-New-Castle/events/2016/New-Castle-10K5K/results

The Greenstein family all ran the 5k route. (L-R): Jessie, Cindy, Robert and Daniel. Jessie won 1st place in her age group, and 2nd place among females!
The Greenstein family all ran the 5k route. (L-R): Jessie, Cindy, Robert and Daniel. Jessie won 1st place in her age group, and 2nd place among females!
Olivia Sackler with Steve Sackler, her most dedicated dad
Olivia Sackler with Steve Sackler, her most dedicated dad
Brian Hand and his daughter, Gillian, shortly before running five miles in the New Castle race on May 15
Brian Hand and his daughter, Gillian, shortly before running five miles in the New Castle race on May 15

All*Star Woodworking Nails Customer Service and Quality Work

by

Photo 1By Matt Smith

If you’re like most people in the county or beyond, what you presumably look for most in a business is quality customer service: the ability of an employee to be attentive to your needs, and to get the job done in the best way possible. Luckily, for your woodworking needs, “customer support is unequaled” at All*Star Woodworking, according to Jim Doherty, its Design and Sales Associate.
“There’s never any question about anything [here],” he continues. “If something needs attention, they do it. And that’s just the way Peter built the company.”

Owned by Peter Cuneo since 1986, All*Star Woodworking operates out of a 12,000-square-foot factory in Thornwood. Offering customers a variety of different wood, color and style options, Doherty stresses that the company, which specializes in cabinetry, is truly custom in every sense of the word. “We don’t sell a line of cabinetry,” he explains. “We make custom cabinets from design and manufacture to delivery and installation.”

The process begins with a free consultation, either in the client’s home or at the All*Star Showroom, during which the client and designer jointly develop a proposal. These consultations may vary in terms of length depending on the requirements of a specific project, or an individual customer’s needs or requests. (“Some even bring architectural plans,” notes Cuneo). Once a proposal is accepted, “We create CAD [computer-aided design] drawings,” says Doherty, “which are reviewed and approved by the customer before we start production.” The drawings are then put into a state-of-the-art CNC wood router, which will accurately cut the wood pieces to 1/1000 of an inch, and “produce many of the parts that will be assembled to form a cabinet.”

Jim Doherty
Jim Doherty

But only after the finished drawing gets final approval from the customer — that’s the All*Star guarantee. “No job is designed, manufactured or installed without customer approval at each step,” Doherty reiterates.

Additionally, unlike many competitors, “We do not sub jobs out,” he continues. “Every aspect of the job is done by All*Star employees, who live, work, and shop locally.” Lead times for jobs take only eight to ten weeks to manufacture and install, as opposed to the standard 12-plus week lead time of most stock cabinetry competitors. In addition, All*Star cabinetry comes with a 10-year warranty to repair or replace any defective materials.

Naturally, the quality of the final product is unmatched. Doherty points to a drawer box for a current project as an example, noting how the joinery is intricate and smooth, reflecting expert craftsmanship. He says, too, that each job is unique, and to that end, Cuneo will even travel as far North as Massachusetts to find the proper wood for a job to then strip it down himself in house to create the necessary pieces, all with no questions asked.

It’s qualities like these which have allowed the company to stay in business and successfully grow for the better part of three decades. “We don’t do a lot of advertising,” Doherty adds, on the subject. “We follow Peter’s philosophy: treat each job as a showcase for future business and gain referrals from satisfied customers. [We get business] mostly by word of mouth.”

Still, it doesn’t hurt that the company is active within the community, making appearances at local home shows, both at the County Center and Pace University, as well as the annual Pleasantville
Music Festival. “We have completed projects for schools, public libraries and local hospitals,” Doherty adds, including the Children’s Rehabilitation Center in White Plains, for which they recently
completed a job at a reduced price. Both community involvement and the word of mouth approach seem to be working out well for the company, as customers are flocking in not only from Westchester,
but from Southern Connecticut and New York City as well. “And, we have multi-generations of customers coming back,” notes Doherty. “People tell us, ‘You built a kitchen for my parents. Now, I’ve moved back into the area, and I want you to build my kitchen.’”

In addition to kitchens–and with Father’s Day on the horizon–All*Star can also build you a bar, entertainment unit, or home office. With so many options to choose from, it’s clear, as Cuneo has often said, “There’s a lot of hard work involved in this business.” But, he continues, “the results are often very special for both us and for our clients.” “We’re not just selling cabinets,” Doherty adds. “We’re asking, ‘What is your vision?’ That’s what we start with. [We say], ‘Tell us what you’re hoping to accomplish,’ and we go from there.”

Indeed, since opening in 1978, All*Star has been Westchester’s premier cabinetmaker and refacing contractor, and continues to remain as such. But Cuneo is quick to note he doesn’t let the praise and adulation go to his head, stating, “At the end of the day, we are simply committed to quality and perfection.” He continues, “No high-pressure sales tactics, or gimmicky financing schemes…just quality workmanship from a company with over 30 years’ worth of knowledge and experience.” And that’s the truth. You don’t even have to knock on wood.

All*Star Woodworking is located at 401 Claremont Avenue, Thornwood, behind the Safe Guard Self Storage Facility, opposite ShopRite on Broadway. For more information, call (914) 769-9161 or visit www.allstarwoodworking.com.

Matt Smith is a freelance writer based in Chappaqua. For more information, visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com. 

Todd Shapera: The Man and his Passion Behind the Lens

by

Shapera with his dogs, Ruby and Rico, on Pocantico Lake.
Shapera with his dogs, Ruby and Rico, on Pocantico Lake.

By Matt Smith

If you’ve ever explored the bucolic trails of Rockefeller State Park Preserve on a breezy Spring morning, chances are you may have crossed paths with Todd Shapera. You probably wouldn’t know it though, as the “sensitive and worldly” photographer, who walks with his rescue dogs Ruby and Rico, is often sans camera during these peaceful strolls. “When I’m there, I don’t photograph,” Shapera explains. “It’s about time in nature…finding balance…feeling grounded. The Preserve is my sanctuary.”

It’s a pretty regular habit for the Pocantico Hills resident, and “very much a part of the rhythm of my life.” He notes that on a given day, these moments of tranquility–both on the trail and on his deck, which overlooks a horse farm in the heart of the park–help to center him and allow for better focus on that day’s work. And if he says it enhances his work, the more power to him as his photography is downright gorgeous–and critics, from both the local community and the professional world, can’t get enough.

It’s nothing short of exciting, especially for Shapera himself, considering the photographer, who has shot in 57 countries to date, actually got his start as a reporter and writer, producing news stories for NPR. That job evolved into speech writing “for a politician in NYC and Albany” (Governor Cuomo’s wife) which, in turn, evolved into freelancing for several global publications. One such paper was The Financial Times of London, where his assignments eventually set him on the path toward his destiny.

“[The paper] would send me to explore distant places, like Patagonia, the Yukon rivers near the Arctic Circle and the Yangtze River in China,” he explains. “I would write features for their weekend magazine, How to Spend It. At the time, I took a camera with me, and I took a few [shots]. Soon, the editor began featuring my landscape photos with my stories.”

Tarrytown House Wedding, Bride Awaiting e First Look With Her Groom, on the stairs of Biddle Mansion. Wedaward, February, 2016
Tarrytown House Wedding, Bride Awaiting e First Look With Her Groom, on the stairs of Biddle Mansion.             WedAward, February, 2016

He didn’t think much of his photography at the time–“it was one camera, one lens”–but his editors were certainly impressed. States Shapera: “They liked that I could come back with both elements, a story and photos, for them to publish.” As his portfolio continued to grow and develop, so did his passion for the art form. And as they say, the rest is history.

Today, Shapera works on both a local and global scale, photographing for leading global agencies and foundations throughout Africa, Central America, and Asia, as well as several prestigious Westchester venues, including Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill, Tarrytown House, Trump National, and the American Yacht Club in Rye.

A pre-Bat Mitzvah portrait shot by Todd at the Katonah Museum.
A pre-Bat Mitzvah portrait shot by Todd Shapera
at the Katonah Museum.

His local work has also included a six-year stint for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) at their Pocantico Hills estate, Kykuit, where he documents performances in the garden by New York City dance companies and jazz artists. Last year, RBF President Stephen B. Heintz even invited Shapera to document their private 100th birthday dinner for David Rockefeller, held in Kykuit’s ornate dining room.

With all this activity, it’s not hard to see why he’s racked up his fair share of accolades–both nationally and globally. Shapera recently received WeddingWire’s prestigious Couples’ Choice Award* for the third year in a row. He has also received the international WedAward** in January, February and April of this year. Additionally, his work documenting a wedding at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club was featured in the Vows section of The New York Times. As diverse as weddings can be, Todd attributes his success photographing them to singular skill. “I come to each wedding with fresh eyes,” he says.

Among his global honors for social documentary photography, he was awarded a photographers’ fellowship from Management Sciences for Health (MSH) to document healthcare reform in Rwanda two decades after the genocide. The panel chose Shapera among 250 global applicants, citing the way his prior work in Africa “captured the inner beauty and the dignity of people in their everyday lives.”

“For me, it begins with beautiful lighting,” he continues, on the subject. “I try to paint with light.” He points to a photo he took in Kenya for the NGO, Hatua Likoni in which both light and dignity are a major focus.

New York Botanical Garden Wedding Under An August Supermoon, Wedaward, January 2016
New York Botanical Garden Wedding Under An August Supermoon, WedAward, January 2016

This technique is not limited to his work aboard; he approaches his local event photography in the same way. To illustrate this point, he next pulls out a photo from a wedding at the New York Botanical Garden, in which the newlyweds are positioned under an August supermoon–utilizing dramatic lighting for enhanced effect.

In working so intimately with his clients, he values their trust, and prides himself on his ability to develop longstanding relationships with many of them. “I photographed a Chappaqua girl’s Bat Mitzvah twelve years ago,” he shares. “[Then,] I did her sister’s [Bat Mitzvah] two years later, and now, in September, I’m doing her wedding [photography] in Tarrytown. It’s a Jewish-Hindu wedding. The groom’s going to come in on a horse. It’s going to be unbelievable.” Additionally, Shapera donates his time and craft to several local charitable organizations, including Chappaqua’s Making Headway Foundation, which helps to raise money and awareness for children with brain and spinal cord tumors, and their families. “Todd is a such a wonderful man, and a great, great photographer,” says Maya Manley, who founded Making Headway with her husband, Edward. “He knows how to talk to kids, and approach parents, and he can build bridges with both [groups] so easily. He’s so gentle and kind.”

But despite the positive endorsement, Shapera insists on staying out of the spotlight, seeking to be unobtrusive in his work. “When I go to an event, it’s never about me,” he shares. “It’s about the story I’m capturing.”

Jesus Maria Carales Alvarez (Pipo) Girenia Rodrizquz Travesco (Yeri) Lagna de Piedrea Bodega Marsela Luis, Vinales, Pinar del Rio 54-05-54-64 him 58-54-01-90 her works on Chile farms, farm near Chile daughter- Yeri, Yaraimi
A tobacco farmer and his wife outside Vinales, Cuba, two and a half hours west of Havana. Shapera rented a bike from a local craft seller and cycled for three days along a three kilom- eter country road at the base of mountains, spending time with tobacco farmers and their families along the way.

To that end, he adds that “after an event, it’s not unusual for a client to tell me they didn’t even know I was there, but [at the same time, they] knew I was everywhere.” That’s definitely the Shapera touch. And while many continue to praise him for his efforts, ever humble, he recedes, stating: “I just love storytelling.” But, as Professional Photographer Magazine noted in a recent profile piece, he’s a storyteller who is artfully “linking disparate worlds through photography.” With that, it’s clear he’s making a difference that’s gone anything but unnoticed. And, to think, it all began with “one camera, one lens.”

For more info: www.toddshapera.com.

A fan of all photography, Matt Smith is a freelance writer based in Chappaqua. For more information, visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com.

 

*The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice award is given to the top five percent of photographers in their national network based on client reviews.

**The WedAward is given to just three percent of monthly submissions from around the globe.