The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

New Castle Democrats

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(L-R): New Castle Democrats Jeremy Saland, Ivy Pool and Jason Lichtenthal

Dear Neighbors,

We are New Castle Democrats 2019 – Ivy Pool for Town Supervisor, and Jeremy Saland and Jason Lichtenthal for Town Council. We are running for office because we want to make this community a better place for ourselves, our children, and future generations.

  • We are experienced leaders who have built trust in the community. Currently, Ivy and Jeremy serve together on the Town Board, and Jason is an elected Millwood Fire Commissioner.
  • We are dedicated to the community. We are volunteers, troop leaders, coaches, PTA members, faith community members, neighborhood association leaders, and more.
  • We are focused on results. We understand the issues that are important to residents, and we have the skills and the experience needed to deliver results for our community.

In today’s political environment, local elections matter more than ever. We need strong local leaders who will support and promote our shared values.

Ivy Pool for Town Supervisor

Since her election to the Town Board in 2017, Councilwoman Ivy Pool has earned a reputation for responsiveness, hard work, and creativity. A career public servant, Ivy held senior policy roles in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration and in the office of Governor Andrew Cuomo. She earned an undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a Master’s in Public Administration from NYU. Ivy and her husband have lived in New Castle since 2010, and have two children who attend Grafflin and Bell.

Jeremy Saland for Town Council

Councilman Jeremy Saland was elected to the Town Board in 2015, having previously served as Town Prosecutor from 2010-2015. Jeremy is known for his honesty, integrity, and dedication to public service. Jeremy manages his own law practice, specializing in criminal defense, Title IX proceedings, Family Court matters, and victim advocacy. He began his legal career as a Manhattan prosecutor under District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. Jeremy and his wife moved to New Castle in 2006, and have three children at Grafflin, Bell, and Horace Greeley.

Jason Lichtenthal for Town Council

Since 2016 Jason Lichtenthal has served as a Commissioner of the Millwood Fire District, where he is known for his leadership and dedication to protecting the safety of the community. As Senior Vice President at PURE Insurance, Jason has expertise in contract negotiation, project management, and financial management. Jason attended MIT, Brooklyn College, and holds a Master’s in Computer Science from Binghamton University. A Millwood resident since 2004, Jason and his wife have two children who attend Horace Greeley. 

For most of us, our home is the most significant investment we will make. New Castle Democrats 2019 will protect your investment by maintaining property values. To do this, we must hold property taxes flat while improving Town services and enhancing our overall quality of life. Our commitment is to:

Create Thriving Hamlets

Our two hamlets– Chappaqua and Millwood–each have unique strengths, challenges and opportunities. New Castle Democrats 2019 is committed to creating thriving downtown hamlets, which will spur economic development, improve property values, and enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Invest in Capital Planning and Modernize Infrastructure

When it comes to local government, there is perhaps no more visible yard stick by which to measure success than infrastructure. Roads, sidewalks, and sewers are the critical to property values as well as residents’ experiences of their community. We pay a lot in property taxes and we have the right to expect modern-day infrastructure.

Create a Climate-Smart and Resilient New Castle

We believe that that local government has a considerable role to play in instituting climate-smart policies to protect our planet and create a resilient community. While individual residents must share in the responsibility for protecting our natural environment, we believe that local government can and should enact thoughtful, strong, and enforceable policies to do the same.

Enhance Recreation Opportunities and Improve Community Spirit

Whether you are new to town or have lived here for generations, New Castle residents share a passion for recreation and strong sense of community. We will seek to strengthen both.

Engage in Responsible Municipal Management

We will diversify appointments to boards and commissions, make communications a two-way street, and improve intergovernmental cooperation with the State, County, and neighboring municipalities.

We love New Castle and our focus is on making this community a warm, welcoming, and wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.

Please vote on Nov. 5th, or during early voting from Oct. 26th-Nov 3rd. We thank you for the confidence you placed in us when you elected us to our current roles, and we look forward to continuing to serve our community.

Sincerely,

Ivy, Jeremy, and Jason

COR Performance: Training Kids for Athletics

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We often hear parents ask: “Could my son’s injury have been prevented with strength and agility training?” or “My daughter is an excellent athlete, clearly a D1 caliber, what do I need to ensure that competitive edge?”

The most pressing questions, however, revolve around the potential benefits of starting your child on training at an early age. And how young is ‘too young’ to start?

Meanwhile, both you and your child may have big dreams of one day of playing college sports, or even professionally, but some kids simply want to play high school sports and create lifelong health and wellness habits.

Until recently, the standard approach to train young athletes would lead only to damage to the spine, stunt growth and/or ultimately result in injuries. Many even believed that strength training for kids results in slowed progression of athletic development.

All of this is true and false depending on how, what, when and why you are training.

Today, thanks to new research and practical knowledge, we better understand the biomechanics and the role it plays in all stages of a child’s life. We know for certain that a safe and age appropriate approach to athletics can be EXTREMELY beneficial to children in the long run.

Children who participate in a regular fitness routine or lifestyle tend to be a step ahead, developmentally speaking, of those that do not–in height, weight management, muscle strength, lung capacity, even body control, as well as self-confidence. Studies have also found a resistance training program can also have a great impact on strength prior to adolescence. With the proper trainer and program, preadolescents can attain the same levels of strength gains that their adolescent counterparts do, regardless of gender.

The Mayo Clinic, an authority in health research, has stated that kids should start age-appropriate strength and athletic development training as early as 7 or 8 years of age. At these early ages, you can expect a longer positive effect on a child than just playing sports.

If we invest the time to properly teach, train and develop our children now, we are maximizing their chances of long-term physical, mental and developmental success. As puberty, competition and challenge come into play, your child’s mind and body will be prepared. Call 914-273-3413 now to get your little athlete training!

COR Performance (CP) is a 16,000-square-foot facility located in Armonk, NY, featuring an indoor turf, fully equipped gym and onsite sports medical personnel. At CP, we focus on the four pillars of strength training: Strength, Mobility, Power, and Agility. We know what it takes to be reach optimum performance: Hard Work, Positive Attitude, and a Burning Desire to be the Best. CP trains; young athletes, amateurs, as well as professional athletes.

Fidelity Investments® Opens New Chappaqua Investor Center

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As pictured, staff at Fidelity Investments’ Chappaqua Crossing Investor Center celebrate the opening of their newly-opened facility, located at 480 Bedford Road.

The 5,250 square feet office is a state-of-the-art facility providing area investors with access to investment guidance, as well as Fidelity’s broad array of products and services. Fidelity now has more than 197 investor centers around the country, with 19 investor centers located in the New York City area.

“Fidelity Investments is excited to be opening this Investor Center at Chappaqua Crossing, which is a full-service investor center with a unique design, driven by the needs of our clients and based on customer feedback and pilots designed to better understand what would work,” said Andrew Davison, Branch Manager of the Chappaqua office. “Our objective in designing this space was to create an inviting and engaging environment, one that provides the best possible experience for our clients.”

Fidelity Investor Centers provide clients with education, innovative technology and one-on-one guidance to help them develop strategies for a variety of financial objectives. At Fidelity’s local offices, clients can work with a Fidelity Investment professional to:

  • Evaluate retirement readiness and get help preparing a retirement income plan
  • Conduct a comprehensive portfolio review
  • Take advantage of Fidelity’s Portfolio Advisory Services1 which provides ongoing portfolio management
  • Review useful information on estate planning, charitable giving, life insurance and college planning2
  • Participate in a wide offering of free educational seminars and workshops

Pictured are the staff at the Investor Center, including Andrew Davison, Branch Manager of the Chappaqua office (shown, center). Andrew Davison brings more than 12 years of financial services experience to his position overseeing the renovated investor center.  Mr. Davison holds the Series 7, 9, and 10 registrations and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM designation.  At the investor center, he works with a team of 13 associates dedicated to helping investors with their investment needs.

To learn more about the new Investor Center and how it can help with your financial planning decisions, contact: Andrew Davison, Branch Manager at 914-215-6225 ext.54666.

1. Fidelity Portfolio Advisory Service® is a service of Strategic Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser and a Fidelity Investments company. This service provides discretionary money management for a fee.
2. Fidelity does not provide estate planning, legal or tax advice. Laws of a particular state and your particular situation may affect the information. Consult with your attorney or tax adviser regarding your specific legal or tax situation.

Balance Training

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It may not receive much attention in the world of sports medicine and fitness, but balance should be a primary consideration when designing an exercise program. While balance is extremely important for senior citizens, all age groups can benefit from balance training.

Here’s a test: stand on one foot and see how long you can balance. Now try it with your eyes closed. It becomes a much harder test. This is because balance is comprised of three systems: vestibular, proprioceptive and visual. Most people are overly reliant on their visual system. This is partly why the majority of falls occur in low light environments. When visual input decreases, it becomes much harder to balance.

Here’s the good news – you can improve your balance. Start by simply standing on one leg. Then try it on foam or an unstable surface. At all times, have something nearby to hold onto for stability. For example, you might try standing next to a table or at the foot of your bed. Finally, try it with your eyes closed. As difficult as it is without visual input, your ability to balance can improve. It takes consistent effort; consider starting your practice a five minutes once a day.

For an advanced routine, try balancing on a foam pad while playing catch or bouncing a ball off a wall back to yourself.

Matthew Marucci PT, MSPT, OCS, CSCS is the owner of New Castle Physical Therapy and is certified as an Advanced Hip Clinician with The Hospital for Special Surgery.
New Castle Physical Therapy is located at 16 Schuman Road in Millwood. For more information, please visit newcastlept.net or call 914-488-5440

Loving Briarcliff

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BY PETER CHATZKY
Official Historian* of Briarcliff Manor

Briarcliff’s own:       Peter Chatzky 

For generations, my family has called Briarcliff Manor our home. It’s six square miles–Briarcliff’s, not our house’s–are nestled between the Hudson and the Pocantico, earning Briarcliff the historic title “a Village between Two Rivers.”

In 1902, my great grandfather on my mother’s side*, Walter Law, helped incorporate the Village. In exchange, residents named a park for him and put in a swimming pool, some tennis courts, and a Pavilion. Papa Wally famously concocted the original recipe for the grilled hamburger served at Squire’s restaurant*, repeatedly named the best burger by a competing glossy magazine and, to provide locals a dining alternative, oversaw* the conversion of the original Briarcliff Firehouse to the Patio Restaurant. The original fire bell still sits atop the building.

Ironically, two well-known Briarcliff landmarks–Club Fit and the Edith Macy’s Conference Center and Girl Scout Emporium–are not located in Briarcliff at all. (The first is in the Town of Ossining, and the latter in Mount Pleasant, or maybe Ossining–who can tell?) No one seems to know where the village actually starts or ends, or how you get here, partly because the Metro North station is called Scarborough instead of Briarcliff. For bragging rights, though, Briarcliff offers valet service for nearly unlimited train station parking and, on Friday evenings, fancily clad volunteers welcome home commuters with cocktails, mini crab cakes, and cheese straws.*

Speaking of volunteers, the Village runs on the benevolence of its residents. The impressive Briarcliff Manor Fire Department and Ambulance Department are both supported by generous residents who give their time and energy to keeping us safe. Elected government and appointed committees, the School Board, the Sustainability folks, and most of the coaches and referees of more than 172* sports programs are all local moms, dads, or near-adult children. Rotary International was first launched in Briarcliff,* and now holds weekly meetings at our Village Hall, a building that was the original headquarters for Ohio Art Company, the company that first sold the Etch A Sketch.*

Two major golf courses, Sleepy Hollow Country Club and a second one named for Melania Trump, provide members with exclusive access to facilities for golf, tennis, fine dining and the chance to hobnob with page one celebrities. Annual dues are waived for local seniors.* Call the clubs directly for details.

In keeping with Westchester tradition, the public schools are, of course, among the best in the country, according to both US News and World Report and most of the parents of all the school-aged children who live here.

Perhaps the Village’s best kept secrets are our miles of wooden trails and parklands, with a scenic picnic site abutting the Hudson River, and trails winding through Pocantico, and the Hudson reservoir. Hikers can choose the shortish Kate Kennard Trail, or follow the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, or wander the 70-acre Pocantico Park, the Village’s largest park abutting the Pocantico River. And, of course, the Westchester County Bike Trail runs through Briarcliff, with easy access behind the Village Library, which also provides complimentary refreshments and spa facilities for tired cyclists.*

Despite all these amenities, Briarcliff seems designed to deter visitors. Sure, we have plenty of nail salons and a Japanese restaurant that sells awesome French macaron (no asterisk), but the roads are purposefully windy and romantically lit, and we encourage deer and wildlife to dart out in front of speeding cars. As with many Westchester communities, drivers here know that the double yellow lines are more of a suggestion than a rule.*

Come visit us! We are open around the clock, and locals are eager to make new friends, or welcome weary travelers from far away places like Pleasantville, Chappaqua, or even Mount Kisco. Risk the trip down Pleasantville Road construction. You’ll be happy you did.

*Peter Chatzky is not actually the Official Historian of Briarcliff Manor, although he did somehow twice manage to hold elected positions on the Briarcliff Manor Board of Trustees, once as Mayor and once as Deputy Mayor. Some of his facts may be slightly exaggerated, and we have marked them with an asterisk.