The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

The Inside Press

Get Ready for Frosty the Snowman Homecoming 2017

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEVE HILLEBRAND AND ROBBY MORRIS

SAVE THE DATE: November 26 in Armonk

The annual homecoming of America’s favorite snowman, Frosty, will be held right here in Armonk on Sunday, November 26, the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

The Frosty Day fun-filled family activities will be downtown Armonk at 12:30 p.m. with the annual Frosty Parade scheduled for 4 p.m. The parade will be followed by the annual holiday lighting ceremony at the gazebo in Wampus Brook Park.

The Frosty Parade is the only holiday-themed parade in the area and all activities are free to the public. Almost every business, shop and merchant in Armonk is involved somehow in Frosty Day; there are individual corporate sponsorships available for events and activities during the day and the parade.

There will be new activities and rides this year including more of the popular animated animals and the creation of an ice sculpture in the center of town. Favorites such as the miniature trains and horse-drawn wagons will be back again, along with dancers, singers, marching bands, magicians, clowns, elves, Santa and of course, Frosty. Shops and merchants will offer face-painting, frosting cookies, decorating holiday ornaments, refreshments, and making your own Frosty the Snowman to carry in the parade. A list of the times and places of events and activities are available on the Frosty website: armonkfrosty.com.

Events and activities will be held for three hours around town before the parade which will travel north on Main Street to Maple Avenue and then into Wampus Brook Park. Everyone is part of the parade, joining in at the end to help welcome Frosty home for the holidays.

More than 35 local and county-based groups and organizations will participate in this year’s Frosty Parade with floats, lights, dancing, costumes and music, going past the Historic District in downtown Armonk which was the inspiration for the “Village Square” where Frosty dared the children to “catch me if you can.” Steve Nelson, who was the lyricist of the classic holiday song, was a long-time resident of Armonk.  

Friends of Frosty Inc., a non-profit group of local volunteers formed to oversee the day’s events, encourages visitors to Armonk to contribute to its “Help Frosty Help Others” campaign, with donations either in Frosty jars during the event, or with contributions to the Winter Warmth Project that collects outdoor jackets and gear for those in need. People can make clothing donations during a one-time drop-off of clothing items at North Castle Town Hall on Saturday, November 4th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The group’s president, Robby Morris, reminds us that “Frosty Day is an event that the town looks forward to every year. It’s a great time for everyone to come together and have some fun.”

 

Meet the Inside Press Team

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We have a talented group of writers and artists who contribute on a regular basis but we also have a strong core group of dedicated professionals who ensure that each issue of Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk is chock full of local news that you won’t find in other news outlets. With the growth of online media, we ensure that each issue’s content is available online and we also love to share our stories via social media. All of this though would never happen though without the generous support of our sponsors so we are all grateful for the support. In keeping with this issue’s gratitude theme, please take a moment to ‘meet’ the Inside Press team. We also thank you, dear readers, for the intense interest in our pubs.

Grace Bennett

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Following a career in newspaper and magazine journalism, and also raising two kids (Anna and Ari) to the first and fourth grades, I launched the Inside Press in 2003 and went live in 2009 with theinsidepress.com. I greatly enjoy the role of overseeing the editorial and working closely with so many generous sponsors in this incredibly beautiful and happening corner of Westchester. Long walks keep me centered through it all.

Stacey Pfeffer

Editor

After working in public relations in NYC and London for more than a decade, I decided to switch to freelance writing after the birth of my first child. I have written for a variety of regional media outlets.For the past two years, I have also written numerous articles for Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk, before assuming the role of editor. I love highlighting local stories in our magazines and online that you won’t find anywhere else.

Caroline Rosengarden

Advertising Manager

I’m the Inside Press Advertising Manager, which means that I communicate with advertisers all day long! I liaise with sponsors old and new alike to ensure their ads appear in the magazine exactly the way they expect. In the past, I managed national brands at ad agencies in NYC and San Francisco. I enjoy baking, walking with my husband and Ruby (our Golden Doodle) or reading books with my girls, Lucy (10) and Sadie (8).

Ryan Smith

Website Developer

I’m the company’s website developer who ensures the articles that go to print are available for consumption on The Inside Press website, theinsidepress.com, as well as in social media. I help keep the site fast, fresh, and secure!

I’ve previously served as the IT Director for a worldwide design agency and was in charge of development for a financial technology start-up. When I’m not taking things apart to figure out how they work, I enjoy hiking, ballroom dancing, and costume parties.

Lisa Samkoff

Art Director

A year ago I joined the Inside Press team as art director. In my role, I redesigned our company logo complimenting it with a complete re-design of the magazines giving them a more modern look. As an independent graphic designer and consultant specializing in branding, logos and signage, I often work on packaging and website design as well. When I’m not working, I’m cooking, planting, crafting, or going to games with my friends and family.

Rick Waters

Website Designer

I am responsible for making sure the articles and ads are neat and tidy for the Inside Press website. I transfer the Inside Press magazines into online articles and provide photo-resizing work. I also post various Inside Press articles throughout the year while optimizing photos and videos. When I’m not in the office, I am an avid cyclist, hiker and swimmer. I also enjoy cocktail parties and going on adventures with my dog.

Analia Boltuch (with her son Oliver)

Account Manager

I am the account manager for the Inside Press handling all bookkeeping needs. When not wearing my bookkeeping cape, I enjoy providing virtual assistant services to small businesses and entrepreneurs ranging from office management to social media. I’m also a wife and mom of three boys (one of them being of the four-legged variety!)

 

Chappaqua Performing Arts Center Presents Sō PERCUSSION October 14

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Chappaqua Performing Arts Center Presents
Modern Percussion Ensemble “Sō Percussion” October 14
Opening Reception for NWAG’s “Method & Melody Art Exhibit
CHAPPAQUA– Nothing stirs the senses like extraordinary art or the magic of a musical performance. On Saturday, October 14, the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, the newest artistic jewel in the tri-state region, will provide its guests with a vibrant night of audio and visual simulation.

The evening will feature a special concert by the internationally acclaimed quartet, Sō Percussion at 8 p.m. The groundbreaking ensemble will perform five special selections from their extensive repetroire —  “3rd Construction” by John Cage, “Springs” by Paul Lansky, “Taxidermy” from Caroline Shaw, Jason Treuting’s “Amid the Noise,”  and “Music for Wood and Strings,” a composition by Bryce Dessner of the acclaimed indie rock band The National.

Tickets for Sō Percussion are $30 – $60 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or in person on day of the show at the lobby box office.

Patrons are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy a special a special art exhibition entitled “Method & Melody” displayed in the Center’s lobby. The installation features artwork created by the Northern Westchester Artists Guild.   The exhibit’s opening reception, co-sponsored by Sari Shaw of Platinum Realty in Chappaqua, will take place from 5 – 8 p.m. All of the work from “Method & Melody” is for sale and will be on display through November 17th.

Sō Percussion specializes in innovative multi-genre original productions, sensational interpretations of modern classics, and an “exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam,” (The New Yorker). In the process, the company has redefined the scope and vital role of the modern percussion ensemble. Their repertoire includes works of 20th century classical composers such as John Cage and Steve Reich , as well as creative collaborations with artists who often work outside the classical concert field. In addition, the quartet composes and performs their own works, ranging from standard concert pieces to immersive multi-genre programs.

According to the group’s website, Sō Percussion’s goal is “to create a new model of egalitarian artistic collaboration that respects history, champions innovation and curiosity, and creates an essential social bond through service to our audiences and our communities.”

The quartet — which includes Eric Cha-Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam, Sliwinski and Jason Treuting – has performed with such luminaries as the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Caroline Shaw, American soprano Dawn Upshaw and on stages ranging from the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall to such popular festival events as Bonnaroo, MassMoCA, and TED 2016. In addition, Sō Percussion has been named the Edward T. Cone Ensemble-in-Residence at Princeton University, Co-Directors of the percussion department at the Bard College-Conservatory of Music, and directors of the annual Sō Percussion Summer Institute, which provides college-age composers and percussionists an immersive exposure to collaboration and project development.

Visit Sō Percussion online:
sopercussion.com
Facebook.com/sopercussion/
Instagram.com/sopercussion/
Twitter.com/sopercussion

 

 
Located on the former campus of Reader’s Digest in a building once known as the Wallace Auditorium, the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center — or ChappPAC for short — was recently saved from demolition by the Town of New Castle and established to provide a rich blend of local and national arts presentations and cultural programming for people throughout Westchester County and the surrounding region.  The 425-seat venue celebrated its grand opening on September 23, 2017 with the first of 12 concerts, plays and performances scheduled for its inaugural Fall Season.

The Chappaqua Performing Arts Center is located at 480 Bedford Road, Chappaqua, NY 10514 just inside the gate on the former Reader’s Digest campus.

Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000

For additional information, visit www.ChappaquaPAC.org or call 914-458-5143

Follow on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ChappaquaPerformingArtsCenter/
 
 
 
 
 
 

Greenlight Award comes to Greeley!

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Greenlight Award Challenges Greeley Students to Make a Difference

Bedford 2020’s 2017-2018 Greenlight Award competition, Changemaker 2020, challenges local high school students to become activists and motivate at least 20 people to change their behavior 20 times to benefit the environment.

Horace Greeley High School students are invited to join the contest this year along with students from Fox Lane High, John Jay, Harvey School and Rippowam Cisqua students.  Student teams present proposals for meeting this challenge before a Round One “Shark Tank” panel of judges and the best proposals receive up to $1,000 to implement their projects.

Joseph Montuori, Horace Greeley High School Social Studies Teacher, Instructional Technology Coach, and advisor to the Greeley STOP Club (Students and Teachers for Our Planet) participated as a judge at the Greenlight Award Finals last year where the finalists who implemented their projects presented their results, and the winning team received $500 and the Greenlight Award.

“We are excited to involve Greeley students join this year’s challenge. Getting people to change their habits is critical in the struggle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and students have great ideas!” says Midge Iorio, Bedford 2020’s Executive Director.

In the third year of a three-year pilot, the Greenlight Award will focus on measurable action and a positive experience for students. “We are training future environmental leaders and want to make sure that they are set up for success,” says Olivia Farr, Greenlight Award Chair. “Student participants will receive information on behavior change strategies, support from community experts, opportunities for public speaking, and finalists will engage in collecting data, reporting results, teamwork, leadership, and a chance to make a real difference.”

The sign up deadline is approaching on October 16th. Interested students submit names of team member and a faculty advisor along with a general idea of the project they intend to propose in December.

How the contest works:

  • Students sign up online at Bedford2020.org/greenlight and check out the Greenlight Award Toolkit to get started on their proposal.
  • Bedford 2020 hosts an Incubator Workshop on November 1st where community experts advise all participating students on their proposed projects.
  • On December 9th, students present their proposal before a panel of judges and the highest scoring projects receive up to $1,000 funding and a “green light” to carry out their project.
  • Finalists work with community experts to implement their project and ultimately present their results at a community-wide event in early May 2018. The winning team receives a cash prize of $500 and the Greenlight Award.

For more information about the Greenlight Award visit bedford2020.org/greenlight

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Bedford 2020 is a non-profit organization leading a community-wide effort in the Town of Bedford, NY, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020 and to create a sustainable community that conserves natural resources. More information is available at www.Bedford2020.org.

Debut of two Groundbreaking MHA of Westchester Services

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Suicide bereavement services offered by a specialist who has experienced her own personal loss to suicide

Each person experiences the loss of a loved one to suicide in their own way and in their own time. Through our new Suicide Loss: Outreach, Support and Healing service, we are able to offer compassion, understanding and support from a trained specialist who has also experienced personal loss to suicide.

Support is provided in a variety of ways and may include: connections to support groups in the community, sharing resources such as books, managing tasks at hand, discussing expectable reactions to a loss to suicide, how and what to share, and supporting family members – especially children. Suicide Loss: Outreach, Support and Healing services are provided at no cost.

Continue reading about Suicide Loss services>>>

Groundbreaking Telehealth service now at MHA

This summer, MHA debuted a groundbreaking behavioral health service that enables clients to meet with our psychiatrists via two-way, real-time interactive audio and video equipment.

Featuring HIPAA-compliant computer and web cam configurations, Telehealth stations are located in MHA’s White Plains, Yonkers and Mount Kisco clinics and offer improved access to care for clients who are in crisis situations and those who engage in clinical walk-in services.

Continue reading about Telehealth>>>

 

This news was provided as a courtesy to MHA of Westchester.