The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Armonk Cover Stories

Area Library Programming you Don’t Want to Miss

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Round up by Beth Besen and the Inside Press

Don’t miss Beth’s story too on how “The Library” remains a vital community resource:  http://theinsidepress.com/how-our-libraries-stack-up-in-todays-digital-world/

Briarcliff Manor Public Library

Interested in re-inventing your adult self? Check out “What’s Next In My Life and Career?” Discovering Possibilities after 50 Thursday, March 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m. This program is offered through the Westchester Library System’s WEBs Career & Educational Counseling Service. Thinking of travel to Cuba? Join Our Librarian in Havana: Hemingway’s Cuba–librarians will speak on their recent visit to Havana, Cuba with special focus on American novelist Ernest Hemingway and his time there; Thursday, March 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Additional programming can be found online: http://www.briarcliffmanorlibrary.org/calendar.html

Chappaqua Library

This spring, the Chappaqua Library stage welcomes: Dance educator and Steffi Nossen School of Dance faculty member, Kristina Todd Nelson, on Wednesday March 21 and 28 from 10-10:30 a.m.; Kristina will teach Story Dance as part of the “Story Hour” program.

Additional upcoming stage guests include authors Lisa See and Sebastian Junger. Coming this fall: a month-long celebration of Broadway.

On Thursday, April 6, 7-9 p.m., The League of Women Voters of New Castle forum “Media and Politics: The Impact on our Democracy” will address the impact of these issues on the 2016 Presidential election and on future elections. Moderated by Jeanne Zaino, Ph.D., Political Analyst and Professor at Iona College with Panelists Jon Klein, Cable News and Internet Executive; Jerry McKinstry, Media Strategist and Journalist; and Phil Reisman, Columnist/Radio Talk Show Host.

 For more info, visit lwvnewcastle.org

Jeanne Zaino, Ph.D.
Jon Klein
Jerry McKinstry
Phil Reisman

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Kisco Library

Popular with so many, craft workshops will again be offered this spring: Earring making will take place on Tuesday, March 14, 4-5:30 p.m.; for every pair made, another pair will be donated to a women’s shelter. Kids from school-age through teen will enjoy making and flying their own Tyvek kites, Thursday March 30, 4:30-6 p.m.; registration required. Home-made rain sticks help usher in April showers on Thursday, April 6, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; registration required. Button snails to decorate a garden on Monday, April 10, 4-5 p.m. Kaleidoscope making on Tuesday, April 11, 2-3 p.m. https://mtklibraryfoundation.org/index.html

Mount Pleasant Public Library

Come see the Pleasantville Children’s Center Art Show, now through Thursday, March 23rd. Ongoing Baby Time, Toddler Storytime and Pre-School Storytime programs continue every week, along with knitting groups, reading groups and ESOL classes; check the library calendar for days and times: http://mountpleasantlibrary.org/en/about-new/events/calendar

North Castle Library

Dave Barry. Photo by Ezra Goh.

Best-selling humorist and author Dave Barry comes home to Armonk to speak before a live audience in “Dave Barry: A Homecoming,” Thursday, April 6, 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the event are on sale now online, via phone and, as space permits, at the door; proceeds raised will benefit Barry’s hometown St. Stephen’s Church and the North Castle Boy Scouts. Copies of Barry’s latest book Best. State. Ever. will be available for purchase on site, and the author will sign his books following the event. http://www.northcastlelibrary.org/

Ossining Library

10th year anniversary celebrations began this month and will continue for another six months with an extensive community outreach program–look for strategically located tables set out in the community (park, supermarket, train station) to inform, to engage the public in conversation, and to sign up new residents for library cards. Additionally, Reference Librarian Linda Levine, received a grant from Lifetime Arts for a creative aging special mural art workshop, going on right now. Cultural Program Specialist Carry Cubillos, received a grant from ArtsWestchester for an eight-week dance program that will include Samba, Salsa, Tango, Merengue, May through June.Artist, Shiela Hale of Katonah, is displaying her beautiful creation of book art at the library. The exhibition will be on display until the end of April on the second floor of the library. The exhibit titled “Lost & Found” – Including Scholar’s Desk & Volumes from a Black Library.“I am a lover of books, Shiela says, “…I like to see them lined up on shelves and stacked in towers. I always have one in my handbag and one in my car.”

http://www.ossininglibrary.org/pages/calendar/indexCalendar.html

E-tools + Personal Technology That Can Help Organize Your Home and Life!

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Our lives are increasingly hectic, and it is sometimes a challenge simply keeping track of appointments, errands, school and work events. Jotting down something on paper is simple, tried and true, but often not enough. Fortunately, technology has stepped in and provided assistance in managing our busy lives, and local residents have shared some practices and tips to help keep home life, careers and volunteering commitments running smoothly.

Organizing E-mails and Files

Debbie Rose, who provides “everyday technology” consultation (her company is ‘Life Tech’), recommends sorting, filing, or prioritizing e-mail messages. “I have a filter to file or archive any work emails that specifically have attachments, since I often need to access those messages quickly.

I always “star” any important messages so later, when I sit down to execute, I pull up a view of just my starred messages and get to work.”

Promptly naming files for easy identification later is crucial. For Rose, “the key to digital organization is religiously naming my files as I create them. Find a naming format that works for you and use it consistently, regardless of the file type,” such as by date, event or subject matter.

Organizing expert Alissa Dorfman (of ‘Alissa Dorfman Home Organizing’) utilizes a “touch it once” rule. “If something needs a response, I do it immediately. If I can’t, I keep the email flagged as “new” on my iPhone, and check at a glance.”

Dorfman also suggests deleting e-mails as soon as they are dealt with. “I delete PTA e-mails after I record the new info. I delete invitations after responding because they send you a reminder as the event gets closer. If you can retrieve the info some other way, you don’t need to keep it.” She adds that unsubscribing to one email list daily “is easy to do and it lowers the amount of incoming emails more quickly then you realize.”

School Tools for Everyone

Students and staff at both Chappaqua and Byram Hills schools utilize Google Drive and Google Docs to organize, share and communicate. Coman Hill Elementary school teacher Sue Ornstein loves “how I can access my files anywhere, anytime. I organize files into folders for easy retrieval and I can simply search Google Drive. Google Docs is a great tool for collaborating with colleagues. Each of us can access the document and multiple people can edit a document simultaneously. We avoid the “which version is this?” confusion.”

Sign-up Genius is used for coordinating class parties. “It’s a great way to include everyone and there aren’t gaps or doubles of party supplies,” says Ornstein. “Everyone can see it update in real time, without a zillion emails or phone calls.” It is also used at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Chappaqua to coordinate volunteers for coffee hours, pot-lucks, worship assistance and the annual Strawberry Festival.

A similar program, Meal Train, is helpful for providing for families in need.

Beyond Post-It Notes

While there is still a place for handwritten reminders, the abundant e-tools available can go a long way toward increasing productivity at home and work.

With a couple of clicks on a smartphone, anyone can be more organized!!

Dana Y. Wu is a local author and busy mom of four who could use more digital organization

Some favorite “apps”–most free–used locally, and of course, far and wide, include:

Clear-Tasks, Reminders & To-Do Lists: “A numbered badge reminds me of something I have to do and visible and audible alerts notify me with enough lead time to get to my destination on time. The app is colorful, and it’s fun to swipe something off the list.” – Sue Ornstein

Dropbox (online storage): “It updates my photos automatically from my phone. I save Word docs on it that are accessible from my computer, my iPhone and iPad wherever I am.” – Susan Barocas

Facebook Messenger: “Messenger is how new clients can reach me off of my Facebook page. I also send things to myself from FB like recipes or things to do with the kids.” – Alissa Dorfman

Pocket (for saving internet content for viewing offline): “It stores links of articles I want to read later and allows me to delete or file them when I’m done.”        – Debbie Rose

Doodle Schedule Maker: “I invite participants to select their preferences out of several times and dates. It adds up their “votes” and lets me know most popular dates/time for my workshops or sessions with creative staff.” – Beth Blatt

Evernote: “Great for jotting down information (parent nights, college visits, doctor consults) on my phone. Later, I open up the Evernote app at home to review and follow up. It integrates well with many other applications” and notes can be added in the form of text, photo, audio file or handwritten. – Sue Ornstein

Google Calendar: Automatically adds events from gmail. “I use Google Calendar and paper calendar in my work with church, PTA, kids and full-time real estate work.” – Mary Ann Bayer

Wunderlist To-Do List & Task: “I can sync to my husband’s phone and both our laptops. It allows us to have the same lists when we are out and about – bucket lists, Costco shopping lists, movies to watch, good books.” – Beth Blatt

Armonk Native Jeremy Blum and his Sixth Sense for Electrical Engineering

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Jeremy Blum working on a product at Shaper, a company that makes hand-held robotic power tools to help people make things.

 

When Jeremy Blum, 26, needs something, he just builds it.

The Armonk native and San Francisco transplant could never remember to bring his umbrella. So, he designed an umbrella stand that lights up when the forecast calls for rain. Not only that, the erudite electrical engineer’s stand is a customized 3D print, which also pings your phone if, despite the illuminated stand, you still forget your umbrella.

“You can teach yourself pretty much anything if you’re willing to spend a few hours on the Internet,” said Blum, head of electrical engineering at Shaper, a young company that makes hand-held robotic power tools.

In January, Forbes Magazine listed the prolific inventor as one of its 30 under 30 in the manufacturing and industry category. Forbes cites his work on Google Glass, his multiple patents and popular YouTube channel–which has many millions of views–dedicated to teaching people about electrical engineering.

“For me, something that’s really important is engineering education and basically making the prospect of building things cheaper and easier, and more accessible to more people,” he said, eager to bring up the subject.

“Because, I think if we have more people who are literate at building things and making things then we’re more likely to have people who are solving problems in a positive way that can impact the world.”

Jeremy Blum was a lead electrical system engineer at Google X, an innovation lab tasked by Google with coming up with solutions to big problems using technology.

At age 23, Blum published a book, “Exploring Arduino,” with the same intent, by walking readers through the “prototyping platform for embedded electronics” called Arduino.

“It’s basically an easy way to get started designing electronic systems,” he said. Blum describes it as a self-help book for self-starters. The book has been translated into several languages and is used at universities across the country, including his alma mater, Cornell University.

“Actually, this book was inspired by my class, and Jeremy did a great job presenting the key concepts of Arduino programming,” said Francois Guimbretière, associate professor at Cornell University and Blum’s professor for the rapid prototyping class where he first learned about Arduino. “It is only fitting for me to adopt it as a textbook.”

“I once asked him, ‘What is his dream life like?’” said Brenda Wilder, Blum’s grandmother, whose career teaching college-level biology sparked his early interest in science. “And he said, ‘Well, I do want to make money. But, only because I want to be able to stop working and get involved in projects like STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). In other words, help students learn science… He’s very altruistic, his heart is very much in the right place and I think one day he’s going to make a very big difference in this world. He actually already has.” The most high-profile of which is Google Glass, which took the world by storm in 2012.

“For a variety of technical, but more so social reasons, I don’t think it was every really destined to be the consumer product that people envisioned it might be,” said Blum, who worked on its system architecture and electrical design.

After Google Glass lost its luster in the public eye, Google refocused the product for enterprise situations, like assembly lines, medicine and health care, which Blum said is a lot of what he worked on.

He left Google X, an innovation lab under the Google umbrella at the time of his employment, for Shaper in October 2015 wanting to work on something new.

At a recent symposium for Byram Hills High School’s Science Research Program, Blum returned home to give a keynote address and show off some of the cool stuff he’s inventing these days. “He’s a real legacy here and we talk about him a lot,” said Stephanie Greenwald, one of the teachers for the Authentic Science Research Program at Byram Hills High School. “And he was so the same, genuine and kind and giving.”

The school’s Science Research Program, one of the first in the country, is a three-year science elective course in which students pick a topic, identify and work with a mentor in a related field and produce an original piece of research.

Combining his passion to help people with his interest in robotics, Blum designed and built a prosthetic control technology that used force sensors to supplement existing technology to build a prosthetic hand. His design was also intended to make the prosthetic more cost effective.

“Jeremy was always tinkering with something. I think his philosophy was something like, ‘Gee, I wonder if I could…’ and then he would,” said David Keith, director of the school’s Authentic Science Research Program.

At Cornell, Blum continued exploring robotics, while studying electrical and computer engineering for both his undergraduate and master’s program.

“Once you’ve built a bunch of stuff you just start to get a sense, kind of like a sixth sense, of what you need to make something happen,” he said.

Now, at Shaper, his focus is making power tools that make it easier for people to make their own things.

“I think it’s every person’s responsibility to leave some sort of positive impact on the world,” he said. “And I think there’s two ways to do that. You either directly impact people’s lives in some way… or, you make the tools that make it easier for a larger group of people to kind of pave their own way.”

Brian Donnelly is a Westchester native. He has been a local reporter in Westchester, national news health editor and public relations and social media specialist.

Wide Array of Summertime Activities at Harvey Cavalier Camp

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At Harvey Cavalier Camp, it’s possible to find the “Perfect Fit” for your child, from actor to athlete.

“A great program, ultimately, centers around the right fit for your kid. The camper has to connect [with the offerings] and be the right camper for the program.”

Sure, it’s the dead of winter, but Vinny Alexander, current director of Harvey Cavalier Camp in Katonah, is all smiles, as he looks forward to next summer, where he’s got several wheels in motion for the multi-faceted Katonah day camp to go “full steam ahead” and enter its 22nd year in business.

But for now, he throws his hands back and laughs while candidly discussing his views on why choosing the “right camp”–child’s success within the given program. “Picking a camp is almost like a lifelong commitment,” he continues. “Once you find the camp that you love, you’re more than likely to stay with it.”

And no one knows this fact to be more true than Alexander, having been an integral part of the camp in its development over 20 years ago, before taking over the reins full-time from its founder and longtime director Chris Del Campo in 2016. He recognizes firsthand how valuable dedicating one’s self to a camp–nay, a community–can be, and the extent to which it can impact both current campers and alums alike. Says Del Campo: “We have people who actually work for us who went to the camp…. people who’ve been with us for almost 20 years, and raised their own kids through the camp, and then stayed on as staff.”

He adds: “We don’t have much of a turnover in staff from year to year; it’s a real testament to what the camp offers,” speaking in terms of external and internal offerings. Del Campo, who founded the camp in 1996, and served as director through summer 2015, also heavily praises the professionalism of the instructors, all of whom are artists in their own right.

Teachers range from accomplished photographers and New York Times bestselling authors to visual artists whose work hangs in the Brooklyn Museum, and more. With all this to choose from, it’s really not hard to see why people return.

“There’s just so much variety…. so many different things to do,” echoes Del Campo, on the subject, “and that appeals to parents, especially if they want to nudge their kids toward trying something new. Kids can feel free to explore this and explore that–without the threat of report cards, tests or grades–and it really adds to the experience.”

“It opens them up and awakens them to things they may not be aware of,” adds Alexander, on the subject of exploration, adding that his son, through his prior connection to the camp via Alexander, is now going to school for art. “Me too,” Del Campo pipes in. “[The experience here] inspired my daughter to major in theatre.”

“It allows the child to really dig into what they love, and seek out activities they may not get to try out during the school year,” Alexander continues. To that end, he says, “what makes our camp unique, too, is the fact that campers create their own schedule. They pick from a list of activities and they choose what they’re passionate about. So, in terms of finding your perfect fit,” he adds, calling back to the earlier question posed to him, “I can’t think of a camp that does that better… in that [here] you pick a program that fits you personally. What more could you want?”

“Our philosophy is simple,” reiterates Del Campo, describing the feeling of watching prospective campers’ eyes “brighten up” as he explains to them the dynamics of the program. “You tell us what you want to do, and we just tell you where and when you’re going to do it.”

And the Harvey campers certainly have an array of eclectic activities to choose from. Primarily based in the arts, the camp offers workshops in the visual fields ranging from painting, printmaking, cartooning, and graphic design to doll-making, mask-making, pottery, puppetry, and woodworking. Performing arts offerings include workshops in acting, playwriting, and stage makeup, to name a few. But there are also offerings for the budding scientist, the tech whiz, and the sports fan, so you’re sure to be satisfied no matter what your child’s interests are.

What’s more? It’s all laid out within a vast 125-acre campus, complete with an arts center and newly built 20,000-square foot athletic facility, to carry out some of the aforementioned activities, in addition to full access to all the academic classrooms, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, and (yes, you’re reading right!) even an indoor ice rink!! “That element is what makes us probably the most unique day camp in Northern Westchester,” Del Campo proudly states. (Adds Alexander, with a laugh: “Where else can you swim in the morning and skate in the afternoon?!”)

They also point out the many hands-on projects, with Del Campo deeming it “the ultimate maker-space.” “Everything is learning through doing,” Alexander explains. “Kids try it until they get it.” In that sense, he asserts, “the works of art that come out of here at the end of the summer–be they productions or craft projects or songs that are written…. they’re all a real celebration of the power of the individual.”

But whatever your motivation to enroll, the two maintain the “best fit” argument is the most important of all. “I think it’s important for the kids to take away a sense of self, and the sense of self-expression,” Alexander says, of his goal for the campers that filter through year after year.

“We aim as a camp to develop the individual, and our mission is clear: we want the individual to succeed. [Therefore,] I hope they leave here at the end of the summer having developed their voice in one way or another.”

Again, there’s no doubt the Harvey Camp provides them with the tools to do just that, and Alexander is the first to agree the staff members do it all. “If you asked any family connected to the camp, they’d say it’s about the professional people who put the time in,” he concludes. “We have real committed staff members, who just really care about what they’re doing and care about the kids. It makes for an awesome program.” Indeed it does, and it’s for those reasons, among the plethora of others aforementioned, why we see Harvey Cavalier Camp as–aptly–“the perfect fit.”

The Harvey Cavalier Camp is located at 260 Jay Street in Katonah, NY. The camp’s next open house is scheduled for March 4th, with another set for April on an exact date to be announced. For more information, please visit harveycavaliercamp.org.

Matt Smith is a writer and contributor to The Inside Press. For information or inquiry, please visit www.mattsmiththeatre.com.

WWII Veteran Helps Civil War Vets Gain Recognition

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George Pouder and his wife, Aurelia, at their North Castle home. ANDREW VITELLI PHOTO
George Pouder and his wife, Aurelia, inside their North Castle home.

For perhaps more than 100 years, Civil War veterans William Freeland and Albert Ransom were buried in anonymity, their tombstones in the cemetery of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Armonk either damaged and unreadable or, in Ransom’s case, missing altogether. But thanks to the efforts of a 93-year-old North Castle resident, and the help of an Armonk priest, both men now rest under newly-installed gravestones issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

George Pouder, a 48-year North Castle resident who lives near the town’s border with Bedford, first began researching the cemeteries of Armonk ten years ago. A longtime member of the North Castle Historical Society, Pouder joined fellow society member Barbara Massi in a project documenting the burial grounds in Armonk.

“It was supposed to last three months, and it took three years,” Pouder recalls. The project, which resulted in a 166-page report, built on the research of former town historian Dick Lander. “We had a lot of fun doing it, and we found things that [Lander] hadn’t found, which was very unusual.”

During his research with Massi, Pouder took note of how many Civil War veterans are buried in the hamlet.

“I got interested in the Civil War soldiers. It really grabbed me and I couldn’t let go,” says Pouder. His own experience in WWII “made me feel like I had a kinship with these people. I didn’t want them to stay unknown and mute when nobody would know anything that they did.”

In February of 2015, Pouder published biographies on more than 100 Civil War soldiers, sailors, and spouses. Two of the soldiers profiled were Freeland, an Army Private, and Ransom, a Corporal who was captured by Confederate forces and held as a prisoner of war at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Upon seeing the condition of Freeland’s tombstone – which was smashed and facedown – Pouder began fighting for a new stone Freeland, who died of typhoid at the age of 23.

“The VA, in their infinite wisdom, said, ‘Well he has a stone already,” says Pouder, who countered that the stone was facedown and unreadable. In his biography of Freeland, Pouder even offers to dig the grave himself – though ultimately it didn’t come to that.

Applying for the stones was complicated by the fact that the VA would only accept an application on behalf of the cemetery’s custodian. St. Stephen’s was without a full-time priest until January 2015, when Rev. Nils Chittenden moved into the Rectory. Chittenden worked with Pouder to obtain the necessary records and to fill out the applications.

“The VA demands, I guess for good reason, a very high burden of proof of the story of these particular people,” explains Chittenden. “They want documentation about the years they were in the army, documentation about their birth and their death dates, and documentation to prove that they are definitely buried there.”

In Ransom’s case, since there was no stone, it was also not completely clear where his burial site was located. “So [the VA] said, ‘Oh, no dice,’” recalls Pouder. Finally, they dug up a map with Ransom’s plot listed.

“As George’s priest, I wanted to really support him in this endeavor, because it is such a good thing that George is doing,” says Chittenden, whose father served the British Army in WWII. “But also I feel passionately that people who gave so much to the country, who suffered so greatly, and whose family suffered so greatly for what they did, be given that sort of recognition and remembrance.”
Installed in October, the tombstones were officially dedicated on Veterans Day.

Pouder, who grew up in New Rochelle and owned Lieb’s Nursey in the city before retiring 23 years ago, has been a member of the historical society since moving to North Castle; before moving, he had been a member of the New Rochelle Historical Society. His wife, Aurelia, was a member of the History Hounds, a group that met to discuss historical topics. Even the couple’s house is historic; dating back to 1778, only its remote location saved it during the British burning of Bedford during the Revolutionary War.

Along with his publication on the Civil War veterans and his project with Massi on Armonk’s burial grounds, Pouder worked with fellow Historical Society member Nicholas Cerullo on a report about how the town’s residents responded to President Lincoln’s call for draftees during the Civil War. The projects are all available at the North Castle Public Library. Pouder stresses that he has never sought to make money from the projects. “It would be very unlikely that anyone would buy it,” he says. With Ransom and Freeland no longer buried in anonymity, Pouder’s work has already paid off.

Andrew Vitelli is a Westchester native and the editor of Inside Armonk magazine.