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Armonk Cover Stories

Thanksgiving Traditions

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Volunteering, Shopping and Turkey OH MY!
By Heather Skolnick

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season for many. Thanksgiving triggers autumnal images of softly falling leaves and a feeling of chill in the air–a sure sign of what’s to come weather-wise. It signals the beginning of the holiday shopping season for those in retail with a daily countdown to Christmas. And for many, it evokes memories of meals and unique traditions that encircle the meal. These Thanksgiving traditions can be pretty wide and varied.

As a child, my Thanksgiving traditions were pretty straight forward–extended family came to eat. And eat we did. We enjoyed turkey with the standard carbohydrate-laden fixings, and enough desserts to satisfy the sweet tooth of a small nation. The meal was not complete until we all suffered from indigestion–all before 7 p.m. It was what we did before the meal that was different. Each year, my father and I awoke earlier than most on a holiday, put on sweats, and took a short drive to a neighboring town. We then participated in a local “Turkey Trot”–a five mile run in an attempt to help offset the meal we’d be eating a few hours later. That was our tradition.

My husband’s family didn’t believe in the “Turkey Trot”–instead, Thanksgiving was all about football. Neal, his brothers, cousins, dads and friends all got together to play a serious game of touch football. The colder, wetter and muddier it was outside, the better the game. While their game would end before dinner, the trash talking around that game could last an entire year. Area resident and brother Lyle said, “We would even keep track of records, from most touchdowns, consecutive games with a reception, best play, to worst mistake, and most times ‘giving in’!” Building on the football theme, after playing, they would all return home and begin watching the football games on TV before indulging in their meal.

Other Thanksgiving traditions abound as well. The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is, of course, available to one and all on TV. However, heading in to the city to watch it “live” is a popular tradition for some in our area. From seeing the balloons to watching the performers, the parade route is packed with onlookers of all ages.

Signaling the official start of the holiday shopping season, Black Friday shopping has long been a tradition for some. Amazing short-lived deals often abound on that day, with stores opening early and staying open late. Eager to squeeze an extra shopping day in before the holidays, shopping on Thursday evening has more recently become another (albeit, controversial) option. Many big-box retailers and shopping centers are now open for post-dinner shopping.

turkey paradeKatonah mom Samantha Holcman and her family spend their Thanksgiving doing a little bit of each of these things. They start celebrating at the Thanksgiving Parade. Samantha said, “It’s such an exciting, iconic way to spend the holiday and so easy for local New Yorkers…my kids love it and we love to watch the parade through their reactions.” Later, the Holcman family dines back in Westchester at one of our fabulous local restaurants, choosing a different restaurant each year. Lastly, Samantha’s husband Brad and his mother go shopping and scour stores for bargains, sometimes not returning until 10 a.m. the next day! Of shopping Thursday night, Samantha said, “For people that like a deal, it’s a unique and very fun experience.”

Volunteering is a wonderful way to enjoy the spirit of Thanksgiving while enjoying some quality family time. One option is to spend part of the day together, helping to provide a meal for others. Neighbor’s Link coordinates a food drive in anticipation of the holiday. On the actual day, they provide a full Thanksgiving meal and a full bag of groceries to take home.

Armonk mom Abby Hollander will be doing just that. She, along with her family, will be serving Thanksgiving meals in coordination with local religious affiliates. Abby decided to begin volunteering on Thanksgiving because “I thought it was really important as my son turns five this December to expose him to those less fortunate and show him what he can do to help. “ She continued, “We want to teach him to appreciate and be thankful for what he has. We really want him to see how he can help make the world a better place.  It’s a tough concept to explain to such a young child so we hope by showing him and participating he will also feel proud that he helped even in a small way.”

The common theme threaded through all of these traditions can clearly be identified as spending quality time together as a family and/or with those who are most important to you. So whether you are a traditionalist in your Thanksgiving approach or not, let’s remember that Thanksgiving is about being surrounded by those who are important to you and appreciating the moment.

Heather Skolnick is a New Castle resident with her husband and three young children. They will be enjoying their Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family and food, with a little football mixed in.

They’re up for the Vote!

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By Louise T. Gantress

North Castle includes the three hamlets of Armonk, Banksville and North White Plains. The first two are residential suburban whereas North White, as it is called, is quasi-urban. Elections are at large, with positions voted on by the entire town. North White often feels it is “apart” rather than a part of North Castle because elected officials tend to live in either in Armonk or Banksville. Not long ago local government in the Town of North Castle was rife with contention. A lack of civility upset most residents.

This year, Supervisor, two Council positions, Clerk, and a Judge are up for election. However, only the Council positions are contested. The unopposed: Supervisor Michael Schiliro, Clerk Alison Simon and Town Justice Elyse Lazansky. There are three candidates for two Councilman positions: Stephen D’Angelo, Guy Mezzancello and Jose Berra. Additionally, the seat for County Board of Legislators (BOL), District 3, which includes North Castle, Mt. Pleasant, Pleasantville and parts of Greenburgh, Ossining and Sleepy Hollow has two candidates vying for the position (left open in July when Legislator Michael Smith unexpectedly withdrew): John Diaconis and Margaret Cunzio.

Michael Schiliro, Supervisor, running unop- posed for a second term

Michael Schiliro is seeking a second term as Supervisor. He is cross endorsed by the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Independence parties. Schiliro said, “The real task is to balance development with maintaining the small, quaint town atmosphere with three distinctly different hamlets” and “provide the level of service people expect.” He seems to be successful; a longtime resident said, “Dark clouds have lifted from town politics. Mike’s uncontested status speaks to his results and professionalism.”

Incumbents can point to the restoration of the town’s fund balance and its AAA rating from Moody’s Investors Service, and contracts signed with all four unions include contributions towards health care. Negotiation with Brynwood concluded with a “fee simple” solution to tax the proposed multiunit housing as separate properties, and not a lower condo rate. A new source of revenue will be added in 2016 once Governor Cuomo signs the bill allowing North Castle to levy a hotel tax. State Senator Latimer and Assemblyman David Buchwald shepherded the bill’s passage.

The three Council candidates agree on keeping taxes low, paving roads and saving Miller House, the headquarters of General Washington during the Battle of White Plains.

Stephen D’Angelo, current Councilman seek- ing re-election

Stephen D’Angelo is a current Councilman running for a second term. He points to the “revitalization” of the town during his tenure, including Armonk Square, new restaurants, and an accelerated road paving schedule. He said that town taxes were kept under the state cap and resolution of Miller House is ultimately a county responsibility.

D’Angelo is not taking anything for granted in this  year’s election. “I will work hard to get their votes, I will work hard for the town,” he said. He is an 11 year resident of the town, a graduate of Manhattan College and CPA who maintains his accounting business in Armonk.

Guy Mezzancello, currently completing his first year in office

Guy Mezzancello is completing his first year in office, having won a special election, by 22 votes, to fill the council seat vacated when Michael Schiliro became Supervisor. Initially Jose Berra was selected to fill the position. Mezzancello said, “You need time to get things done. I learned a lot this year.” He lists priorities as parking in downtown Armonk and paving roads. He wants to keep seniors in town, but has no specific plan. He would consider a bike lane where feasible.

To fix the roads quickly, he would take advantage of low interest rates currently available and go to a bond issue. He is appalled that Miller House sits in disrepair and would like to see it rebuilt on site as soon as possible. The town has done a “fairly good job” of keeping taxes under control, and coordinating with other towns for equipment or other purchases is helpful.

Mezzancello moved to Armonk in the mid-1980s from Harrison and has been involved in Little League baseball, becoming commissioner. He also served on the Planning Board. “I think you have to listen to everybody,” he said. He operates a contracting business and said he is “unafraid to tackle” the town’s contracts because he “knows the gray areas.”

Jose Berra, seeking election to town council

Jose Berra proposes accelerating the pace of road repair but, even if the town bonds, he would like to remain within the current budget for road maintenance. He wants to start a dialog, including special tax breaks, to keep seniors in town. Parking is a concern, but he rejects meters along Main Street in favor of a satellite lot for shop employees. He would investigate traffic rules for bicycles as slow moving vehicles and educate cyclists.

Berra favors cost sharing with other towns, bulk purchases and using part-time town workers “as appropriate.” He supports efforts to have the county step up to its responsibility to Miller House. A graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and a CPA, he worked for the US Treasury and private business. He wants to bring his “unique background to address issues” to make North Castle “even better.”

Both BOL candidates want to keep taxes low, save Miller House, and support County Executive Astorino for a resolution of Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Settlement which stipulates the construction of 750 units of affordable housing available to non-county residents, including out-of-state.

John Diaconis, a current candidate for Board of Legislators

Romance brought John Diaconis (Democrat, Independence, Working Family) to Armonk when he wed Anne Danzig, long time Armonk resident and a co-founder of the North Castle Citizens Corps Council (NC4).

Diaconis was Treasurer of the Friends of Miller House and co-chaired the Ethics Task Force. He says “the proposed ethics code will be one of the strongest in the state and covers elected, appointed and board volunteers.”  Formerly he served on the town board in New Castle and was a town prosecutor.

Diaconis said drawing on reserves and borrowing are short term tactics to keep taxes low, and he would explore cost savings through shared services. As an attorney, he handled housing discrimination cases and has experience with HUD. He agrees with the position of the county executive to keep the Settlement limited to the four points of the Agreement and would work towards a resolution which dissolves the Agreement, not allowing HUD to expand its interpretation. He supports saving Miller House and ethics reform in the county.

Diaconis also stated that his goal is to “bring people together” and that he is a “builder” and “fair minded.” He would assist the District in any capacity, especially to share information for decision making to the benefit of the towns in the District. “Public service is really the highest calling. I want to make a difference and serve the public.” He is a partner of the law firm of Bleakley Platt & Schmidt.

Margaret Cunzio, a current candidate for Board of Legislators

Margaret Cunzio (Republican, Conservative, Reform) was raised in Armonk. Her father, Vincent Masi, was chair of the Conservative Party and she was a district leader. She has years of behind-the-scenes experience, including volunteer activities. “This is not about me,” she said, “it’s your job (as an elected) to listen and come up with a solution.”

Cunzio intends to work with the county executive to fight HUD because she believes the Settlement overrode home rule and says, “We need working class housing for our residents.” She wants no tax increase, and will investigate “creative” solutions, including consolidation among the various towns for shared services.

She will focus on economic development, while keeping the “charm” of the county, to broaden revenue sources so as not draw down fund balance. Cunzio remembers Miller House as a child and would look into the best means to preserve it, including a partnership similar to Playland.

She said, “I want to be present and to listen. We need to find a way to move forward in many different ways.” Cunzio is an adjunct professor at Iona College and at Western Connecticut State University, a former elementary school teacher and a current fitness instructor at Equinox in Armonk.

Cunzio has served on the Mount Pleasant Architectural Review Board, with the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department’s Senior Program and volunteers with the rescue program of the Westchester SPCA.

Louise T. Gantress is a freelance writer and author of Bitter Tea, a novel available at www.amazon.com/Bitter-Tea-Louise-T-Gantress  

When the Race is Run for LOVE

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Jamie’s UVM teammates, left to right: Philip Vernimb, Women’s Division winner Sydney Durand, Men’s Division winner Aaron Szotka, Maurie Clark and Tucker Nixon.
Jamie’s UVM teammates, left to right: Philip Vernimb, Women’s Division winner Sydney Durand, Men’s Division winner Aaron Szotka, Maurie Clark and Tucker Nixon.

By Deborah Raider Notis

Photos by Pinsky Studio

Armonk was treated to a perfect, warm and sunny day on September 20th. Many residents celebrated the last day of summer at Armonk’s Chamber of Commerce sponsored Fall Festival. The town was bustling, with people laughing at the competitive pie eaters and humming along with the band on the Wampus Park gazebo. Children played on inflatables, competed in bean bag toss games, and ran the 100 Yard Donut Dash and Macintosh Mile. Highlighting the morning’s events was Jamie’s 5K Run for Love, a race in memory of Jamie Love and benefitting the Friends of the North Castle Library.

The 5K race began in 2008; Jane Ellen Gertz and Grace Mui of the Byram Hills PTSA made it part of their larger Halloween Fun event, and proceeds benefitted the PTSA. Soon after, the race became part of Armonk’s Cider and Donut Festival. Sean Ryan, then President of the Friends of the North Castle Library, a retired IBMer, and the track and cross country coach at Briarcliff High School, took over coordinating the event with proceeds donated to the Friends of the North Castle Library.

BHHS grads Jeannette Martimucci (left) and Evan Bauer often come back to visit and for community events. Running for the first time, Evan says he’s especially happy to be part of something that “brings community together.”
BHHS grads Jeannette Martimucci (left) and Evan Bauer often come back to visit and for community events. Running for the first time, Evan says he’s especially happy to be part of something that “brings community together.”

Friends of the North Castle Library supports programming at the North Castle Library, including events not supported by tax dollars. Ryan says he became involved to “bring a fun community events to our town where we could focus all residents on the good works we were doing and planned to do at our library.” In 2011, the race was part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show. Then, in 2013 the race was named for Byram Hills High School graduate Jamie Love.

Jamie was an Armonk resident, and a University of Vermont student studying mechanical engineering. While growing up in Armonk, he was actively involved in children’s programs at the North Castle Library. He worked at Hickory and Tweed Ski and Bicycle Shop, and he ran for the BHHS cross country team. In 2013, his Junior year, he passed away in his sleep from an undetected heart ailment.

The BHHS cross country team was always a huge part of the annual 5K race, whether it supported the PTSA or Friends of the North Castle Library. Jamie ran in the earliest races before attending UVM; his strong relationship and history with the BHHS team and the race made this a perfect way to memorialize him and honor his memory.

“We are incredibly honored that people continue to love Jamie and come out to support him even three years later,” Jamie’s mother, Michelle Love, says of this Chamber of Commerce sponsored event. Love is particularly appreciative of the Ryan family’s continued support for the event. “They do all the heavy lifting.”

Love describes her son as a young man who truly appreciated his friends, his family and his life. For friends who cannot make it to Armonk, her family tries to send out custom tee shirts. “That way, whenever friends and family cannot make it to the race, they can still celebrate Jamie, whether they are running, biking, hiking, eating or simply laughing together. This year, one friend even hosted a pulled pork dinner to honor Jamie,” mentions Love. The image on these shirts, designed by Jamie’s sister and Sean Ryan’s daughter, is a silhouette of Jamie Love and teammates from from BHHS. All of these boys went to State finals for cross country during high school.

Re-naming the race in Jamie’s honor sparked an added energy. This year, 286 runners finished Jamie’s Race for Love. Jamie’s UVM teammate, Aaron Szotka, came in first in the Men’s Division at 18:17, and Sydney Durand won the Women’s Division at 20:05. Maurie Clark and Eddie Paniccia came in second and third in the Men’s Division at 18:36 and 19:04 respectively. And Shannon Duffy, with a time of 21:39, and Isabella Vesco, with a time of 22:42, finished second and third in the Women’s Division.

Sean Ryan, whom Michelle Love gratefully describes as the event’s “heavy lifter.”
Sean Ryan, whom Michelle Love gratefully describes as the event’s “heavy lifter.”

The race also united the North Castle community with Jamie’s UVM teammates and friends, many of whom have run the race since Jamie’s death. “Having the race named after Jamie is another chance to celebrate Jamie and what an amazing friend he was. We preserve his memory by wearing JBLOVE rubberized bracelets everyday. I never take the bracelet off,” says Tucker Nixon, Jamie’s good friend and UVM classmate.

Armonk resident Charlotte Wittels, a friend of Jamie’s sister Noelle, brought the Byram Hills tennis team with her to run the 5k. “This incident was very close to home, and I’m glad I was able to support Noelle and her family by bringing the tennis team to the event,” states Wittels.

And they’re off–close to 300 runners turned out for Jamie’s 5K Run for Love this year.
And they’re off–close to 300 runners turned out for Jamie’s 5K Run for Love this year.
The day was a celebration of all things bright, beautiful and fun–just like Jamie would have wanted and loved!
The day was a celebration of all things bright, beautiful and fun–just like Jamie would have wanted and loved!

“The race serves as a great memorial for Jamie as well as a great reunion for all of us,” notes Philip Vernimb, who credits Jamie with his decision to attend UVM. “Jamie was what brought us together in the first place. When we were still running for UVM, every race was dedicated to Jamie. Personally, he is in my thoughts every day.”

Ultimately, Love feels that friends and family should honor her son by “laughing and living their lives to the fullest.” Jamie’s UVM friends fondly recall that Jamie always had a smile on his face. On a beautiful day like September 20th, with people enjoying the beautiful weather, listening to music, visiting with friends and community members, running races and shopping local, Jamie most definitely would have been smiling.

Deborah Raider Notis is a writer and co-owner of gamechanger, LLC, a free referral service connecting Westchester families to highly qualified, competitively priced instructors. She lives in Pleasantville with her husband, four boys and their dog Oscar. 

 

Neighbors Feeding Neighbors in Body and Spirit

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Screenshot 2015-10-15 13.48.21
Jack Desmarais helps unpack fresh produce.

By Miriam Longobardi

Thanksgiving is a time when we reflect on that for which we are grateful as well as share our abundance with others. The holidays can be a time of year when those in need experience a sense of lack more keenly than other times, but, thankfully, there are many local organizations and houses of worship that offer nourishment for bodies and souls. Although some programs are specifically geared toward the holidays, others are ongoing throughout the year.

Nils Chittenden, rector of St. Stephens Episcopal Church on Bedford Road in Armonk, said that the influence of the worshipping community is far-reaching. Members of his congregation participate in ongoing work with the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry.

AnnLee Malani and Sue Brown coordinate food deliveries to homebound adults, and, not only are the recipients grateful for the food, but, because the women have developed relationships with these people, they look forward to the weekly visits as well as the deliveries of food.

The sense of companionship and someone checking in on them is as important as the food itself. Each year before the start of the annual Frosty Parade in Armonk, St. Stephens holds a winter fair in their main hall, and there are family-friendly activities as well as tables set up for non-profit groups to promote their causes. There are roving carolers as well as a bake sale to raise money for a different charity each year.

This year the bake sale proceeds will go to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for biliary cancer research. Another important ministry of his church is hosting one of the largest Alcoholic Anonymous meetings in Westchester. Hundreds of people attend weekly, and meetings are held every day except Sunday. “The holidays can be a time when people with alcoholism experience an extraordinarily high need for support and we are glad to be able to provide that here,” Chittenden said. St. Stephens also regularly hosts Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and the focus on citizenship and volunteerism also positively impacts the community.

At Temple Beth-El of Northern Westchester in Chappaqua, mitzvahs, or any good or praise-worthy deeds, abound throughout the year. Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe shared some ongoing work as well as special missions happening near Thanksgiving. A group of his congregants will be collecting donations for the people of Cuba and will then travel there to help the Jewish community as well as the larger Cuban community by providing much-needed medical supplies. “They are a communist country so they aren’t starving. What they can really use are a variety of medical supplies and some types of clothing. We will be collecting donations through December and the group will go down over the holiday break.”

Meg Gregg (left) sorts food with other volunteers at the Inter- faith Food Pantry.
Meg Gregg (left) sorts food with other volunteers at the Inter- faith Food Pantry.

The group includes some families with children old enough to assist as well as older people. “It’s a mixture of people who want to help,” Jaffe said. Each year boys and girls preparing for their Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are part of the Mitzvah Corp Program by choosing a nonprofit company for which to volunteer.

Current Mitzvah Corp assignments include Pleasantville Community Garden, where they will help plant foods grown for donation, Atria Senior Living, where kids visit and plan a Hanukkah party for the elderly, and the Miracle League of Westchester that provides opportunities for youth and adults with special needs to enable them to play baseball in a specially designed adaptive field.

Mitzvah Corp kids commit to volunteering for five consecutive months so they really form relationships with the people they are helping and learn the rewards of service. Temple Beth-El also participates in the multi-denominational Interfaith Council that takes turns hosting a service and free Thanksgiving meal. Temple Beth-El hosted last year’s dinner and this year it will be hosted by St. Mary’s Church in Chappaqua. The meal follows an interfaith service comprised of members from Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim faiths. Additionally, Temple Beth-El holds a High Holy Day Food Drive so when many members are fasting, they are also donating food to the Westchester Food Bank.

The Church of St. Patrick in Armonk organizes a variety of social ministry initiatives with the purpose of involving as much of the parish as possible to help others. “Our area is so blessed and others are not nearly as fortunate,” said Val Sprague, one of the lay leaders of the church led by Father Jeffery Galens. “We began Project Embrace as a way to reach out to as many people in need as we can. Under that program, different lay leaders of the parish organized committees to address different people’s needs. It continues to expand each year.”

Sprague herself helped start F.I.A.T. , which stands for Faith In Action Taskforce. F.I.A.T. volunteers participate in Midnight Run, which provides clothing and toiletries for the homeless, and organizes pancake breakfasts and pasta dinners to feed people dealing with food scarcity and donate clothing to the Children’s Hope Chest.

The CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) teams each adopt a group of children and donate to them by buying gift certificates and clothing, as well as holiday gifts. The teams prepare beautiful food baskets which are donated to the Greenwich Food Pantry. The CYO motto is “Not just basketball.”

Also formed under Project Embrace is the Christmas Angel Program which connects to a sister parish in Peekskill that is very impoverished. Donations of winter clothes and holiday gifts are collected and sent to them. Christmas Angels also purchase $25 gift cards for the women in the Bedford Correctional Facility to give to their teenaged children who visit them.

Local clergy and Council members together at Temple Beth El for last year’s Interfath Council Thanksgiving dinner. Front Row, from left to right: Candace Downing, CantorStar Trompeter, Nada Bernstein, Rev. Katy Cates, Phoebe Washburn, Richard Laster, Elinor Griffith, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, Rabbi Maura Linzer. Second Row, from left to right: Rev. Leigh Pezet, Roo Streich, Kristina Sibinga, Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs, Ellen Lewis, Joanie Ferroni, Rev. Msgr. Tom Gilleece.
Local clergy and Council members together at Temple Beth El for last year’s Interfath Council Thanksgiving dinner. Front Row, from left to right: Candace Downing, CantorStar Trompeter, Nada Bernstein, Rev. Katy Cates, Phoebe Washburn, Richard Laster, Elinor Griffith, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, Rabbi Maura Linzer. Second Row, from left to right: Rev. Leigh Pezet, Roo Streich, Kristina Sibinga, Rev. Dr. Martha Jacobs, Ellen Lewis, Joanie Ferroni, Rev. Msgr. Tom Gilleece.

“This allows them to be moms to their kids. Even imprisoned, we want to make sure there’s joy,” Sprague said. During a special mass on December 13th, parishioners bring in their donations of food, clothing, and gifts. Following the mass, everyone sorts through and organizes all the donations to be distributed, even the children. “It’s important that the children see that the holidays are not just about making a list of what they want, but to be involved in giving to others,” Sprague explained.

The Mount Kisco Interfaith Pantry is an organization that, as the recipient of food and resources from many local congregations, last year was able to serve over 31,000 thousand people. Kate Lombardi, the communications director, shared what makes the Interfaith Pantry so special.

“Unlike other food pantries, which hand out pre-bagged meals, we are set up like a regular market, and people are free make choices that suit their tastes and dietary needs. There is a dignity in making your own selections.”

Food is not the only provision, though. “We offer home deliveries to the homebound as well as a variety of helpful classes, such as cooking demonstrations, how to budget for food, food prep, bilingual nutrition, and best use of food. We are trying to build a healthy community,” Lombardi said. The volunteers shop for food at the Westchester Food Bank. The Food Bank does not serve clients directly; rather, they provide food for local pantries and organizations at greatly reduced prices.

Pantry Volunteers

Lombardi is proud of the fact that they are able to provide a huge variety of food, including a large assortment of fresh produce, truly a luxury for a food pantry. The Mount Kisco Community Garden maintains a space where they grow food specifically for the Interfaith Pantry. Lombardi reminded me that the entire Mount Kisco Food Pantry is run entirely by volunteers–their Board of Directors, the people that organize food distribution, those who maintain the website, the grant-writers and newsletter-writers, and of course,
everyone in between.

While they are grateful for all donations, the most helpful are financial donations. “For every dollar donated, four dollars’ worth of food is purchased, and this helps feed over 250 households each week. We are neighbors feeding neighbors, and you never know when families may encounter a crisis and need help providing food.” To learn more about how you can volunteer or donate, visit their website: mountkiscofoodpantry.org/donate

Whether you are hungering in body or spirit, in need of comfort or would like to serve others, there are places nearby where you can receive or provide help. You are not alone during this holiday season, and there is a community of people to whom you can turn for a variety of needs and with whom you can share your time and energy to benefit others.

Miriam Longobardi is a freelance writer, fourth grade teacher and single mother of two daughters living in Westchester.  A breast cancer survivor, she volunteers for the American Cancer Society and has completed four marathons and travels the world.  Follow her on Twitter @writerMimiLong.

Olympic Swimmer Inspires Local Youth

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Boys and Girls Club Marlins’ coaches Bobby Hackett (Distance Coach), left, and Dennis Munson (Head Coach/Aquatic Director), right, welcome Olympian Ariana Kukors.
Boys and Girls Club Marlins’ coaches Bobby Hackett (Distance Coach), left, and Dennis Munson (Head Coach/Aquatic Director), right, welcome Olympian Ariana Kukors.

By Susan Draper

Never underestimate an Olympian! When she retired from swimming in 2012, Ariana Kukors set out to use her experiences to inspire change in others. From kids’ clinics and corporate presentations, to her role as Director of Health Inspiration at LifeWise Health Plan of Washington & Oregon, Ariana has been able to engage, encourage, and motivate people from all walks of life. As she set out to work with over one hundred of our local athletes during the last weekend in September, I was in awe of just how much valuable information, pertinent to performance, could be included in a 2-2.5-hour workshop. I knew the workshops would be inspiring and insightful, but I didn’t realize that they had the potential to be life changing.

Ariana’s first Westchester workshop, graciously hosted by the Bristal in Armonk, was a Dream Clinic for teens looking for targeted ways to become better at their craft. The teens were everything from equestrians to soccer players, with obviously some swimmers in the mix. Ariana began by telling the story of how she was a member of the National Swim Team since age 13, and that her first crack at the Olympics was in 2008. She candidly described the details of finishing the semi-finals in first place, but sinking to third place in the final lap of the 200 IM. One doesn’t have to be a swimmer to know that coming in third by .09 seconds is a devastating experience. The ensuing night was rough, but beginning the next day–after dropping a full 9 seconds in the 200 breast–she began to develop a comeback plan. The clinic was an opportunity to explore one’s personal philosophy and vision with a suggestion to develop a vision board for life. The teens learned about positive self talk, mindfulness, and steps to calm the mind through meditation. She explained exactly what techniques she employed in order to break the world record, not once, but twice to win the gold medal at the World Championships in Rome in 2009, being named American Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World Magazine. The teens worked on their own personal ideas during the session and left with techniques to complete a comprehensive plan for success. One parent let me know that her daughter didn’t waste any time putting elements of the plan into practice, scoring points for her team in a competition the very next day.

Ariana gives tips and advice to a rapt group of competitive young swim- mers at the Boys and Girls Club in Mount Kisco.
Ariana gives tips and advice to a rapt group of competitive young swimmers at the Boys and Girls Club in Mount Kisco.

That Sunday, Ariana conducted swim clinics at the Boys and Girls Club in Mt. Kisco. Again, she began with her story, which every swimmer in the room could relate to as she spoke. “Who has had a bad race?” Again, she described that fateful race of 2008 where years of training kept her in first place for the first 150 meters. She described how panic set in as her mind strayed to the thought of being chased down by freestylers who at moments in the past had been flat out faster than her personal best time. Her honed technique fell apart as she panicked. Everyone in the room identified with her at that moment–including swimmers I had seen repeatedly take first place at Metropolitan Swimming championships. It was her absolute humanness that drew them in to her world. Every swimmer has had the race where they put themselves out there only to touch the wall and look back at the clock to see that they fell short of their goal. There were questions about strategy, mental preparation, opponents, and how to pick an element to develop to drop their times. There were moments of laughter and moments where she tugged at their heart strings. For much of the afternoon she was in the pool with them working their strokes in new sets and drills. In the end, all of them had their opportunity to race an Olympian while swimming their best stroke. As the session closed, I could see that they had fallen in love with Ariana as they all stayed for photographs, autographs and even more laughter.

The afternoon brought me back to thoughts when, as a family, we met Ariana at the Olympic Trials. She had realized her dream of becoming an Olympian in a race that we watched on the edge of our seats the evening before. Little did we know in that moment as she touched and placed second–erupting in tears of joy as she connected with her family–that she was destined to take a place in our hearts. I knew the kids at the workshops would love her too, but what I learned is that she is truly as amazing outside of the water as she is in the pool. She put her heart and soul into the preparation for these clinics and once again, it paid off as a true gift for everyone involved. We can’t wait to have her back again!

Susan Draper is currently pursuing her RN degree while teaching yoga and spinning in her spare time. She lives in Armonk with her husband, daughter, and competitive swimmer son who inspired the whole family to “dive” into the sport eight years ago.