The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

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LocalLive Partners With NBC to Bring Improved Local High School Sports Coverage

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Kevin Devaney of LocalLive & Ben Martucci, Croton-Harmon High School boys basketball coach, broadcasting the section 1 basketball championships.

There’s an exciting new development this fall sports season for LocalLive Networks and the school districts that are signed up to receive the service. For the 2025-26 academic year, the streaming outlet that brings high school sports and other events to audiences live and on-demand from about 70 schools in the tristate area, including many in Westchester, is partnering with NBC
SportsEngine that will provide participating districts and the public with superior technology to exponentially enhance their viewing experience.

Kevin Devaney Jr., LocalLive’s vice president of digital content for the past seven years since shortly after the Stamford, Conn. – based company was launched, said the deal between the two entities commenced on July 1, but effectively begins when school reopens in September for the start of fall sports. Devaney said that after NBC initially approached LocalLive a few years ago, the company more recently determined that the best path forward was to tap into “an existing superpower company” that can provide a better website, camera technology and administration portals.

In the coming months, the public will see some of the improvements that LocalLive had long sought but found difficult to execute because of a finite amount of money and time. Now, there will be the ability for student athletes and their families to create highlights packages for college recruiters or personal use, greater connectivity to social media and the development of an app to allow a viewer to follow whatever high school teams they want at their fingertips, Devaney said.

Over the next one to two years, all cameras that had been installed inside school gymnasiums and at athletic fields will be replaced, bringing improved quality to viewers, he said.

“I think people are going to see a significant increase in quality of video, Devaney said. “We always had a high percentage of viewership that was on smartphone, or iPhone. So, the quality wasn’t as noticeable until you went on a larger computer or people casting up their TV now, and they’d open it up and say, ‘It’s a little grainy.

That’s kind of like a stretch video.’ Now we won’t have that. NBC Sports offers us far better resolution quality and cameras.”
Best of all for school districts is that the upgraded service won’t cost them additional money for the upcoming school year, Devaney said. There will be some changes to the website, now found at www.locallive.tv, which may take a bit of time to get used to, he said. Once everything is in place, the public can reach the service at www.sportsengineplay.com or they will be redirected there from LocalLive’s website.

“So, I think people over time will adjust to the new world,” said Devaney, who was a sportswriter for 12 years with The Journal News and spent another eight years working for Cablevision’s MSG Varsity before joining LocalLive in 2018. “I think they’re going to go to LocalLive and say, ‘Where is everything?’ There’s going to be a redirect, but for the most part you’re going to see the changes pretty quickly.”

LocalLive camera at County Center

Schools will continue to have the option of having other events streamed as well. Much of the content generated is sports-related with Devaney estimating that about 97 percent of the more than 200 schools throughout the U.S. contracting with LocalLive have sports streamed. But there are plenty of private schools and some public-school districts that use the service for Board of Education and PTA meetings or performances and concerts from their auditoriums.

One area athletic director praised LocalLive and the impact that it’s had on the community. Chris Drosopoulos, who leads athletics at the Briarcliff Union Free School District, said its addition about five years ago into the district “has been an integral part of our student athletes’ experience.”

LocalLive’s cameras were added to their high school gymnasium and athletic fields and all of the district’s athletic events at those venues are streamed, he said. The relationship between the district and LocalLive has been strong, and he expects that continue with the NBC SportsEngine partnership.

“The world has changed,” Drosopoulos said. “I know my wife and I, we work 100 hours a week and just trying to watch our kid is a huge undertaking, so doing the live streaming, a couple of our constituents they’re away on trips, and they really appreciate it.”

The ability to bring high school sports to local communities was somewhat novel when LocalLive’s founder, Nelson Santos, hatched the idea to live-stream games in 2017. He created the human controlled cameras that operated remotely. These cameras could be installed in school gyms and athletic fields and are operated by personnel off-site.

After MSG Varsity folded at the end of 2017, Devaney, an Armonk resident, was brought in to help LocalLive because of his 20 years of experience mostly covering the high school sports scene in the lower Hudson Valley and throughout the metropolitan area. For years, Devaney had cultivated strong working relationships that helped offset some school officials’ fears about having cameras mounted around a campus.

“By doing it this way, it allowed us to stream more than just the high school football game on Friday night or the big basketball game,” he said. “It allows us to stream everything that goes on.”

After the onslaught of the pandemic, it wasn’t known how long before spectators would be allowed back into the stands, which made streaming of games a priority, Devaney said.

The viewership for most games is pretty consistent, he said, with the exception of some marquee matchups such as Bergen Catholic-Don Bosco football games, two longtime parochial school rivals with powerhouse programs in northern New Jersey. Pivotal matchups that are close late in games also attract more interest, but so, too, does Arlington High School games in Dutchess County, likely because many friends and parents decide to watch rather than make the long trip.

“It’s all pretty consistent and it’s all centered around just how good the game is going. They just tune in,” Devaney said. “They find the game’s tied in the fourth, let’s tune in; the game’s a blowout, you have lower viewership.”

Most of the local public schools in the area that have contracted for LocalLive have done so through BOCES. But now there will be improved service.

“I’ve always hesitated to ever change, so we feel we’re at a good place with all of that,” Devaney said.

The Pleasantville Farmer’s Market: A Taste of Integrity, A Touch of Home

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Each Saturday morning in the fall, the heart of Pleasantville radiates with life as farmers, food makers, neighbors, and foodies who travel from miles away, gather in the village’s Memorial Plaza parking lot to celebrate the season’s harvest. The Pleasantville Farmer’s Market (PFM) is more than just a place to shop, but a cherished asset of the community, offering weekly children’s events, chef demonstrations and live music that spans a wide range of genres. At its core, it is a marketplace built on a foundation of authentication and integrity with each vendor. Shoppers who love to cook can delight in the market all four seasons as it is one of the only year-round outdoor farmers markets in the region.

The Inside Press had the opportunity to meet with the hardworking team behind PFM, including its volunteer president, Peter Rogovin, who explains that this market’s foundation lies in its rigorous ten-point application process. The team works diligently to ensure their vendors are genuine growers and producers, and conducting on-site farm and kitchen inspections. This high standard ensures that each product, whether it’s zucchini or Himalayan momos (dumplings), has regional connection. The importance of promoting a harvest that is sourced and curated locally tells an honest and genuine story that foodies care for, rather than buying a king salmon that was caught and shipped from Iceland.

The Market’s Origin


First opened in 1998, PFM was managed by a for-profit company in the region. The hope was to bring foot traffic to the downtown retail business district. The market originally had only about a dozen vendors and was held in the parking lot behind the Village Bookstore and Glass Onion Originals and was initially not held weekly. PFM soon proved popular and by 1999 became weekly.

In 2010, a group of young, enthusiastic local residents began to volunteer, serving as liaisons between the Village board and the for-profit operator, eventually moving the market to the Village’s parking lot adjacent to the MetroNorth Pleasantville station. The new location allowed for music and kids programming and made the market more visible to the community. When the for-profit’s contract was up for renewal in 2012, the Village asked the volunteers if they would consider running the market. The volunteers banded together, forming Foodchester, Inc., a volunteer-based not-for-profit to operate the market.

That decision proved to be worthwhile. Today, people travel far distances to attend this market, drawn by its carefully sourced products. Each ingredient tells its own layered story, and visitors have a genuine appreciation for the chance to speak with the farmers. It is also one of the reasons that the market has been voted twelve consecutive years as a “Best of Westchester” winner by readers of Westchester Magazine.

Each vendor is met with intention and respect. The dedication and organization the team brings as they work hard behind the scenes to ensure every aspect of Saturday morning is executed perfectly, is evident in the smooth and rewarding experience shared by the shoppers and the vendors. Carefully curated to maintain balance, the market is designed with each vendor selling its own unique products.

In cases where vendors carry similar items, such as ciabatta bread or rutabaga, the team ensures clear differentiation whether in price point or specialty, creating a space with premium and more budget-friendly options. Meeting this goal promotes collaboration and success among the vendors, rather than a competitive market, setting the Pleasantville market apart from other regional markets. “We ensure that each vendor understands that their offerings and price point are part of the larger market puzzle and by doing so, we assemble and curate a mix that works for shoppers and vendors,” notes Rogovin.

Andy Hahn of Hilly Acres Farm, a vendor for the past three years at PFM loves the loyal customer base at the market. “The community appreciates the time and effort that goes into bringing them the best products. We have an annual farm fest and it’s gratifying when they make the two hour drive to the Catskills to see our operation,” he says.


Interns play a key part in bringing the vibrant vision to life. “Our two-dozen middle and high school interns show up early in all kinds of weather, take real responsibility, and become part of something bigger than themselves. We train them to demonstrate initiative and solve any problems they see and many go on to pursue careers in environmental science or food and hospitality. They are the future of the food system and here at the market, they’re already shaping it, one Saturday at a time,” says Rogovin.

Equity and access are also at the heart of the market’s mission. The market welcomes shoppers of all income levels, providing SNAP recipients with a match–for every SNAP dollar redeemed (up to $20), shoppers receive an additional dollar to spend in the market, so a $20 redemption nets $40 to spend. Through its partnerships with the Pleasantville Community Garden and Hillside Food Outreach, the market has coordinated the donation of over 60 tons of food to address local food insecurity.

Upcoming Fall Events

As autumn approaches, PFM is gearing up for some annual traditions. Coming up on September 13th is a crowd favorite, the annual corn roast, in which a local resident will grill as many as 300-400 donated ears of corn in Memorial Plaza. The customer appreciation event scheduled will fill the air with laughter and gratitude, as families and foodies gather to celebrate the harvest season.

Another beloved fall event is the apple pie contest scheduled this year on October 4th, where local bakers compete to impress a group of renowned judges: professional chefs, cookbook authors and professors from the Culinary Institute of America.

As the fall season rolls forward, the ambitions and goals of this market extend beyond selling fresh produce. It is the realization that while apples can be purchased from a grocery store, the experience and connections found at the farmers market are special and irreplaceable. The implied social contact and bond between the community and family farms in the Hudson Valley, who pour care and passion into every ingredient, will further deepen the market’s ambition to grow the community of foodies while inspiring other markets to embrace the same values of authenticity and collaboration.

Each Saturday morning in the fall, the heart of Pleasantville radiates with life as “We are passionate about the details, about transparency, about authenticity – we want to serve our shoppers, and be a good place for vendors to earn an honest living. But we also want people to know that not all markets are the same,” comments Rogovin, who has seen firsthand other farmers markets reselling vegetables from Hunts Point or sourcing ingredients from Restaurant Depot. “We are the real deal and shoppers and vendors love that – it is our secret sauce,” he says with a smile. In a fast-paced world, this market stands as a vital reminder that real food is rooted in real people.

New Playground Sparks Joy at Roselle Park

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Roselle Park’s playground draws crowds every day

Zoe wasn’t walking across the cherished grounds of Roselle Park as her mom tried to keep up. She was doing the kind of sprint kids do when there’s something exciting afoot. That was because the brand-new Roselle Park playground was officially complete!

It’s not just the playground that draws locals and visitors alike. On any given afternoon, Roselle Park is teeming with activity: a softball game in one corner, preteens shooting hoops in another, a couple enjoying a picnic under the shade, and parents and nannies chatting and watching kids climb, swing, and explore.

The park is central to community life in the quaint Roselle School neighborhood, and with the new playground complete, the hood just got that much more adorable.
“It’s beautiful,” said Pleasantville resident Peter Damilatus, who was visiting the park with his three happy-to-be-there kids.

He was one of dozens of volunteers who showed up rain and shine to help assemble the playground in time for summer. “We definitely needed the replacing. The old equipment had a lot of wear and tear,” he said. “This is just awesome. It’s safe, brand new, and gorgeous.”

Mike Newman, Pleasantville’s Superintendent of Recreation and a father of two young kids himself, echoed that pride. “They had a crew of professionals organizing it, and the community powered through. Same as with Nannahagen,” said Newman. “It was a real community effort.”

The new climbing globe at Roselle Park is already a kid magnet

“We put out a mailer looking for volunteers to help design the playground and we were astounded by the response when 50 to 60 people signed up,” Newman shared. “We ended up selecting a fantastic group of eight community members who worked on everything from equipment choices to colors.”

The goal? “Replacing old with bigger, better, and more creative options,” he said. The Roselle Park upgrades followed those at Nannahagen Park, and an upcoming renovation is coming soon to Soldiers and Sailors Field.

Roselle’s new playground is bursting with innovative features. Kids can climb a massive “Global Motion” spinner, wobble across a twisting “Oodle Swing”, a boat-style swing, and discover ways to tackle the climbing structures. Even adults can lounge in the boat swing if they’re so inclined; when this reporter visited, one local dad was gently rocking his infant there – a reminder that the park is for everyone.

“We wanted to introduce multiple ways to climb, swing, and explore, plus have equipment that’s attractive, safe and ADA accessible,” said Newman.

The total cost for the three playground projects – Roselle, Nannahagen, and Soldiers and Sailors Field – was about $240,000. A $270,000 grant secured through former Assemblyman Tom Abinanti’s office helped cover the bulk of it, with additional funding from the village.
When I asked Zoe’s mom what she thought of the new space, she didn’t hesitate.

“You’ll get a better answer for that if you ask Zoe,” she said. Well, of course!

“I love it!” Zoe beamed, taking off for one of the slides.

The Common Circles Educational Traveling Exhibit

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Armonk’s Sue Spiegel and Greenwich’s Marla Felton at Common Circles ribbon cutting

“I am more in love with the people around me genuinely… talking to people and having connections, it makes me so much happier. School is much more fun now.” –Rye Country Day School Student

As students return to school this fall, one of the most important lessons they can learn is that each of us carries a rich, multilayered identity–shaped by culture, experiences, and personal stories. When students learn to see that complexity in themselves and others, it becomes easier to build genuine connections and mutual respect.

But in a time of rising division, that kind of understanding doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intentional, immersive experiences that help people bridge differences with empathy and curiosity.

That’s why Common Circles is so urgently needed. This local nonprofit delivers research-based, interactive programs that empower students and educators to challenge bias, spark connection, and build more inclusive communities.

Greenwich resident Marla Felton, Founder and Executive Director of Common Circles, launched the nonprofit in 2015 in response to rising antisemitism and polarization. The idea first emerged when her daughter was preparing for her bat mitzvah and the family envisioned a sculpture filled with 1.5 million candies to honor Marla’s uncle, Holocaust survivor Martin Greenfield, and the 1.5 million children who perished. When local institutions declined to display it–saying it belonged in a synagogue or Jewish Museum–Felton realized “we needed more than a sculpture”. That moment sparked the creation of Common Circles: a nonprofit helping students and communities connect across differences and recognize our shared humanity.

Felton, originally from St. Louis, was deeply affected by the unrest following the shooting of Mike Brown. In the wake of that moment, educators and community leaders were actively exploring how to bridge divides. Around that time, a mutual friend introduced her to Sue Spiegel, an Armonk resident and former TV producer whose award-winning documentary Erase the Hate launched USA Network’s anti-hate campaign. They quickly connected over their belief in storytelling’s power to bring people together and began researching how to reach people who might be hesitant to engage.

Over the next decade, they partnered with researchers, educators, and students–first in St. Louis, then across the country–to explore how to strengthen relationships across diverse communities. Their work uncovered three key insights:

1. Self-understanding of one’s own multi-layered identity is essential before learning about others.

2. Psychological techniques–like perspective-taking, stereotype replacement, intergroup contact, and finding commonality–have been proven to increase empathy and reduce bias.

3. People are more engaged through art, technology, games, and storytelling.

Felton and Spiegel thought that if they combined these techniques from psychology with the modes of engagement that people enjoy, they would have a winning combination. In an independent feasibility study, outside evaluators validated the research and found that no other museum or institution was addressing these complex topics in this way, reinforcing the belief that the approach could be impactful.

After piloting a variety of interactive experiences and measuring impact, they created Common Circles’ We Are (your school or town!) traveling exhibit. Dr. Joseph Ricca and Dr. Deborah Hand were early supporters and helped test it in the White Plains School District. A UCONN NEAG School of Education professor evaluated the program through surveys and focus groups, and the results were extraordinary. Ongoing evaluation is now supported by a multi-year grant from The Conference on Material Claims Against Germany.

Common Circles tailors its two-part exhibit to each school or community, which humanizes the people featured, engages participants, and fosters a stronger sense of connection.

Part one introduces the themes of bridging, belonging, and the dangers of othering and dehumanization. It uses art, photography, and storytelling to prompt reflection on identity, perspective, and first impressions.

“It really gives a level of relatability to feel like you share something with the people here, and it builds a stronger community in this high school.” –White Plains High School Student

Part two, Voices Against Hate: Lessons from the Holocaust, features interactive biographies from the USC Shoah Foundation, enabling real-time Q&A sessions with a Holocaust survivor and a Jewish American liberator. Unlike AI tools like ChatGPT, these responses are drawn directly from real interviews. Through these interactions, students explore the Holocaust, deepen their understanding of Jewish identity, and learn to recognize and combat antisemitism.

“At one point I was like ‘Oh, it probably isn’t real (the Holocaust),’ but what I learned from Anita [the survivor] really changed my view.” –White Plains High School Student

Felton and Spiegel see the combination of parts one and two as the exhibit’s “special sauce.” “We’re not talking at the students,” Spiegel explains. “They’re asking the questions they’re curious about and getting answers directly from primary sources–actual eyewitnesses.”

Over the past several years, the White Plains School District, Rye Country Day School, E.O. Smith High School, and Southwest BOCES combined have hosted thousands of students, educators, and community members. Interest from New York and Connecticut school districts is strong, and Common Circles is working to scale the educational program so that it can travel to K-12 schools, universities, and community hubs across the United States.

“The Common Circles exhibit has been one of the most powerful, engaging, and inspiring experiences I’ve had in 24 years as an educator.” –Dr. Joseph Ricca, Superintendent, White Plains School District

“It changed the way I looked at my identity… and then that translates to the second part, with how identity affected the Holocaust.” –Rye Country Day School Student

Felton and Spiegel remind students that not everyone has to agree–but we must approach difficult conversations with empathy, curiosity, and respect.

“In the short time since visiting the exhibit, I place a larger emphasis on recognizing what contributes to hate and appreciating the humanity in others.” –Rye Country Day School Student

As demand grows, so does the need for support. This work cannot be done in silos. Building communities of belonging takes a collective effort. Common Circles is actively seeking partners to help fundraise, host, and expand the exhibit and its mission.

To learn more, visit commoncircles.org or email info@commoncircles.org.

Local Vet with a Global Heart

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Helping others comes naturally to Dr. Rick Germano. Whether in the U.S. or abroad, the dedicated veterinarian is making life better and healthier for animals. “I receive personal satisfaction in helping both animals and people,” says Dr. Germano, owner of Armonk Veterinary Hospital since 2008.

Dr. Germano’s 24-year career recently came full circle. Thirty years ago, he served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, living in a remote village 20 kilometers from Mt. Kilimanjaro. In May, Dr. Germano returned to Kenya with a group of twelve veterinarians and their support staff through Vet Treks. They are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build veterinary capacity in underserved areas through education and the provision of essential implements of practice to local veterinarians, and eradicating rabies in Africa by 2030.

“I was excited to be returning to Kenya especially as a veterinarian,” says Dr. Germano who served a ten-day stint in a variety of roles. “I performed free spay and neuter surgeries, administered free rabies vaccines to cats, dogs, and donkeys, and taught Kenyan veterinarians and veterinary students how to run efficient high-volume spay and neuter campaigns with limited resources.”

According to Dr. Germano, the majority of animal care in Kenya is handled by government veterinarians and provided mostly for livestock. “There are few private veterinarians focusing on dogs and cats. We performed surgery on approximately 300 cats and dogs and vaccinated over 700 animals. Almost all of the dogs were undernourished and covered in fleas and ticks,” he says, adding, “Our partners on this campaign, the Kenyan SPCA, try to fill the gap the best they can when it comes to companion animal care.”

Returning after thirty years, Dr. Germano noted certain aspects of Kenya had changed. “The people were the same and the further we traveled from the city, the more it seemed like time stood still,” says Dr. Germano, glad that the Kenyan’s attitude toward dogs and cats is slowly changing for the better. “Dogs have traditionally been viewed as work animals and relegated to living outside and on the periphery of the household. As time goes on, Kenyans are taking care of dogs and cats more like pets, similar to how we do here.”

Dr. Germano first visited Kenya in 1991 for one semester as an undergraduate at Tufts University. “Before and after that semester, I completed two courses in Swahili. When the Peace Corps assigned me the country in which I’d volunteer, Kenya was a logical choice because of my experience with Swahili,” he explains, asking to serve in a locale where only Swahili was spoken. “Not only did I have an understanding of the language and culture, but experience in conducting development work in Kenya and the knowledge of how to navigate the challenges that come with it.”

Dr. Germano was in a rural village called Taveta located on the border with Tanzania. It was so remote that you needed to travel two hours across a national park with lions, hyaena, elephants, and giraffes.”
That experience inspired Dr. Germano to continue working in rural communities. “I wanted to help people with their livelihoods, and helping with their animals was the most interesting way for me to do so. As I had always wanted to be a veterinarian, the next logical step was veterinary school,” he says. While in veterinary school at Cornell, he worked with rural farmers in upstate New York and as a mixed animal veterinarian treating cows, horses, dogs and cats before moving to Westchester. At Armonk Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Germano specializes in general practice medicine and surgery for dogs and cats.

Outside of work, Dr. Germano shares life with his wife, Kay, and daughter, Sophia, 15, along with two beagles, a coonhound, an eight-week-old golden retriever, two horses, and six chickens.

Dr. Germano is looking forward to playing a larger role with Vet Treks and being involved in the administration of the organization. “After thirty years of work as a veterinarian, I never dreamed I’d be able to revisit the work I did as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya.”