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Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

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Armonk Lions Club Hosts the 46th Annual Fol-De-Rol June 2nd thru June 5th, 2022

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The Armonk Lions Club’s Fol-de-Rol is back after a two-year hiatus.This fun-filled family event, to be held in Wampus Brook Park and on Hunter Field on June 2nd to June 5th, will feature rides, entertainment and music as well as food and merchandise vendors. Something for everyone is promised!

This past year the Club faced a major decision. As President Doug Martino remarked, planning for this upcoming Fol-de-Rol almost didn’t happen. “Because of dwindling membership, the Armonk Lions were literally days away from shutting down,” said Martino. “Had that happened, the Fol-de-Rol, a 45-year tradition, would have died forever. We simply had too few members to do the planning and running of such a large event.”

Armonk is a small town with a strong community spirit and word quickly spread about the fate of the Fol-de-Rol. A few days after a meeting in early November in which members discussed closing down the Armonk Lions Club, Matt Milim, who lives in Armonk and was recently elected to the Town Board, asked to meet with Club members. He brought a number of people to the meeting who were passionate about wanting the Fol-de-Rol to continue and who were willing to join the Armonk Lions Club to help make that happen. By the end of December the club was revitalized with enough new members to plan and run the 46th annual Fol-de-Rol.

In early January, Club members, both new and old, swung into acton. The key to the success of the Fol-de-Rol is finding vendors, who provide rides, entertainment, food and merchandise. As a result of this effort, the Lions Club has been able to line up new vendors and and create new entertainment ideas.

Attendees will find lots to do and see. A preliminary list already includes: rides, banjo players, pig races, music, and all sorts of things to buy–lawn ornaments, handmade bags and accessories, home-decor items, clothing, jewelry, jams, baked goods and more. Hungry? Expect pizza, crepes, donuts and coffee, wraps, Italian ices, and even vegan fare.

The Fol-de-Rol is more than a community event; it is the Armonk Lions’ annual fund-raiser in which 100% of the proceeds are donated to local organizations and for people in need. Over the years, the Armonk Lions have funded many projects in North Castle: the Gazebo and Lions Way Bridge in Wampus Park, town camp scholarships for local children, dugouts for the ABL, defibrillators for North Castle Police and Fire Departments, and the NC4 disaster relief trailer.

In Westchester County, it has donated to the Open Door Medical Clinic in Mount Kisco, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and Puppies Behind Bars. It has also contributed relief monies through the International Lions Clubs.

The Armonk Lions Club is still seeking additional vendors. For information, go to armonklions.org.

Save the Dates!!!

The 46th Annual Fol-de-Rol Schedule Rides:
Thursday & Friday, June 2 & 3, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday, June 4, 12 p.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday, June 5, 12 p.m.-5 p.m.
Crafts:
Saturday & Sunday, June 4 & 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

“A Unique Vibe” as Pleasantville Day RETURNS on May 21

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Reconnect with Neighbors and Friends on this Family Fun Day

Mayor of Pleasantville, Peter Scherer
Photos by Peter Rogovin

Pleasantville Day is returning Saturday May 21. Come meet your old and new neighbors of Pleasantville that have moved here in the last two years. Our goal for Pleasantville Day is a fun time showing casing the unique vibe for our big personality village. Pleasantville Day is a village event that entices residents of all ages for several hours of fun and sun (hopefully!) and to mingle with their neighbors and friends. It takes place on Memorial Plaza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will be a Kids Zone with a Velcro wall, gaga, archery, and crafts all thanks to Kiwi Camp. 

The adventure zone is for our large activities such as a bungee trampoline, bouncy obstacle course, and more. Open to adults too!

Entertainment will include live band, stilt walker, juggler, my favorite big bubble maker, and crafts. 

Aiming for 75+ vendors/booths, a wide assortment of local organizations, and local food vendors including a pizza truck.

We aim to have a free fun experience for all residents. I have been involved since 2016 as a co-organizer, and this year the number of volunteers as co-organizers has doubled to 6. So, I’m hoping our fun level doubles as well. We’re going to be focused on bring out the best of Pleasantville Day to all the residents.

Pleasantville Day is also about philanthropy. In addition to supporting local organizations such as school groups, the tips for the entertainers are collected to donate to a local organization in the area.

In addition to the Village of Pleasantville, Kiwi Country Day Camp sponsors the Kids Zone activities.

Pleasantville Day will be held in place of the Pleasantville Farmers Market, which will return May 28th.

Looking Back with the Inside Press

Editor’s Note: To discover more of the flavor of the day, see Charlotte Harter’s Inside Press story and pictures about Pleasantville Day 2019: https://www.theinsidepress.com/pleasantville-day-an-annual-celebration-of-fun-friendship-and-community/

Pleasantville Farmers Market: Turning the Fun Back On

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The Pleasantville Farmers Market is getting its mojo back, with a rich slate of music, kids, culinary, and other events right around the corner.

“We spent the last two years trying to stay open and keep everyone safe,” says Peter Rogovin, president of the community nonprofit Foodchester, which operates the Market. “Many people saw us as the safest way to shop: outdoors, socially distanced, masked, with food direct from farms so minimally handled. We even implemented an online shopping platform to get people in and out quickly and with contactless payment.” 

Now, with the kind of cautious optimism that is appropriate in these times, Rogovin continues, “This spring is a great time to restart the amazing programming and culinary events that helped PFM become a place where so many in the area start their weekend.”  

The market’s live music series will showcase the area’s abundant creative talent to provide a fun and vibrant atmosphere. With 21 dates in total, the music series will start on Memorial Day Weekend (May 28) and will go every Saturday until October 15. 

“Live music and top-notch food–what a fantastic combination,” says Stuart Vance, leader of the Music Committee. “Look out for some very special programs this year.” The market’s music area is located near popular vendors selling pretzels, ice pops, tea and coffee, and more, and there’s a comfortable seating area for the shoppers to enjoy.

Former NBA Player Chris Herren Brings Powerful Message About Drug Abuse to Byram Hills High School

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Byram Hills High School students watched a powerful and heart-wrenching video on the rise of former NBA player Chris Herren and his drug addiction and downfall. Then, as the lights came up, the high school theater fell silent as Mr. Herren, sober since 2008, began to speak. 

He told students he knows the feeling of thinking that you don’t need to hear words like his about drugs.

“Just like some of you, I wanted to skip this talk,” Mr. Herren said to the juniors and seniors in the theater and the ninth and tenth graders who watched via livestream on March 8. “Just like a couple of you, I tried to convince my mother to let me sleep in and get some rest because we don’t need this talk. And just like some of you, I’ve walked into this talk with the attitude, all I do is drink and smoke, drug assemblies are a joke. It’s wild that they think I would turn into that guy.”

“That attitude comes from what I believe is the way we’ve irresponsibly talked to kids about addiction,” added the straight-talking Mr. Herren. “I think we put way too much focus and energy on the worst day and we forget the first day.”

The video traced Mr. Herren’s start as a high school basketball legend in Fall River, Massachusetts, and his turns playing for Boston College and Fresno State. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 1999 and traded in 2000 to the Boston Celtics, a dream come true. But he was living a secret life. Interspersed with his basketball success was drug use, being arrested and multiple stints in rehab. 

Students learned of Mr. Herren having his first taste of beer as a young teenager, using cocaine at Boston College, taking Oxycontin, shooting heroin, and the desperate need to obtain drugs, including right before game time. 

“Everybody thinks this talk is about drugs and alcohol,” he said. “I think it’s about self-worth. I think it’s about confidence, self-esteem. I think it’s about family. It’s about the people that love you.”

His mom, he said, never believed her son, a McDonald’s All-American basketball star, would spend her money on drugs. “Let’s just be real,” Mr. Herren said. “I’m 16, spending my mommy’s money on drugs. I’m 16 years old, lying to everybody who loves me right now. I’m 17 years old and my family doesn’t even know me.”

“That’s the scariest thing about drug addiction,” he said at one point. “Nobody knows who has it yet.” He added: “Parents don’t ask, and kids are afraid to talk about it.”

Who in the audience, he asked, would want their adoring younger sibling doing what they are doing in high school, keeping secrets, pretending everything is great, feeling so insecure that they need to drink to have fun.

“When we can envision that, it doesn’t seem so right any more,” he said. “This is no longer my story, it’s your story. See, the goal is that you walk out of here and you think of the kid you’re becoming.”

“My goal is that one of you walk out of here and say to yourself, ‘I want to feel better. I want to talk to someone. I don’t want to pretend everything’s right.’”

Principal Christopher Walsh was hopeful that the presentation would help students and families feel supported, and he urged students in need to ask for assistance.

“Substance abuse and addiction touch every part of society and it has gotten worse for many people during the pandemic,” he said. “Many families are suffering in silence. I hope that Chris Herren’s message helps people realize that they are not alone.”   

Students found Mr. Herren’s presentation moving and inspiring.

“I thought it was really impactful to hear because I think it’s definitely very normalized, drug use and drinking on the weekends,” senior Sofia Cobos said. “It was a really great talk. It definitely needed to be heard. It was a very, very eye-opening experience.”

Ninth grader Brody Ceisler said he learned that “even though somebody might not look like something on the outside, you never know what’s happening on the inside of them.”

Mr. Herren has shared his story with nearly two million high school students, hoping to make a difference early in their lives. He runs the nonprofit Herren Project, which empowers schools to make healthy choices while guiding families through recovery, and Herren Wellness, a residential health and wellness program that helps people live substance-free lives.

Story and Photo Courtesy of Bryam Hills School District

Dorothy Wickenden Sheds Light on the Strength & Perseverance of Three Women Who Fought for Abolition & Women’s Rights

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PHOTOS by Kendall Hammes  To watch the interview, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWcSlStw8_E

Wickenden Urges a Visit to Auburn, NY, to Help Support a Bicentennial Event Celebrating Harriet Tubman’s Birth.

Plus other Highlights from a Chappaqua Library Author Talk

On Tuesday, March 8th, the Chappaqua Library invited Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker and author of a new book, The Agitators, to a virtual discussion with Grace Bennett, editor and publisher of Inside Press Magazines. In her book, Wickenden successfully weaves the lives of three women in the mid-1800s whose outrage about the lack of rights for women propelled them to act, sometimes against all odds.  

During the abolition movement–Francis A. Seward, Martha Coffin Wright, and Harriet Tubman–positively channeled their anger and resentment to having their voices heard. The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Human Rights illustrates how the women leaned on each other for support and with their strength and perseverance helped abolish slavery and gain the right to divorce and to vote. 

Wickenden who is also a moderator for The New Yorker weekly’s podcasts admitted proudly that her book was a labor of love that took seven years to complete. She spoke about the importance of writing books about women’s struggles with social justice and she is hoping to shed some light on the forgotten who were the women of that epic historical time in America.

In addition to her extensive research, Wickenden told Bennett that she found her inspiration from reading her grandmother’s letters which depicted a period when women were seeking work outside the home. Coincidentally, her grandmother grew up in Auburn, NY, which is the very same place where Harriett Tubman resided for over 50 years, shepherding and housing former slaves. She urges her readers to go and visit Auburn which has since been revitalized and, this year, is honoring the Bicentennial of Harriet Tubman’s birth. 

Joan Kuhn, program coordinator for the Chappaqua Library, welcomed Wickenden and Bennett to the Author Talk. Considering Chappaqua’s own history, Bennett noted the many references in the book made to Horace Greeley who founded The New York Tribune newspaper, an important vehicle for promoting abolition. Wickenden discussed the Tribune’s influence on the women and also the deep division of the nation’s media in those times, too! She also offered an explanation about the Quakers’ influence on those who made it their moral obligation to speak about the abolition of slavery.

You can still get a signed copy of Wickenden’s book at Scattered Books in Chappaqua. It would make a perfect gift for many young women who are interested in learning about the women’s suffrage movement!   

To listen to the entire interview, visit:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWcSlStw8_E

Kendall Hammes, a junior at Horace Greeley High School, lives with her parents and two sisters in Chappaqua. She spends her time playing tennis, swimming and photographing. This is her first contribution to the Inside Press.