The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Cover Stories

Hickory is wood, Tweed is wool

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Catching up with Sports Enthusiast Skip Beitzel, the Iconic owner of Hickory & Tweed

Photo by Carolyn Simpson

Skip shared with me his love for Armonk and feels blessed to be a staple in our community.

The architectural touches, colors, and Stowe-like feel of their building is true and will remain everlasting as his family-run business will one day be passed down to future generations.  

Skiing is the new biking. 

Do you remember when bicycles were spinning off the shelves like hand sanitizer back in April/ May of last year? When inventory was low, factories were shutting down, trying to find a spare part was impossible, and asking someone if they had a bike rack for sale was a laughable offense? Well, reservations and bookings showed that the 2020-2021 ski season was going to demand the same. There was no break for employees or suppliers between the seasons as the bikes were still out while the snow started to fall. Skip was heavily focused on “getting through the winter.” Skiing was top of mind. 

In charge of buying and merchandising, Geri Moore, Debbie Coldwell, and Skip’s wife Michaela hustle to refresh and restock their downstairs inventory, while listening to the sound of boots banging on the floor above as skiers and boarders rush the store for fittings. 

Hickory and Tweed has a narrow and deep product philosophy, “carry what we love, know why we love it, and our customers will trust us.” The store has been carrying the Patagonia brand for 35 years, and Bogner is going on 60 years. “Hold tight, Jennifer we’re just jamming here,” he insists in a genuine soft-spoken mixture of tones, Skip’s phones were ringing off the hook. And they were not going to stop anytime soon…

It wouldn’t be long before it was bike season again. “We have a lot of dedicated bikers here,” Skip explains to me. As an avid user of his electric bike, Skip sometimes uses it to get back and forth to work. With pedal-assist, he can crush the massive hills and arrive at the shop sweat-free. These too were and still are in high demand. Waiting for suppliers to get restocked after last year, I learned it has been a slow build of inventory but it will in fact be ready and available for you and your family.

Skip is active.

When he’s not praying for snow in Armonk, he is praying for waves in Ocean City, NJ. Skip has been a surfer for over half of a century. He CAN snowboard, but prefers his two legs to work independently (via skis). He also skateboards. In fact, back in 1977 Skip built the first skateboard park in the northeast, it was called Wonderwave. Any 1970s skaters out there?? You knew this place. 

Wait, I’m not done… in his free time, Skip goes on an annual, consecutive trip to Alta with the same group of friends every year since 1968; that is 51 years of awesome with, believe it or not, the employees he met when he first started working at Hickory and Tweed (lift jaw now).  

Today, Skip celebrates his 36th successful year of ownership.

Feeling inspired? 

In Skip, We Trust.

Behind ‘Team Katz Fights Cancer’

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… and a Goal to Raise $50,000 to Fight Blood Cancers

By Spencer Katz

In 2008, I turned four years old. That was the year I had a Backyardigans-themed birthday party and dressed up like Batman for Halloween. It was also the year that I first hear the word “cancer” because that was the year that my mom was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. I was only in nursery school and too young to really understand the impact of this diagnosis. But I watched as my mom underwent months of chemotherapy, lost her hair, and fought to survive. Luckily, she did survive. 

 Now that I am 16 and a junior at Horace Greeley High School, I understand the impact of a diagnosis like my mom’s. I have been heartbroken as too many of my friends lost parents to blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, and I have watched many others fight for survival. And blood cancer, specifically leukemia, is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in children and young adults. So I decided to take action to find a cure for blood cancers.

Spencer and his mom, Lisa Katz, a lymphoma survivor

When I was nominated as a candidate in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Students of the Year campaign, I knew that this was the perfect opportunity to raise funds and awareness for the fight against blood cancers. Students of the Year is a seven-week philanthropic competition for high school leaders seeking to make an impact in the fight against cancer. I joined the campaign in honor of my mother and all those who currently are fighting blood cancers, and in memory of those who have lost those battles. 

 This year’s campaign begins on January 21st and ends with a grand finale on March 11th. The funds raised benefit the LLS mission to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. And it can help so many others too–many treatments initially developed for blood cancers are now also helping people affected by many different types of cancer. Since the campaign’s inception in 2014, the Students of the Year program has made an incredible impact for cancer research, patient aid, and community outreach programs.

I am so honored to be able to represent Horace Greeley High School and our entire community in this campaign.

 I am aiming high and have set a goal of raising $50,000 to find a cure for blood cancers. Yes, I know that this is an extremely ambitious goal, but I am determined to leave my mark on the fight against cancer to the best of my ability. And I have the legacy of so many loved friends and family as the motivation behind my campaign. My campaign will provide support to the critical work of LLS in hopes that one day no one will have to watch a loved one suffer and fight to survive, or worse, grow up without the ones they love.

 Not only is Students of the Year a great way to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, but it is also a great leadership experience for me. Being part of this campaign means so much to be, and I am proud to help my generation be the last to see cancer. I can’t wait to share the exciting updates of the next seven weeks with you. Stay tuned to see what my team and I can accomplish. 

 If anyone reading this feels as I do, it would mean a lot to me if you would consider becoming part of the cure and making a donation to my campaign. To donate online or for more information, please visit my fundraising campaign website Team Katz Fights Cancer!

 And please email me at TeamKatzFightsCancer@gmail.com to share stories of your loved ones impacted by blood cancer. I would love to add them to the list of those I am fighting for. I truly hope that together we can make a true difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families, not just in our community, but everywhere.

The Joy of Skiing: Three Options Close to Home

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For northern Westchester resident Lys Varcasia, grabbing her snowboard and heading up a snowy mountain only to come down at full speed with the wind blowing in her hair is an oasis like no other. 

With the current health crisis bringing stress and turmoil to so many over the last year, it’s only natural to desire an escape. And a classic day of letting loose in the snow, whether it be hitting the slopes for some cross-country skiing or snow tubing down a steep hill, might be just what the doctor ordered. 

And there’s no doubt it’s where you’ll find Varcasia on a weekend with her family. “My favorite thing is going down the mountain and just being free and not thinking about anything else,” she said. “Being in the mountains, the views are beautiful. And when you get off the jump, you’re not thinking about anything but the wind and picking up speed. It’s exhilarating.”

Ensuring Safety

Whether you’re an avid skier/snowboarder, want to glide down a mountain in snow tube, go shopping or just need a weekend getaway in front of cozy fireplace, ski destinations across the state have something for everyone, and have also implemented health protocols to ensure safety for all. 

Despite the distribution of the COVID vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advise those to wear a mask and social distance by avoiding large gatherings and keeping a six-foot distance. 

Health officials further warn to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer, refrain from touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, avoiding sick people, and staying inside if exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus. 

Here are some places you can enjoy safely with your family or friends. 

Hunter Mountain

While a roughly two-hour trek from Westchester County, Hunter Mountain is taking reservations for some fun in the… snow.

Whether skiing, boarding, tubing, shopping, dining out or just enjoying the scenery, Hunter Mountain has everything you need for a quick family getaway. The destination offers four separate mountains with a wide variety of terrain to cater to all ability levels. 

Pass holders are required to make a reservation to access the mountains and lift tickets must be purchases prior to arriving at the resort. Seasonal passes are no longer available for purchase. 

Due to health restrictions, reservations will be needed every day to access any mountain so riders can enjoy the outdoors with proper distancing between parties. Face masks or coverings are mandatory to access all mountains, according to its website. 

Additionally, all transactions at hotels, restaurants, ski and ride school, activities, and all other points of sale this season will be cashless, the website states, advising travelers to book online in advance via the resort website.  

Hunter Mountain is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thunder Ridge Ski Area

Want something a little closer to home? With 22 trails, three chairlifts and four magic carpets, Thunder Ridge Ski Area is the perfect spot to spend the day. Located in Patterson in Putnam County, the destination offers slow and gentle slows to meet the needs of newer skiers and snowboarders and high impact trails for more advanced riders.

Unlimited seasonal passes are available for purchase online, with prices based on age from children to senior citizens. Midweek season passes are also available for all ages at $295. 

Furthermore, lessons are offered for any beginner looking to learn.

Due to limited capacity, lift tickets must be purchased online and can be bought up to 14 days in advance of the arrival date. Online purchases are not refundable or transferable. 

Going with a group of friends but hate the snow? No problem. Take in the panoramic view with a cup of hot chocolate inside the lodge or glass atrium that overlooks the mountain base and slopes. Reservations will be required to eat, and diners will be limited to 45 minutes. 

Other safety restrictions will require all guests to a wear face mask or covering, unless eating or actively skiing. Seasonal lockers are not available, and guests will be prohibited from changing inside the lodge. 

Additionally, reservations will be required for all lessons and equipment rentals. 

Thunder Ridge Ski Area is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

Windham Mountain Resort

Positioned in the Catskills, Windham Mountain Resort is worth the over two-hour drive to access the 285 skiable acres and 54 trails over two peaks, six terrain parks and 11 lifts. The destination offers skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and a ski and ride simulator. Snowtubing serviced by a conveyor lift and kids’ snowmobiles can be found at the resort’s Adventure Park.

Tickets for the Adventure Park are at a first come, first serve basis, and the park is expected to remain open through mid-March. 

Windham Mountain offers a variety of passes and tickets, though it is encouraged all tickets, including lift access, be purchased online. Daily tickets are only available when terrain is open for skiing and riding and must be purchased by 11:50 p.m. the night before a trip to receive a discount, according to the website.

Pricing and quantity of tickets will vary by day and are nonrefundable. Tickets unable to be used can be transferred to another day during the winter season. Advanced reservations for rentals will be required. 

No on-site purchase of rental equipment will be accepted. 

Masks are required, except during active skiing and riding, and indoor lodging will be limited to a 50 percent capacity. There will be no changing rooms, lockers, or cubbies available in the base lodge and no bags or personal belongings can be left in the building.  

The resort has also shifted to cashless transactions. 

Windham Mountain Resort is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Discovering the Revitalized Parks & Trails Inside Briarcliff Manor

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Scarborough Park.  Photos by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

As Briarcliff Manor officials undertook a mission to revitalize and publicize the areas many parks and nature trails, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in residents and visitors rediscovering the outdoor luxuries the village has to offer. 

With nearly a dozen parks and walking paths neglected over the years, the Briarcliff Village Board and Recreation Department have taken on an initiative since 2019 to clean up the grounds, introduce new programs and enhance the trail system to make the outdoor amenities more accessible and interactive to those using it.

A Newly Marked Pocantico Park

Henry Jamin, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, said an area like Pocantico Park, the village’s largest park at nearly 71 acres, had several sections that were never formally designed to support a walking or hiking path. Those routes are now marked trails, he said.

“One of our initiatives was to improve our trail systems and do a better job of promoting it to the public, so that’s an ongoing effort,” Jamin said. “The trails have been there for years, but they were not marked.”

Improvements included replacing worn signage, grooming entranceways, creating new parking areas, and marking and mapping all the trails. With officials determined to bring more attention and foot traffic to village, a collaboration was made with The Hiking Project, an app that includes walking paths and trails across the country and allows users to add additional routes to explore. 

Briarcliff Manor Deputy Mayor Peter Chatzky took the Inside Press on a Park and Trails tour, much to our delight. “All the Briarcliff trails are mapped,” Chatzky noted with great enthusiasm, “and an interactive app can run on your phone to help you navigate a trail and pick an appropriate route based on topography and amenities.”

Exploring with a Handy App

The app, which also has a website equivalent, provides recommended trails, photos, difficulty ratings, mileage, trail conditions, and special features to look out for on that route. In addition, users are informed of available amenities, parking, ADA accessibility, pet rules, bicycle usage and if a location is family friendly. 

While the Law Memorial Park Walking Path is an easy, half-mile, family-friendly area where dogs and bicycles are allowed, the Pocantico Park Loop, which spans the Yellow Trail and Red Trail, is a nearly one-mile scenic loop that is rated at an intermediate/difficult level. 

But part of the plan was ensuring residents and visitors alike were aware of the new improvements and boosting those efforts to the public.Then the pandemic hit, and the desire and near desperation to be outside made the village’s attempts to promote its parks and trails almost pointless. 

“The pandemic really helped us get people out there,” said Village Trustee Sabine Werner. “We saw a real increase of utilization of parks and trails as people were looking to get out of their house.”

Jamin added how COVID re-emphasized the need for parks and recreation, noting how several programs have popped up in Law Memorial Park since March, including stroller stride workout classes, running groups, and yoga in the park. 

What is ‘Geocaching’?

With increased interest, the village opted to introduce a new activity last summer: geocaching. 

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt using GPS devices via cell phone that is played all around the world. Participants download the Geocaching App and navigate to specific coordinates to find hidden containers at various locations with trinkets inside. 

There are currently nine containers hidden in trails and parks throughout Briarcliff. 

“It was helpful in getting people out who wouldn’t ordinarily want to take a walk in the woods. It’s just an activity that’s fun and gets you into the outdoors,” Jamin said. “We’re constantly brainstorming what we can offer that is safe and helps people enjoy themselves and have some fun.”

For those looking for other types of amusement, Chilmark Park located on Macy Road offers two clay, two NovaPro all-weather and two har-tru tennis courts. The 8.3-acre site also provides a half-court basketball court, a soccer field, an athletic field, and a large playground. 

Law Memorial Park, which is in the heart of Briarcliff on Pleasantville Road, is home to the village pool and four tennis courts–three clay courts and one year-round all-weather court–with lights for evening play. The 7-acre park has a playground that includes swings, a sandbox, and play structures. Furthermore, the Village Library is on the Park’s eastern edge, with a new two-story pavilion officially open for use. 

Sunset Destination: Stunning Scarborough Park

Scarborough Park is the perfect place to take in the sights of the Hudson River or go fishing. The six-acre, 97-year-old park’s shoreline recently underwent a shore stabilization and erosion project. “It’s one of the only areas of Briarcliff that is actually on the Hudson,” noted Chatzky. “For years it was badly eroded. With $100,000 earmarked to resolve the erosion, the Village Department of Public Works bought huge boulders, and receded the grass twice with new dirt. Some new tree plantings enhance this gem which falls right below the Scarborough train station. Two memorial benches were donated by a current trustee Kevin Hunt in memory of his mother and father, Cathi Hunt and Charles “Chuck” Hunt, and of his son, Lars Hunt.

What a difference a village’s dedicated attention makes. Today, Jamin said Scarborough is the perfect place to relish the sunset. 

While the village has made progress over the last year, there are still many projects on the horizon. 

While officials are currently looking to connect the North County Trailway to Pocantico Park, other connections are in discussions along with park upgrades and new program ideas presently, two tennis courts at Chilmark Park are being converted into six pickle ball courts that are scheduled to open this summer.

“It’s all about expanding opportunities,” Jamin said. “There’s a lot to be done and a lot more to discover we can do.”

How Locals with a Writing Flair are Gaining Fans

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There are currently 600 million blogs on the Internet and more than 30 million bloggers in the U.S. Without too much trouble, you can discover and enjoy the work of bloggers (whose ages run the gamut!) located in our hometowns writing about everything from their passion for pizza to parenting dilemmas. The common denominator for success? Prose composed in their own authentic voices.

 In this edition, we start with two young bloggers, one a college aged student (a Greeley grad and regular Inside Press contributor) and a second, an Armonk-based fourth-grade student!

Megan Klein, Chappaqua

Megan Klein, a junior at Boston University, started her blog freshman year of college as a way to help her process the transition to college life. She ultimately transferred after her freshman year to Boston University. The process made her want to destigmatize transferring, and other unpredicted college road bumps in her posts, which she says many people still view as taboo. 

“Everyone tells you that your four years in college are the best years of your life. But that’s not true for everyone, so I started writing about that,” said Klein. Originally the blog was a distracting outlet for her, doubling as a way to build her writing portfolio as a journalism student. While she initially didn’t tell many about the blog, that eventually changed. A year later she asked people for submissions of times where college was hard and got immediate positive feedback from long lost friends and other followers on Instagram telling her how relatable she was. 

The first section she developed was titled “No Lifeguard on Duty”. “I called it that because this really is the first time that you are own without your parents,” notes Klein. Then College Confessions stemmed from the submissions, ranging in aspects of college life from Greek life to friends to transitions. She also added a Freshman Survival Guide section. 

Klein is always looking for ways to make her blog more interactive and expand her readership by uploading photos, adding links and buttons. She also created stress balls and stickers for purchase with her blog’s tagline “Smile. It’s good for you.” This year she also started a podcast called Happiness Talks, where she interviews “positivity professionals” on various topics such as cognitive behavioral therapy and even therapy dogs. 

Klein hopes to one day compile her experiences into a self-help book similar to the You are A Badass series but for the college set. “I’d love it if it was a book that parents gave to their kids when they entered college,” she notes but for now she is happy about the blog’s growth from 1,600 visitors when she started in 2019 to 4,000 visitors this past year from more than 33 different countries. Acknowledging that those numbers aren’t astronomical, she still is proud of what it’s accomplished. “It’s all baby steps,” she says, but no doubt a part of her journey on her pathway to adulthood, albeit online. 

Keira O’Sullivan, Armonk

This fourth grader at Wampus Elementary School is a pizza aficionado. After trying the perfect trifecta of bread, tomato sauce and cheese at the tender age of three, pizza quickly became her favorite food. O’Sullivan decided to start her own pizza blog after reading an article on the best local pizzerias in Westchester Magazine in 2018. She loves trying out different pizzerias in the county often accompanied by her father, Kevin. To date, she has visited more than 40 pizzerias and tried their classic slices along with an occasional side order of garlic knots. She’s even stopped at pizzerias on vacations in Pennsylvania, the Jersey Shore and Upstate NY. She likes the fact that writing her blog has helped her become more computer literate and brush up on her photography skills.

One of the more unusual qualities that O’Sullivan likes to write about is the pizza’s “floppiness” which she says happens when the crust flops over and you can fold the pizza in half. “I like a little bit of flop and sweet sauce but no air bubbles in the crust.” She rates the pizza on a scale of 1-10 and is a tough critic claiming that she will never give out a 10 because no pizza is perfect. 

COVID hasn’t stopped her as pizza is the ultimate casual food and perfect for curbside pick-up. She’s still updating the blog and while she has no plans of becoming a restaurant critic she hopes her blog points people in the right direction to good pizza. “There is some good pizza and there is some bad and I just wanted people to know what’s good,” she explains. Thanks for the advice Keira! 

Excerpts from both blogs follow!

From Megan Klein’s ‘Operation Happiness’

You know when a book changes your life? Not to sound dramatic, which we all know I am, but after years of hearing people say that, I finally found the one. 

It’s called 14,000 Things to be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer. It’s literally a book filled with an ongoing list of 14,000 things that have made her happy throughout the years: squooshing ice-cream sandwiches, TV football on mute, a good Monday and the movie We Bought a Zoo are just four of thousands.  

I’ve always been one to keep a journal. My first one was a gift from my sister for Christmas one year. It was blue and had a big M on it and was from Justice. It was a gold mine of middle school gossip. I wrote down a list of my fifth grade crushes. I wrote down a list of the most annoying people in my class, girls and boys. Too bad I haven’t been able to find that sucker in years – Mom, I give you permission to tear apart my room to find it. 

I eventually graduated to leather bound books, where I tried to keep a daily record of what happened and how I was feeling. 

And honestly, I now realize that the way I was journaling was counterproductive. Yes, I was writing down my thoughts and my feelings. But, I found that if those thoughts or feelings were negative, I was just re-hashing them on paper instead of letting them go. 

Then I found this book. 

Every night I write five things down that made me happy that day, whether it be something I ate, something I did, a song I like, or if nothing comes to mind, I think back on happy memories and write those down. I call it Take 5 Write 5 journaling.

Here are a few things I have written down in my book: a hot shower after a cold rainy soccer game, ABC Family Harry Potter weekend marathons at home, sourdough bread and falling asleep to the Dear John piano soundtrack. 

Now it’s your turn. 

For more blog posts from Megan, visit www.operationhappinessblog.com

Reviews from Keira O’Sullivan’s Pizza Ratings

Hartsdale House of Pizza
Rating = 8.9

We got a plain slice, tomato slice, and some kind of pepper cheese slice, which my Dad ate. The tomato slice was really good and the plain slice was good. The garlic knots were HUGE. I couldn’t really eat the garlic knots because I had a wiggly tooth. My mom wanted to try this place for a while. I recommend this place. It was good.

Villagio Pizzeria – Tuckahoe, NY
Rating = 7.4

I was going to review Roma Pizza because Westchester Magazine said it’s the best pizza in Tuckahoe. But they were closed so my mom went to this place instead because she thought it looked good for me. I got a plain cheese slice and a focaccia slice that just had tomato sauce on it. The plain slice was pretty good. It was not floppy. I liked the amount of cheese even though I sometimes take it off after 5 bites. The sauce was good too.

The focaccia slice only had one chunky tomato on it which I was not very happy about. Overall I would go there again and recommend it.

Sal’s Pizzeria, Mamaroneck, NY
Rating = 9.2

This pizza was really good. We got a plain cheese and a Sicilian. It was really good. It had the right amount of flop. Bread was really good. Just really good pizza in general. I liked everything about it. I would highly recommend this pizza. It was so good. My mom and dad have been telling me about this place for a while.

For more blog posts from Keira, visit, www.keiraspizzarating.home.blog