The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Cover Stories

Love at the Engine Company

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PHOTO By Donna Mueller

When Debra Johnson (“Debbie”) walked into the Briarcliff Volunteer Fire Department with her friend Rachel Leihbacher in August 1982 intending to join as the first female members, William Johnson (“Bill”) didn’t think much of it. They sat down next to him and he talked to them. Soon, chaos ensued amongst members determined to keep these women out of the all-male company. Two men quit because of the perceived intrusion but the women underwent training and quickly proved to be valuable members of the department, running into burning buildings and taking every call they could.

Bill and Debbie became great friends going on calls together and seeing each other at meetings and drills. “I would look forward to seeing her on those calls,” remembers Bill. “By the annual dinner dance in May of 1983, we were dating. We married seven years later.”

Both born and bred in Briarcliff, they only got to know each other when they both joined the fire department. For Bill, a Westchester County police detective, serving the community was in his blood. Both his father Arthur Johnson Jr. and grandfather Arthur Johnson were Briarcliff police chiefs and firefighters. His grandfather’s brother Buck Johnson was the fire chief and his grandfather’s brother Charles Johnson was killed in the line of duty with the Briarcliff police department in 1927.

“My husband is the most amazing man in my life and such a rock star,” says Debbie. “He’s by my side for everything we’ve endured and he’s always doing for me.”

Debbie recently retired from nursing after 36 years at Northern Westchester Hospital, but remains an active volunteer in addition to her private duty nursing work. “I just love making a difference. The fire department gives me a sense of accomplishment and I love going to car accidents and helping the victims out.”

They often respond to calls together. When their two kids were young, they would swap off or Debbie’s mother would watch the kids.

One of Bill’s worst experiences was responding to an accident in the middle of the night while Debbie was working at the hospital and discovering that it was Debbie’s brother, badly injured, in the accident. He remembers showing up at the hospital to tell Debbie.

The couple has seen a lot of tragedy together, particularly in car accidents, and it helps that they can talk about it with each other.

These days, Bill keeps an extra eye out for Debbie when they’re at the scene of an accident. “Responding to auto accidents is not safe. EMS has been hit on calls because of distracted driving,” he says.

It’s pretty clear to me, however, that he always has his eye on his beloved.

Bear Hunting in the ‘Burbs with My Son

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One of the bears sighted during our hunt
PHOTO BY Jennifer Drubin Clark

We were bored. REAL bored. “We” being my 3-year-old son and myself. The school day was over, our stomachs were full, the weather was crummy, and we had just about exhausted every activity within our house AND the tri-town area (Armonk, Chappaqua and Bedford as we refer to them). It was then, with fierce intent, the idea-heavens rained down upon us. Before we knew it, we were packing up bags of snacks, clothes and shoes suitable for any terrain, binoculars, a camera, and a pen with paper…we were going on a bear hunt.

Perhaps Michael Rosen, the famed author of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” got into our heads?

The car was packed and I found myself more excited about this adventure than any other we’d gone in the past. Why? Because I, mommy here, actually had NO idea where on Westchester’s green earth we were going to find a bear. Yes, a fake one…although I wondered at times if we would have more luck finding a real one?  Anyways, off we went!

The sun shade was down and his binoculars were in full effect as we cruised towards Main Street. Never thought my child could be so silent on a car ride. Bless this bear hunt.

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by carved wooden bears, I had a premonition that we might have a sighting if we headed towards Hickory and Tweed. After all, biking plus skiing = wildlife! The door made its’ familiar jingle as we entered and I secretly prayed that our first bear sighting was going to be just around the corner, literally. FAIL.

“Hi, can I help you find something?” a nice saleswoman asked as Spencer knelt down to focus his binoculars on a piece of dirt.

“Um yea.  We’re actually looking for bears….,” I said.

Spencer looked up at me annoyed that I asked for help. He really wants to feel the hunt. I saw it in his eyes. That’s when the saleswoman and I locked eyes, she must have her own kids…she “got it”, and she “forgot” I asked for help as she motioned her eyeballs up the stairs (where they do rentals/ fittings).

“Momma, there’s no bears in here,” he said.

“Wait bud, let’s check upstairs!,” I replied.

Lo and behold, the carved wooden bear I was hoping to see. He stands tall. My son is beside himself. We document our first sighting with time and location, and snap his picture. I give the nice saleswoman a nudge as we walked out in pure elation and off we went to find our next “furry” friend.

This next one wasn’t so easy, BUT the powers of the universe have a funny way of showing us that they’re paying attention. Spencer NEEDED hot chocolate to carry on. He was just so exhausted and that was the only thing that could bring him the energy we needed to keep on trekking. Keeping in line with our animal hunt theme, we landed at The Beehive.  He opted for whipped cream and I took a pass.

Now, this time for real, no help here, we get back in the car, I do the loopty loop to get out of the parking lot, and I hear and feel violent jeers coming from the back of the car.

“BEAR, BEAR, BEAR, BEAR, BEAR, BEAR,” my son screams excitedly.

Holy crap. Kid scared the freaking hot chocolate out of me. But he wasn’t lying and he sure wasn’t seeing things. There he stood, our next beautiful sighting; perched nicely above the westward parking lot.  Anyone wondering how old a kid is before they’re capable of shedding joyful tears? Three. We jotted down the details from our second sighting, snapped his photo, and slowly regained normal heartbeats.

How were we ever going to top this?!!! I mean we went on a bear hunt and actually found a bear all by ourselves!

As I glanced into my rearview mirror, I saw the yawns coming. My hunting partner was starting to fade. It was 4 p.m. and if I let him fall asleep then, bedtime would be brutal. This is when you pull out your mommy tricks…

“Bud, we did so good today. I can’t believe we found TWO bears!  Ice cream time?” I ask.

He stays up. Our bear hunt ends with us sitting on a cow licking ice cream cones for the day. A few days later, we decided to go on another wildlife hunt. As luck would have it our town is a hotbed of other wildlife including the Armonk Eagle and the Guardian Lions sitting outside of David Chen.

Can you help us find more animals in Armonk? Pack up your kid and your car and go and get your hunt on!

Toward Remembering and Reflecting: The New Castle Holocaust Memorial

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Photos in this feature by Samantha Milewicz for the Inside Press

How Two Chappaqua Residents Committed to Holocaust Remembrance & Education Made It Happen

“When you listen to a witness, you become a witness.” –Elie Wiesel, founder of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

In 2012, Alexandra Rosenberg (Ali) was lucky enough to spend a night listening to Elie Wiesel speak at Barnard College, Columbia University. She remembered him saying two things that forever stuck with her. The first was, “As long as survivors are here, listen to them…”. And the second was, “Indifference is never an option.” She spent the next six years hearing survivors speak as often as she could and felt if survivors had the courage to share their stories it was her duty to be their audience.

Ali began to focus her efforts on making an impact on the community and the schools. She wanted to find a way to increase Holocaust education for the next generation so that they could feel empowered to prevent this from ever happening again.

All of this led to the creation of a committee for the town and an organization for the students: the town renews its awareness and the students can learn. Together, the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and the Horace Greeley High School student organization E.N.O.U.G.H.–Educate Now On Understanding Genocide and Hate will provide annual Holocaust and Human Rights programming to our community and our children.

In addition, Ali recommended the creation of a New Castle Holocaust Memorial which would stand in a visible area of our town where residents of all ages can reflect, remember and learn about the important lessons of the Holocaust.

Gaining a Town’s Support

Rosenberg approached Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein in April who threw his support behind her ideas. Aware of her friend Stacey Saiontz’s commitment to Holocaust education and remembrance, Ali approached Stacey to help her realize her vision for the community. Saiontz holds leadership roles at the Auschwitz Jewish Center, the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center. In October, Saiontz was honored with a National Leadership Award by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org, where she is a founding member of the Museum’s “Next Generation” board.

Photo courtesy of Alexandra Rosenberg

After introducing their combined experience and ideas, Rosenberg and Saiontz met with the Town Board and the Recreation and Parks Commission, and the idea for the New Castle Holocaust Memorial was approved.

Greenstein said, “This is one of the most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on over the last six years. It’s crucial that we remember the lessons of history and provide future generations with the tools to combat hate and bigotry.” Subsequently, Greenstein and the Town Board established the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee appointing Rosenberg and Saiontz as Co-Chairs and calling for applicants to apply for the eight Committee member positions and two student liaison positions for E.N.O.U.G.H..

The Daffodil Project

At Community Day on September 14th the students set up a table and introduced the club to the community. The students explained that the mission of E.N.O.U.G.H. is to empower students to stand up to hate and to develop a community of tolerance through education and the understanding of people’s differences.

The students also sold daffodil bulbs which were planted at the Memorial in October. The sale of the daffodil bulbs was part of a larger initiative–The Worldwide Daffodil Project (daffodilproject.net). The Worldwide Daffodil project’s purpose is to commemorate the lives of the children lost during the Holocaust. The goal is to plant 1.5 million daffodils across the world–one daffodil for every child killed during the Holocaust.

A few weeks before the dedication and opening ceremony, E.N.O.U.G.H student members coordinated a Community Planting Event. Students and residents, together with Saiontz and Rosenberg, planted 750 daffodil bulbs which will blossom in the spring when the community holds an annual event commemorating Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The Dedication and Opening Ceremony

Rosenberg explained that, “The Dedication and Opening Ceremony was purposely planned to coincide with Kristallnacht, “The Night of Broken Glass”, which symbolized the final shattering of the Jewish existence in Europe. And so, on November 6 , in cool temps on the lit green field outside our pretty Gazebo, a full array of dignitaries gathered, each to speak out against antisemitism and hate. They included President Bill Clinton, State Assemblyman David Buchwald, State Senator Peter Harckham, County Executive George Latimer and Town Supervisor Elect Ivy Pool. Former Westchester Legislature chairman Mike Kaplowitz, New Castle town board members Lisa Katz and newly elected board members Jeremy Saland and Jason Lichtenthal also attended.

Greenstein, Rosenberg and Saointz each spoke. I was graciously invited to speak as well on behalf of my father, Jacob Breitstein, who was a Survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau. As part of the ceremony a bench was dedicated in my Father’s loving memory. Rosenberg and Saiontz said: “It was a way to honor your father who so many have come to know through your affectionate writing about ‘Poppy’ and for all you do for New Castle and Holocaust awareness.”

Holocaust survivor Peter Somogyi offered the keynote address which conveyed the pain and horror he endured as a victim of Dr. Mengele’s cruel experiments. A candle lighting ceremony was led by survivors and also by students of E.N.O.U.G.H.

At the ceremony the Co-Presidents of E.N.O.U.G.H., Sam Rosenberg and Charlie Gordon, unveiled the memorial plaque. The inscription on the plaque says, “In memory of the six million Jews and millions of other victims who were persecuted and murdered simply because of who they were and what they believed. In honor of those who survived the Holocaust, and those who risked and gave their lives to save them. NEVER AGAIN.”

Matty Wasserman, a Junior at Horace Greeley High School and the winner of the Horace Greeley High School Quote Submission Contest, read the original quote that he wrote, now listed below the words NEVER AGAIN on the Memorial plaque. Wasserman’s quote reads: “Although no one can change the hate that occurred, to not acknowledge it and understand it would be forcing it upon our future.”

As part of the ceremony Rabbis, Cantors and Reverend from local synagogues and churches joined together in prayer and song. The materials for the memorial and bench as well as the landscaping were generously donated by Manzer’s Landscape Design & Development based in Peekskill. The memorial plaque was funded by an anonymous Chappaqua family.

“Our Residents are our Town’s Best Assets”

Right here in our town, these two extraordinary women, each with their own respective and immensely impressive histories of philanthropy, advocacy and Holocaust education, have ‘listened’ to and embodied the very spirit of the witnesses of whom Wiesel speaks. Together these women partnered with a mutual mission to honor survivors, and to ultimately fight antisemitism and all hate by keeping the lessons of the Holocaust alive for present and future generations.

In 2017, HBO created an 18-minute documentary, featuring a conversation between Saiontz’s grandfather and sons, specifically to educate students. Saiontz commented that the creation of the Memorial, the Committee and E.N.O.U.G.H. will now serve as a platform to educate the community and future generations about the lessons of the Holocaust and the importance of taking action. “The Holocaust did not start with the gas chambers and killing. It started with indifference to hate. We need to teach people to stand up to hate wherever it may fester.”

All of Rosenberg’s and Saiontz’s initiatives have been aimed at combatting the significant rise in hate that is permeating our world. Rosenberg said, ”The Holocaust is not only a Jewish story it is a HUMAN story and one that began with HATE. Over these last several years hate has crept back into our world’s, our children’s world’s and specifically our children’s schools. Hate crimes in schools have increased by 25% for the 2nd year in a row. Collectively, it is time that we all say E.N.O.U.G.H. of the reactionary response to hate. It is time to be proactive.”

Lessons from My Fitness Journey at Life Time: Part 1

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I like to think I’m a reasonably fit person. I exercise most days of the week. I run with my dog at least twice a week for three or so miles. I do Pilates weekly and I often go spinning or swimming at least once a week too. But lately I have felt like I am in a bit of a fitness rut. As I enter my mid-40s, my knees feel creakier and I am acutely aware that these are what I call the “make it or break it” fitness years. If I don’t up my fitness game now, I feel like I’ll pay for it later.

I exercise to relieve stress and yes keeping svelte and burning calories is a definite goal of mine but I know I should do more strength training to keep osteoporosis which runs in my family at bay. But I am at a loss of where to start. And that’s part of the reason why I asked Life Time if I could try out membership for three months to see if I could make any significant changes in 90 days and thankfully they obliged. We’ve all read those articles in women’s magazines with titles such as “Get Buff in 100 Days: Here’s How.” Luckily these 90 days happened to coincide with the holiday season when I am more apt to indulge and have my fitness plans fall by the wayside. This was just the kick in the butt I needed.

Although I just began my membership as we went to press, I like what I see so far. No let me rephrase that, I love what I see so far. Back in the day when I lived in London, I belonged to a very upscale gym. When you walked into the lobby, it felt like a hotel and they had services galore from spa massages, beauty treatments and an on-site nursery so parents could work out while their kids played. This has all of the above but on a more luxurious level. Dare I say that I would consider just coming to Life Time to hang out and write articles? It’s quiet, pristine and not crowded. Serenity now.

So here’s what I’ve learned so far in my first two weeks at Life Time. Stay tuned for part two of this series in our next edition.

1. Choose a gym with good energy.

Amy Williams, the PR Manager of Life Time tells me how “energy” is really our sixth sense. “It’s unbelievably important to have the right energy at the club- something you feel right when you walk in,” she explains. I can personally attest that this is true, from the lush greenery at the entrance, ultramodern lighting and front check in staff that seems more like a concierge at a hip hotel. They personally welcome me by name and no, this is not an editor perk. I see this with other guests too. I feel welcome here and when I leave they actually ask me if I had a good workout and they seem to genuinely care.

2. The little things count.

Life Time has a private nursing room right by the salon. I  ask corporate headquarters if all Life Time clubs have this. They note that many moms would use the lounge space inside the women’s dressing room but they wanted to accommodate those who wanted more privacy so now all new Life Time clubs will have it. This shows me that they listen to member feedback and as a former nursing mom who brought my infants to the gym a lot, I love this. Also being under five feet, I am thrilled to see that their studio where barre classes are held has ballet barres at different heights. I’ve been to too many barre classes where I can’t even reach the barre and my short stature feels like a hindrance. I also love how their locker room features lockers that are big enough for me to store my bulky winter coat. I feel like I can easily get ready, shower and change into business attire after a workout without a wrinkle in my clothing. Too many times, I’ve felt like the lockers at other gyms aren’t roomy enough. Plus, they even have make-up remover in the bathrooms–say goodbye to runny mascara after a tough sweat session.

3. A personalized approach to fitness goals is key.

As I begin my fitness journey, I participate in an onboarding session with Liz Rodriguez, the Member Onboarding Manager. This is an important step that all members at the club must do and helps us both delineate what my fitness goals are. During this one-hour session, we go over some important statistics and discuss my weight (104) body fat percentage (29%) skeletal muscle mass (39.7 lbs) as well as my ECW/TBW which stands for Ratio of Extracellular Water to Total Body Water, an important indicator of body water balance which indicates how hydrated I am and any inflammation in my body which is .373 (ideal is under .370).

The number that surprises me most though is my body fat percentage. Although I am in the average range according to the American Council on Exercise, 32% is obese, so I know I need to up my strength training workouts. Rodriguez suggests I try to lower my body fat percentage and increase my skeletal muscle mass and the best way for me to achieve this is through strength training. She suggests my workouts consist of 50% cardio and 50% strength training and reviews a sample week of classes that fit my schedule. I also need to incorporate yoga for flexibility.

I also undergo an active metabolic assessment. This is a scientifically accurate method of determining my specific heart rate zones and how my body burns carbohydrates and fats as fuel. This is going to make my workouts more efficient so if I use a heart rate monitor, I will know exactly what zones I should be in and for how long to burn fat and build muscle.

4. Nutrition is responsible for 90% of your overall fitness.

While Rodriguez says I have a balanced diet overall, if I really want to change my body fat percentage, I need to watch my diet more closely. She wants me to have protein with every meal and increase my fiber intake to 30-35g /daily. I guess I better start eating oatmeal every day. They also have nutrition coaching if your diet needs an overhaul or just tweaks to maximize athletic performance.

5. Use technology to your advantage.

Life Time has an amazing fitness app where I can access the schedule, preview videos of classes, check out different workouts if I am unsure of what to do at the gym, sign up for small group classes, book much needed massages and even order food from their café so I can grab it on my way out of the building. They are constantly adding new features to the app and it is very user-friendly even for a Luddite like me.

6. Knowledgeable and friendly staff members are a huge motivator.

As mentioned, it starts with the check-in staff but also the instructors for the classes are top notch and have many fitness certifications. They watch my form in group classes and gently correct it when need be. They also play great music which for me is key. If I don’t like the music during a class, I know I will slack off.

7. Don’t ignore the core.

As someone who has been doing Pilates ever since my youngest one was born, I love that this club offers everyone a 30-minute Pilates session. There’s a reason why elite athletes even football stars incorporate this into their fitness regimen. Their Pilates studio is beautiful and guaranteed to make you stronger.

8. Break out of your comfort zone.

I’ve tried yoga a lot. It hasn’t been a success but Rodriguez urges me to give it another try so I do with a flow class. The gym has yoga classes at various levels of difficulty so there’s something for everyone. Plus, they even offer heated yoga for those bitter cold days ahead.

9. Personal trainers are sometimes necessary.

Since I hadn’t had any real strength training in years, I know I needed guidance and I also wanted to be sure that my form was correct. Enter Nick Cerone, my guardian angel. He’s developed a plan doing full body exercises to help me burn fat and build skeletal muscle mass. Plus, he also does nutritional consulting so I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot with him as my personal trainer.

10. Don’t feel guilty about your workout.

As a mom of three young kids, I often feel bad when I’ve had to tote them with me to the gym. But at this location, they have a play maze, a kids movement studio, classes ranging from toddler yoga to STEAM enrichment. They take children ages 3 months and up. With fun offerings like this, I may even get a facial or blow out at the onsite LifeSpa while my kids happily play in the Kids Academy.

I can’t wait to see what the next few months will be like at Life Time. Stay tuned for part two in the spring edition to see if I am able to achieve my goals and what the staff hopes all members are able to–a healthy way of life.

Publisher’s Note: You can also learn more with a visit and tour!

https://www.lifetime.life/life-time-locations/ny-chappaqua.html

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