The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

From the Editor

The View from Inside

by

Illeana Baquero

The first time I had the privilege of working with Inside Armonk was during the summer of 2022, when Grace Bennett graciously took me on as an intern which helped me gain some insight into the real world of journalism as I pitched story ideas, conducted interviews, wrote various articles, and had my first professional stories published. Having grown up in Bedford and graduated from Byram Hills High School in 2021, I had always seen the magazine come in and eagerly looked through it with my parents. That made me even more excited to contribute and see my name published in it. When Grace asked me to come on board as a guest editor for this spring edition, I was thrilled! While I knew it would be a challenge given my busy schedule as a sophomore at NYU studying Journalism and Politics, I knew it was also an experience I could not pass up.

The process of putting this magazine together has been stressful at times, but also incredibly rewarding. The creative freedom to think of story ideas, assign those ideas to our brilliant team of writers, contribute my own pieces, and work closely with Grace to bring everything together over the past few months has been a joy.

As we head into spring, my goal for this edition was to elicit the themes of hope and rebirth we find throughout this season. From our spotlight on the Byram Hills High School theatre department as it blooms back in the wake of the pandemic, to tips for planning your spring planting in order to create the most beautiful garden, to highlights of three local hiking destinations and the beautiful scenery that accompanies each, to personal reflections on Westchester life and developing a “green thumb,” each piece in this magazine was carefully selected and written with the Inside community in mind.

The experience of being ‘editor’ gave me a bird’s eye view of magazine work and I’m that much more excited about a future career in journalism. I am so proud of everything we have put together, and so grateful for this opportunity.

My hope for this season is that you all enjoy reading this edition as much as I enjoyed working on it!

– Illeana

A Challenge and a Gift

by

Hi! I am Abigail Glickman and am very proud to be the editor of the September/October issue of Inside Armonk that you are holding! I hope you enjoy every page. I am a junior at Franklin and Marshall College majoring in English with a minor in Psychology. I aspire to be a journalist one day. This opportunity gave me a huge insight on what goes on in the real world, opposed to just my small college’s bubble. Currently, I am an editor for my college newspaper. I run the satire column, which is very different from traditional magazine articles, so this type of work really felt new to me. But I loved every second of it! I came up with many article ideas and assembled a small, but great team of writers to tackle the topics Grace and I talked about. I assigned each article to the writer who I thought would best bring it to light and I believe I used everyone’s strengths to create their best work! Through my summer internship, I had the chance to explore my creativity while also writing articles for a different audience than what I am used to. 

When I first met with the founder of the magazine, over coffee at Tazza’s Cafe in Armonk Square,  I wasn’t expecting to be given the task of assigning and editing so many pieces, so to say I was ecstatic would be an understatement. Being given a chance to take charge of what I thought would fit best with the magazine was a challenge and a gift wrapped into one. My favorite article was probably interviewing the kids I babysit because I thought their reactions to each question were adorable! Immediately when I said the word “crush”, both blushed and grinned cheek to cheek. And, I hope when they are older, they can look back on their answers and treasure their innocence. I can’t wait to see if Ari will really have a tie-dye dress! 

Through this internship, I got a glimpse of the hard work and imagination that is required to produce a local publication that people will want to read. It was so energizing to think in a new scope. And working with Grace Bennett was even better; I could not think of a better boss! So, I hope everyone enjoys this edition as much as I enjoyed being the editor!   — Abigail

Post Election

by

Andrew Vitelli
Andrew Vitelli

For our last edition of 2016, Inside Armonk spotlights some of what makes the community great, while also looking back at the past and towards the future.

At the Byram Hills School District, technology is changing the way children learn and interact with the world. We take a look at some of the upgrades taking place in the district. In our last issue, we spotlighted the North Castle Historical Society and explored the town’s history and the people who preserve it. We return to that theme this issue, with a profile of 93-year-old George Pouder and his fight on behalf of two Civil War veterans buried in Armonk.

History, of course, was made last month with the election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Our area, as the hometown of Hillary Clinton, played a special role in that historic race, and our photographer, Chad Kraus, was with Clinton on the final days of the election. His photo is on the cover, while others are featured inside the magazine.

When this magazine planned the cover we, like most in the media, expected that the woman pictured would be the president-elect when this magazine went to press. Even after Hillary’s loss, however, we are excited to have these photos in our pages and we hope readers, even those burnt out from election coverage, will appreciate them.

All news is local, and a presidential election is of course no different. The day after Trump’s win, we spoke to a handful of local residents about the results to see how the election impacted our neighbors. Reactions ranged from disappointment and fear to cautious optimism.

This issue will also highlight the local live music scene, with features on Armonk House and Chappaqua Station. We spotlight several local businesses, and feature Armonk resident Marian Hamilton, who launched the Ken Hamilton Caregivers Center a decade ago. Finally, the issue ends with a column on dealing with post-election anxiety, though we acknowledge many readers may be feeling very different emotions.

We wish all our readers a happy holiday season and a great 2017.

In Gratitude

by

Andrew Vitelli
Andrew Vitelli

By Andrew Vitelli

For our November edition of Inside Armonk, we have stories on history, politics, art, altruism, and some looks back at the last two months.

As Americans, the first thing that comes to many of our minds when we think of November is elections. With this year being a presidential election year (and an unusual one at that), it’s likely a lot of readers will have more than a little election fatigue by the time you’ve picked up this magazine. But even for those who have watched, heard, and read more than they can stand on the presidential election, the races closer to home often get overlooked. For this issue, we’ve spotlighted the race for Armonk’s representative in the New York State Senate, profiling both candidates and allowing readers to compare where they stand.

Election season is also a great time to look back at the country’s history and at the role our town played.

I’ve highlighted the work of the North Castle Historical Society whose members make sure this history isn’t lost for future generations. We have also included a preview of an upcoming tour of one of Armonk’s historic cemeteries, located next to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and the resting place of many Civil War veterans, for those who want to delve deeper into the history.

Our cover story last issue previewed the Armonk Outdoor Art Show. For this edition, we look back at that weekend, along with coverage of other art shows in the area. We also feature pictures from the Donuts and Cider Festival held in September.

For our Q&A, ‘meet’ Stacy Wilder, the director of communications for the Armonk Chamber of Commerce. Stacy tells readers how the hamlet has evolved in the 22 years she has lived in Armonk, and what the chamber has done in order to keep up.

We also highlight a charity event held this September in a spin studio, where cyclists took a “Spin for a Cure” with funds going towards the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

Finally, our November issue profiles Westchester County Airport, an often overlooked asset for the town and the region. We look at how the airport fits into North Castle and Westchester County, why travelers prefer the airport to some of the larger airports in the area, and how Westchester County Airport became what it is today.

A Local Perspective

by

Andrew Vitelli
Andrew Vitelli

As readers of the Inside Press know, summer marks the longest break between issues of both Inside Armonk and Inside Chappaqua, making this our first issue since June.

The theme of the issue is “fun,” and most of our stories go along with this theme. The cover story is on the Armonk Outdoor Art Show, describing how a village of art will arise in the hamlet later this September.

We also feature a preview of the Cider and Donuts Festival, another exciting local event to which we can look forward. For nature lovers, we have a feature on where Armonk residents can go to see the leaves change colors, and we’ll also take a look back at some of the fun Armonk had in the summer that just passed, including the Summer Concert Series.

Along with these event previews and look backs, we give readers a look at the North Castle Public Library, a dynamic institution of which every Armonk resident should take advantage. And we feature Armonk Dance, one of the many local businesses that make the hamlet unique.

Don’t forget to visit this year’s Cider & Donut Festival, sponsored by the Armonk Chamber of Commerce.
Don’t forget to visit this year’s Cider & Donut Festival, sponsored by the Armonk Chamber of Commerce.

Finally, I take a look at how a housing settlement signed between the county and the federal government is impacting North Castle as well as neighboring New Castle. Admittedly, this doesn’t really go along with the whole “fun” theme for the issue.

As both a reporter in and resident of Westchester, I’ve covered and followed the county’s battles over the housing settlement for years. After learning this spring that North Castle faced the threat of litigation under the settlement, I began thinking about how I could tell the story of the settlement from a local perspective.

It’s impossible to tell the full story of the settlement in one magazine article–it would probably be impossible to tell it in a book. My hope for this article is that it will give readers a look beyond some of the slogans coming from those for or against the settlement and a sense of what the settlement has meant for them and their neighbors.