North Castle’s favorite event of the year will be here soon! And that’s none other than the Armonk Outdoor Art Show which returns for its 61st year on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1, rain or shine. States its promoters: “This highly regarded annual show is ranked among the top fine art shows in the country and is proud to showcase work from 140 exceptional, juried artists from across the country and abroad.” Some 40 artists are expected, and the exhibitor works span 12 different mediums, including: oils/acrylics/watercolors, mixed media, printmaking/drawing/pastels, sculpture, photography/digital art, wearable art, and fine crafts. Expect children’s activities in a tent and a full range of complimentary hands-on projects, including a scavenger hunt, collages, clay, story time, and much more. For more information, visit armonkoutdoorartshow.org
Happenings
19th Annual ‘Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening’ to Take Place on September 23 at Ivanna Farms
19TH ANNUAL ‘FEED ME FRESH: AN EDIBLE EVENING’ CELEBRATES LOCAL CUISINE AND COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF MOUNT KISCO CHILD CARE CENTER’S MISSION
A Culinary Fundraiser at Ivanna Farms Promises an Unforgettable Evening, Honoring Notable Community Members and Benefiting MKCCC’s Scholarship Program
August 15, 2023 (Mount Kisco, NY) – Mount Kisco Child Care Center (MKCCC), a non-profit committed to providing equitable access to high-quality child care and early education to a diverse group of children, is thrilled to announce the 19th Annual “Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening” fundraiser, taking place on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, at 5:30 PM at the picturesque Ivanna Farms in Mount Kisco.
MKCCC, serving working families in Westchester since 1971, currently nurtures 145 children from 3 months to 11 years old in full-day care, before-school, after-school, and summer camp programs. At the heart of MKCCC’s award-winning curriculum lies the Feed Me Fresh program, a garden-to-table nutrition initiative that includes gardens outside of each classroom.
Inspired by MKCCC’s innovative curriculum of the same name, “Feed Me Fresh: An Edible Evening” is an event where top local restaurants come together to donate an evening of culinary excellence highlighting the importance of fresh, nutritious and delicious food for children and in support of families in need within the community. Their involvement has helped the event become a truly unique tasting experience as well as a critical fundraiser.
All proceeds from the evening will directly support the MKCCC’s scholarship fund, underlining our dedication to making high-quality child care accessible for all families in our community.
This year, MKCCC is privileged to honor its 2023 recipients, who have shown consistent, invaluable support:
- Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, our Foundation Partner
- Pamela Stone of The Benefit Shop Foundation, a Longtime Supporter
- Mimi Tesfaye of Mimi’s Coffee House, a Feed Me Fresh Supporter and Longtime Restaurant Participant
In addition, there will be a special remembrance of a great friend, Twink Wood, who contributed so much to MKCCC for more than 30 years.
The MKCCC invites you to join this celebration of local flavors, sustainability, and community. This promises to be an evening to remember – a testament to community spirit, philanthropy, and the transformative power of fresh food and education.
Tickets are now available for purchase at mkccc.org. Come enjoy a beautiful autumn evening, celebrating and supporting the mission and community of Mount Kisco.
About Mount Kisco Child Care Center:
Mount Kisco Child Care Center is a non-profit, accredited child care facility committed to providing equitable access to high-quality, affordable care to children in a safe, healthy environment through innovative and developmentally appropriate programming. Established in 1971, MKCCC serves working families, providing the highest quality early care and education, including our Feed Me Fresh garden-to-table nutritional program.
Chappaqua’s Summer Sale Beckons! July 27th – July 29th
By mid-summer in Chappaqua, things can begin to feel a little slow. Anticipation and excitement have subsided, and town residents are left searching for new activities to bring a change of pace to their daily routines.
Luckily, they need not look any further.
Chappaqua’s Summer Sale taking place townwide always seems to arrive at the perfect time, bringing life and action to the town!
From Thursday, July 27th through Saturday, July 29th, various local businesses will present their merchandize at never seen before prices, we are told. With over 20 merchants participating, there will be everything from clothing to jewelry to home goods — making this the perfect event for any shopper eager to take advantage of great discounts and one-of-a-kind items all while supporting local shops.
Some stores, including Desires by Mikolay, even offer special VIP preview days — this year on July 25 and 26: “This is a wonderful chance for insiders to shop early, getting the first chance at coveted items with record breaking pricing,” shares Tara Mikolay, co-founder and designer of Desires by Mikolay, who helps launch the event each year, together with many other favorite downtown shops and restaurants and eateries working in tandem with the local Chappaqua Millwood Chamber of Commerce and the Town of New Castle.
While browsing, residents can also enjoy food, music, and the general vibrancy of the atmosphere. Desires will serve a sweet treats dessert bar daily and complimentary gourmet hot dogs by the famous Chez Lenard https://chezlenard.com/ on the final day (amongst other dining options for everyone to enjoy); they will also be providing a DJ on Thursday to add to the good vibes.
With the town gathered, collectively enjoying the Summer Sidewalk Sale and all it has to offer, the event allows residents to socialize, connect, make the most of their summer, and, of course, shop!
“It’s a chance for the community to come together, support local businesses, and enjoy the Summer weather and incredible deals!” says Mikolay.
Annual HHREC Student Contest Held to Promote Genocide Awareness: 85 Original Projects Submitted
The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (HHREC) recently held their annual Genocide Awareness Student Contest in commemoration of April as Genocide Awareness and Prevention month. This event invited students to create an original project in visual arts, poetry, music, or other media of artistic expression that commemorates an aspect of a genocide which occurred in the 20th or 21st century.
HHREC received 85 student submissions from schools located in Westchester County, New York, from around the U.S., and from Canada. The schools that participated included: John Jay High School, Katonah-Lewisboro, New York; Byram Hills High School, Armonk, New York; and Woodlands Middle/High School, Greenburgh, New York from Westchester; Greenwich High School, Greenwich, Connecticut; Union County Vocational Technical High School, New Jersey; Rotolo Middle School in Batavia, Illinois; and South Kamloops Secondary School, British Columbia, Canada.
The Grades 7 & 8 First Place winners were: Lev Schlamann – Rotolo Middle School – Batavia, Illinois; Original Art, “In Memory of the Holodomor; Cailey Salzman – Rotolo Middle School – Batavia, Illinois; Original Art, “The Reflection” commemorating the Armenian Genocide; and Izzy Leslie – Rotolo Middle School – Batavia, Illinois; Original Art – “A Memorial for the Holodomor Genocide.”
The Grades 9 & 10 First Place winner was Renee Chin – Greenwich High School – Fairfield County, Connecticut; Original Digital Art – “Lost Identity” commemorating the Rwandan Genocide.
The Grades 11 & 12 First Place winners were: Elias McDonald – South Kamloops Secondary School – British Columbia, Canada; Original Art – “Never Seen (Again) commemorating the Indigenous People of Turtle Island; and Abigail Castellanos – Union County Vocational Technical High School, New Jersey; Original Art – “Roses of Reflection” commemorating homosexuals targeted during the Holocaust.
All projects were evaluated by the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center’s Education Department.
“It is extremely important for young people to learn about genocide, which has been perpetrated at least as long as humans have been recording history” said Millie Jasper, Executive Director at HHREC. She added “We believe this project provides students a unique opportunity to raise awareness about a genocide, and remember those who were lost as a result. All of the projects we received reflected originality, creativity, and authenticity. We were very pleased and honored to have local, regional, national, and international participation this year, and look forward to expanding this program to include even more next year.”
For more information, including a complete list of the winners in each category, visit the HHREC website at https://hhrecny.org/genocide-awareness/.
About The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center
The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center is a not-for-profit organization based in White Plains New York that serves Westchester, Fairfield, and neighboring counties. Their Mission is to enhance the teaching and learning of the lessons of the Holocaust and the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. We encourage students to speak up and act against all forms of bigotry and prejudice. Their work with students and teachers helps schools fulfill the New York State mandate that the Holocaust and other human rights abuses be included in their curriculum. Since 1994, they have brought the lessons of the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights crimes to more than 1500 teachers, and through them to thousands of middle and high school students. Through their volunteer Educators Program Committee, the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center gives teachers the unique opportunity to develop programs for themselves and others. These programs not only enrich teachers’ knowledge about the Holocaust and related issues, but they also provide the lens through which to view all other human rights violations. For more information call 914.696.0738 email info@hhrecny.org
News courtesy of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center
Open to Public Viewing on June 24 and July 7: What Happened to Jackson Avenue — A Story of Urban Renewal in 1960s Nyack
What Happened to Jackson Avenue: A Story of Urban Renewal in 1960s Nyack is a new documentary which captures the human impact of 124 predominantly Black families displaced from their homes, businesses and generations of accumulated wealth lost.
The first public screenings is Saturday June 24 at 8 p.m., and Friday, July 7 at 8 p.m. at the Nyack Center. Tickets are on sale, now. https://phoenixtheatreensembleorg.thundertix.com/events/213870
Per news direct here from the film’s producer Phoenix Theatre Ensemble in collaboration with Rivertown Films is a summary about the film and information about the gathering of artists and storytellers who have brought it to the screen:
“Urban renewal projects irrevocably changed the landscape of American cities and villages in the 1950s and 1960s. Although intended to stimulate economic and social ‘revitalization,’ many of these projects resulted in the destruction of entire communities.
Nyack has its own urban renewal story, now told in a new documentary through interviews with people who lived the experience. What Happened to Jackson Avenue offers real-life accounts of the human impact–deeply felt by the124 Nyack families, nearly 80% Black, who lost their homes, businesses and generations of accumulated wealth to ‘eminent domain.’
“This film is essential to an understanding of Nyack’s history, and provides an important case study of how even a small village was shaped by the broader forces driving urban renewal policies in the 1960s,” said Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, Former NY State senator. The first public screenings will be held at The Nyack Center, located on South Broadway and Depew Avenue, on Saturday, June 24 and Friday, July 7 at 8 pm.
Tickets are on sale now for $25 in advance and $35 at the door.
Panel discussions following the 60-minute screenings will give audiences opportunities to hear live from storytellers interviewed in the film, as well as the documentary creators. Nyack activist, artist and historian Bill Batson (also in the film) will moderate.
Nicole Hines, President, Nyack NAACP, will join the June 24 panel. Hines comments: “Fair housing and home ownership continue to be key issues for the NAACP and for everyone we represent. We hope this film will advance the discussion and motivate change.”
The documentary was produced by the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, a New York City-grown theater company now with a home and annual live arts Festival in Nyack. The public screenings in Nyack are presented in collaboration with the Rivertown Film Society.
“This is a powerful film, and a service to our community as it acknowledges and learns from its history,” commented Don Hammond, Mayor of Nyack
Inspiration for the documentary sprang from a comment made by Batson in the summer of 2019 as he in stood in the main parking lot at the center of the village.
”This was Jackson Avenue. Our family home once stood here,” said Batson.
That spark set a creative process in motion–two-years of research, interviews, photography and editing undertaken by young filmmakers Hakima Alem and Rudi Gohl.
“June 12 marked the 60th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights pioneer and NAACP leader Medgar Evers,” said Batson. “And with Juneteenth just days away, this an especially good time to reflect on the past, present and future of our own community. What Happened to Jackson Avenue challenges us to look back, and look ahead.”
ABOUT THE STORYTELLERS
Bill Batson is well known in the Nyack community as a leader, artist and historian. His grandmother’s family, the Avery’s, moved to Nyack in the late 1800s. They lived through, and spoke out against, urban renewal. His family home on Jackson Avenue was a casualty. Today, Batson is a columnist and featured contributor to Nyack News & Views, where his weekly Sketch Log chronicles the Nyack experience. Batson also manages the weekly Farmers Market for the Nyack Chamber of Commerce.
Faith Blount is a Nyack native who experienced urban renewal first-hand as a child. Her family lived with her grandparents in a house on Liberty street, with their dry cleaning business attached. While both their home and business were demolished during urban renewal, they received compensation for the residence only. Blount’s grandfather was a civil rights leader and founder of the NAACP chapter in Nyack. Blount is a teacher and a role model for young Black people wherever she goes.
Lonnie “Buster” Leonard is a Nyack native who grew up on Jackson Avenue in the 1950s. He experienced urban renewal as a teenager when he lost his home and saw his friends and community forced out. His family moved to High Avenue just before the demolition began. Their old home on Jackson Avenue was destroyed shortly thereafter.
Win Perry is a historian and architect who comes from a long line of Nyack locals. He currently resides in the house his family built in 1846. His grandson is the 12th generation of his family to live in Nyack. Perry worked for an architectural firm in Nyack during urban renewal and saw both sides of the process. Avid historian and past president of the local historical society, Perry currently serves as a member of the executive board. He was a member of the NAACP and has served as an educator on urban renewal and city planning.
Barbra Williams was born in Anniston, Alabama and moved to Nyack in the early 1960s just before urban renewal got under way. She was an avid member of the protests against the project. In 1965, she managed the campaign that won Heziekiah Easter a seat on the Village of Nyack Board of Trustees–the first Black person elected to public office in Rockland County. Williams was inducted into Rockland County’s Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2016 for her work in fighting discrimination against people of color and the disadvantaged. She describes herself as a storyteller, memory keeper and “ancestor in training.”
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Hakima Alem is an Ethiopian writer and film director. She moved to Nyack in 2018, and now resides in New York City. Alem graduated from Bard College in 2021. Her work centers on the lives of women of color, human rights and international adoption. She has worked on several documentary films and with multiple nonprofits. Before directing What Happened To Jackson Avenue, she was an assistant editor for the film Muicha, The Voice of Bossa Nova and created her own film titled Black at Bard 2020. Moving forward, Alem hopes to publish novels and continue creating and directing documentaries and other films.
Rudi Gohl is a filmmaker, documentarian and editor based in New York City. Since graduating from college in 2021, Gohl has worked extensively in New York, filming and editing music videos, short films, plays and documentaries. Offering a wide range of creative possibilities, the documentary format is of particular interest to Gohl. He has recently worked with the musical artist Chandrika Tandon, and multi-cultural artist Eljuri. He currently works as a junior assistant editor and post-production assistant for the award-winning documentary company Show of Force.
Faith Blount is a Nyack native who grew up in the midst of Nyack’s Urban Renewal Program. Her family lived with her grandparents, who owned a house on Liberty street that had their dry cleaning business attached. During Urban Renewal, they were compensated for their home as a residence only, not as a business. The Blounts moved to Orangeburg shortly after. Photo by Rudi Gohl
