The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Happenings

At Hudson Valley Construction Career Day, High School Students Learned New Skills and Gained Understanding about Careers in the Trades

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SUFFERN, N.Y. (April 4, 2023) – High school students from across the Hudson Valley met with trade-industry experts to participate in skills-building activities and learn about careers in the trades at the annual Hudson Valley Construction Career Day on March 31. More than 700 students filled the Rockland Community College Fieldhouse in Suffern to explore diverse careers in the construction and building trades, and learn about the financial and educational advantages of apprenticeship training. Representatives from the unions and private-sector companies engaged the students in demonstrations such as welding, carpentry and soldering.


Raven Astudillo, 17, a junior at Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, receives pointers in laying concrete block from instructor Chris Brozowski of Bricklayers Local 1 at the 23rd annual Hudson Valley Construction Career Day in Rockland County. Photo by George Drapeau

Hosted by the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. (CIC) and the Building Contractors Association of Westchester & Mid-Hudson, Inc. (BCA), Construction Career Day is designed to reinvigorate the industry’s labor force with young talent. The event marks the organizations’ 23rd year of supporting tomorrow’s workforce.

“The demand for skilled labor is increasing, and we’re seeing infrastructure investments at the state and federal levels, so there is clearly a need for these critical skills,” said Matthew Pepe, executive director of the BCA. “Apprenticeships offer young people the opportunity to learn and earn as they prepare for good-paying jobs right in their communities. We’re proud to be a part of this important effort to enhance our workforce, invest in our communities and strengthen our overall economy.”

Registered apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades provide participants with a high-quality and nationally recognized credential that certifies occupational proficiency in the construction industry. Programs follow a “learn-while-you-earn” model, as participants earn wages that are graduated upward as the apprentice accumulates greater skills and experience on the job.

Kyhiem Massaquoi, 15, a sophomore at Mount Vernon High School in Yonkers, tries out the self-rescue tripod and harness, actual equipment used in Laborers Local 60’s confined space training class offered at its apprenticeship training center in Brewster, N.Y. Some 700 students attended the 23rd annual Hudson Valley Construction Career Day in Rockland County March 31. Photo by George Drapeau

‘Blue collar to new collar’

Mary Jane Bertram, Hudson Valley regional director for the Workforce Development Institute, talked about the importance of investing in technical training and new technology skills, and going from “blue collar to new collar”.

“Providing our youth with a variety of options to good-paying, family sustaining wages is an important mission and one that we are happy to assist with,” Bertram said. “These are careers that are local careers that provide a way for people to raise a family, buy a house and to retire – it is a beautiful thing to have those benefits that continue for a lifetime.”

A number of local, state and federal representatives attended the event and talked about the importance of the trades as a career option for students who aren’t necessarily college-bound.

“This is about the American dream. I cannot believe the amount of people who are here today, trying to be a part of that,” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. “It’s been about 18 years since I’ve been coming here, as a county legislator and as the county executive. What I feel most satisfied about, going back all those years, is that I know a number of these young people who now have good-paying jobs, are raising families and have their own homes. This is a path to move forward and have a good life.”

Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne said: “There are so many different opportunities for our young people to pursue in New York, in Putnam County and the Hudson Valley. And, those opportunities aren’t just out of higher education, but through apprenticeship programs and through our friends in the labor community. You have an opportunity to not only learn from groups like this, but to work with them and stay in New York, stay in the Hudson Valley.”

Also attending were Donna Chiapperino, district representative for U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler; Victoria Cafarelli, representative for Assemblymember Dana Levenberg; and Westchester County Legislators James Nolan and David Tubiolo.

For information about apprenticeship programs, visit https://cicbca.org/resources/. For information about CIC and BCA, visit www.cicnys.org.

About CIC and BCA

The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. is a professional trade organization, representing more than 600 contractors, suppliers, consultants and other professionals who service the construction and building industries. CIC is the leading voice for transportation construction and environmental infrastructure, as well as utilities and commercial development in the mid-Hudson region of New York State.

The Building Contractors Association of Westchester & Mid-Hudson, Inc. provides fast, reliable information to members on virtually every subject related to building construction. Its primary mission is to improve conditions by negotiating labor agreements with local trades; lobbying local, state and federal governments to secure capital spending and beneficial laws; dispersing information about public and private bid lettings and awards; educating industry members on the latest requirements of laws, rules and regulations affecting daily operations; and providing networking opportunities for members.

News courtesy of The Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley and The Building Contractors Association of Westchester & Mid-Hudson, Inc.

Friends Arrive for a Book Signing for Stacey Ross Cohen’s Brand Up: The Ultimate Playbook for College and Career Success in the Digital World

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Stacey and her husband, Bruce, at a book signing for her new book Brand Up: , on Saturday, April 1, at Scattered Bookstore in Chappaqua

Stacey Ross Cohen, head of Co-Communications and mom of two young adults, has poured decades of branding knowledge and experience into a book geared to teens in high school and college. She is confident, this ‘ultimate playbook’ can shape, bolster, and ensure futures near and far!

I started to browse through my now autographed copy of Brand Up: The Ultimate Playbook for College and Career Success in the Digital World (Publisher: Post Hill Press; Distribution: Simon & Schuster) and it is indeed teeming with concrete strategies and tools for gaining an edge in college admissions and career success. And P.S., any adult seeking personal branding knowledge would be wise to pick up a copy, too. The book is available at Scattered Books in Chappaqua and at major retailers.

At Saturday’s book signing at Scattered Books, following a warm reception from her (always adoring!) husband Bruce and dear friends coming and going on a drizzly morning, Stacey expressed her excitement over the book’s many possibilities including being translated into multiple languages. I have full confidence in Stacey’s plans and vision.

I’m also speaking from personal experience – and will let you in on a little secret – without Stacey Cohen’s vote of confidence and mentorship (back in 2002!), I honestly don’t know if I would have launched a first edition of Inside Chappaqua. She listened ever so carefully to my vision, offered her winning combination of breadth of knowledge, warmth, confidence building–plus directly hooked me up with others ‘you should really talk to’, which I did. After that, my go cart turned into a bullet train.  It was ‘women empowering women’ in action and at its best, and she has been cheering me on ever since. I’ll be cheering her on now too.

(L-R): Catherine Cioffi, Michelle Gregson, Stacey Ross Cohen and Jeanne Muchnick               Photo by Randi Childs
With Stacey Ross Cohen, from left: Linda Tyler, Grace Bennett and Dr. Ann Marie Evanko           Photo by Randi Childs

 

Greeley Boys Swim & Dive Team Wins State Championship Title Second Year in a Row

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Chappaqua, NY – On March 4, 2023, Horace Greeley High School’s Boys Swim & Dive Team earned the State Championship title at the 61st annual NYS Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Boys Swimming & Diving Championships held at Ithaca College. This is the second year in a row that the team has won the title. They are the first sports team in Greeley’s history to win back to back state titles. With a final score of 247 points, Greeley won the meet by 50 points over the second-place competitor.

Greeley also won the divisional and sectional titles for 2023. NYSPHSAA is made up of public high schools divided into 11 sections, as well as the NYS Catholic High School Athletic Association, and the NYC Public School Athletic League. Greeley competed as part of Section 1, comprised of teams from Dutchess, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties. In total, 433 athletes from teams throughout NY State competed at the meet.

Four Seniors and six Juniors of the 35-member Horace Greeley Swim & Dive team represented the team at the two-day championship meet by achieving qualifying time standards throughout its regular season of eight dual meets, divisionals, and sectionals. All ten members of the team qualified for finals in the meet. This was a true team effort, with all team members contributing points to the final score.

The 400 free relay team (Hudson Chung, Erik Nadecki, Oliver Engel, and Connor McHugh) swam a 3:05.53 and came in 1st place, achieving a school, section, and state record and qualified for automatic All American status (top 100 times for the year). In addition, the team’s 200 medley relay (O. Engel, Nadecki, Jack Moran, and Trey Schlomann) came in 4th, and the 200 free relay (Lawrence Gulotta, Jamie Lynch, Schlomann, and McHugh) came in 8th.

Other top 20 finishers include:

Hudson Chung: 12th in the 200 free and 19th in the 100 fly

Jack Cornish: 9th in the 500 free

Eric Engel: 18th in the 200 free

Oliver Engel: 13th in the 200 IM and 7th in the 100 back

Connor McHugh: 7th in the 50 free and 6th in the 100 free

Erik Nadecki: 3rd in the 200 IM and 2nd in the 100 breast (All American consideration in both events)

In addition, McHugh was honored for Sportsmanship for Section 1, Chung and Lynch were named as Scholar Athletes, and Chung and Moran were elected as Captains for the Section 1 team.

To learn more about Greeley Sports Boosters, visit https://greeleysportsboosters.org/. To learn more about NYSPHSAA, visit https://nysphsaa.org/sports/mswim.

News courtesy of Greeley Sports Boosters. To learn more about Section 1 Swimming, visit http://www.section1swim.com/

INSIDE PRESS SPRING PICKS: Five Local Events to Check Out

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Sunday March 12 – Sunday June 25:

Miniature Worlds: Joseph Cornell, Ray Johnson, Yayoi 

“The exhibit explores the friendships between Joseph Cornell and two pioneering artists–Ray Johnson and Yayoi Kusama–and brings their works together for the first time. By delving into the visual conversations, deep resonances, and shared sensibilities that emerged from these two relationships, the exhibition offers a rare snapshot of the role social networks and sociality play in the process of artmaking.” katonahmuseum.org

Text & Image courtesy of Katonah Museum of Art

 
Saturday March 18:

Sugaring-Off Party at the Trailside Nature Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

“Enjoy winter’s sweet rewards at this annual celebration that offers food, music and sugaring demonstrations all day; free.” parks.westchestergov.com/sugaring-at-westchester-county-parks

Text courtesy of Westchester County Parks. Image courtesy of Trailside Nature Museum

 
Friday March 24, 6:30 pm – 8 pm: One Night Only:

Charles Addams: The Artist, The Addams Family, and more with Kevin Miserocchi at the Rye Arts Center

“Kevin Miserocchi, Trustee of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, has an exclusive, personal, revealing treasury of stories to tell about both the creative and personal life of one of the most iconic artists in cartooning, pop culture, and the American art catalog. Hear Kevin spill the tea on Addams’ life from his early days as a featured cartoonist in syndicated newspapers and The New Yorker to decades of television, film, and now Netflix fame. So, what was the message Charles Addams was sending through Gomez and Morticia? And what was it like on the Black Carpet at the Netflix “Wednesday” premier in Hollywood? Come find out.”

There is a $5 fee for admission. Registration is required. ryeartscenter.org

Text and image courtesy of Rye Arts Center

Saturday April 15 – Sunday April 16:

Flower Show: Celebrate Spring! at Lyndhurst

“The Flower Show returns on April 15tth and 16th, 2023 to celebrate Lyndhurst’s spring season with a weekend-long expression of floral design and all things botanical! The mansion is transformed into a wonderland of color, texture, and fragrance as each floral designer handcrafts a display to highlight and harmonize with the opulent interiors of the historic mansion. Visitors take advantage of this rare opportunity to experience the Lyndhurst mansion awash with flowers and to walk through the home without a guided tour.

Tickets for this weekend are for general admission with timed entry. You may enter the mansion within the one-hour time frame of your chosen time slot. Your ticket includes admission to our Welcome Center tent where our local botanical market, free workshops, and food by Geordanes of Irvington are located.”

lyndhurst.org

Text and image courtesy of Lyndhurst Mansion

Saturday April 22:

Green Ossining’s 13th Annual Earth Day Festival

“In our 13th year,  the Festival will continue running from 10 a.m. -5 p.m., on the beautiful banks of the Hudson River. As we honor the 53rd  anniversary of Earth Day, we remain keenly aware of the great challenges affecting our natural environment, our planet, and life as we know it.  Educational opportunities will include renewable energy solutions, local resilience and the importance of supporting our local economy as well as the organizations that will help toward that, using and wasting less, being more resourceful, and being a more conscious consumer, among other things.” greenossining.org

Text and image courtesy of Green Ossining

Invite to Celebrate Buttonhook Forest during Earth Month

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AN EVENING OF ENTERTAINMENT to honor and appreciate Earth’s wonders in this precious and irreplaceable watershed woodland wildlife habitat.

All proceeds will support the preservation of Buttonhook Forest in Chappaqua, NY and its recently discovered sacred Native American Ceremonial Stone Complex.

Tuesday eve, April 25, 2023

Chappaqua Performing Arts Center

Hosted by Friends of Buttonhook Forest Inc.

For sponsorship and ticket information please visit

preservebuttonhook.org