The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

In the Know

Keeping Up with Corona

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When we first had our editorial meeting to plan the current issue, the coronavirus wasn’t even on our radar. The topic of spring break came up and our team was excited to tackle it from different perspectives–as parents of young children, soon-to-be empty nesters and college age kids.

Today as I write my column, 100,000 people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19. Active Facebook groups in our towns such as Armonk Parents and Chappaqua Moms are posting a host of questions… Should I cancel my spring break? Should I keep my child with asthma home from school? Where can I get Purell locally? What survivalist goods should I keep on hand? And the list goes on and on…

Just as the weather gets warmer, the last thing I want to be thinking about is how to protect my family from this. I want to be planning summer vacations. I want to be thinking about what concerts and sporting events I’ll attend in June. But we are all in a holding pattern it seems.

Working in the magazine world, one of the hardest things is keeping up with the news cycle. The news on this pandemic is changing rapidly and by the time you get this, schools may be closed (hopefully not), telecommuting may be the new normal and Purell will be sold on the black market.

This morning I listened to a BBC newscaster interview a therapist who was offering telemedicine sessions for patients quarantined. The mental anguish that this has placed on families quarantined (or not) is palpable. One parent said that while his house was stocked with canned and paper goods, the hardest part now was entertaining himself and his three little ones. They were out of ideas.

While reading this issue cover to cover admittedly shouldn’t take more than an hour, I hope you find it entertaining, a bit distracting and chock full of stories that are at the heart of your community. And if spring break is in your cards, take this magazine on the plane, the beach or by the pool. I promise there has to be at least something in here that will make you smile – whether it be sheep shearing events, student athletes giving it their all or neighbors sharing why they love living in Chappaqua.

Happy and safe spring,

 

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

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I’ve been thinking about Mrs. Dobrowski a lot as I work on this issue of the magazine. A widow, she lived across the street from us at my childhood home in Queens. On sunny days, she’d sit on the porch in her housedress reading the newspaper. On cloudy days, she watched TV. If I peered out through my window, I could make out the glare of the TV, bunny ear antennae perched on top. She would feed the neighborhood stray cats too and leave out a bowl of milk for them.

Later as I became a latchkey kid when my mom returned to work, my mom asked her to keep an eye out for me to make sure I was safely inside after school. She did. I could see her looking out her window as she took this duty very seriously. In return, my dad helped her shovel her walkway when it snowed or other simple home maintenance problems. In essence, she was a good neighbor and we looked out for each other. Mrs. Dobrowski walked that delicate balance of being friendly and helpful without ever being intrusive or nosy.

A central focus of this issue was what makes your neighborhood special? Our talented writer Christine Pasqueralle interviewed several families from various sections of town and the bottom line is that our neighborhoods are special because of the people who live in them who foster a sense of community. We plan on continuing this in future issues so be on the lookout for it and perhaps you’ll spot a neighbor or two.

Several area residents are also profiled in this issue. From the residents lovingly planting beautiful native gardens to increase pollination in our community to volunteers spending countless hours accompanying their therapy dogs to help out senior citizens or stressed out students, I’d be thrilled to have any of these residents as neighbors. And don’t forget to check out the story about the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund, a true community effort that assists Greeley students in paying for college. As a recipient of the scholarship said, “I thought college wasn’t even an option for me. (The fund) really gave me more than money–they gave me hope.” That’s the true essence of neighbors helping neighbors.

Warmly,

P.S. I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to local nonprofit (914) Cares for organizing the inaugural Westchester Poverty Symposium held last month that I attended. The half-day symposium put a spotlight on poverty in Westchester County and explored strategies and partnerships to disrupt the cycle of poverty that exists throughout. Again, another prime example of neighbors helping neighbors.

10 Reasons Why Winter in Westchester Isn’t So Bad

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I have a sister who lives in LA. She’s a native New Yorker like me and she couldn’t be happier there. When we FaceTime on the phone she usually announces gleefully what the weather is there as she sees me all bundled up in my wool turtleneck sweater. “Well it’s 18 degrees here,” I reply. And then we discuss other things but without fail in every conversation, the weather comes up. I often wonder if I’d be happier on the West Coast and for now the answer is a resounding no. I like the change in seasons. There’s a certain beauty in a Hudson Valley winter (at least in the beginning before the umpteenth snow day). So here without further ado are ten reasons why winter in Westchester isn’t so bad.

1.Glistening snow – when that first snowfall happens before the snowplows come, it truly is a sight to see.

2.Building snowmen, making snow angels and snowball fights – if dressed appropriately, this is a lot of fun. I will admit that my kids have way more stamina for this than me. After a while I want to go back inside.

3.Baking – something about this weather makes me just love to bake. Especially on snow days.

4.Winter clothes – I know this may sound odd but I like my winter wardrobe so much more than my summer clothes. Wool, velvet, cashmere, shearling lined booties. Oh and I can’t forget pom pom hats.

5.Winter sports – I am one of those rare specimens who grew up in the Northeast and has never skied or tried snowboarding. But I have snowshoed (less chance of injury) and taking in the beauty of the season while outdoors is a special treat.

6.Holiday lights – I love it when folks deck their homes in holiday splendor. There are some pretty creative folks around here.

7.Snow days – The first few snow days I absolutely love. Now I realize this is a true luxury for me because I work from home and don’t have to worry about childcare or commuting in treacherous conditions but going back to sleep after the robocall and wearing PJs all day has its appeal.

8.The scent of winter – As a recreational runner with my dog, I’ll bundle myself up (and the dog too in his jacket) and run in weather as low as 25 degrees. It’s invigorating running outside, seeing my warm breath meet the cold air and taking in the scent of folks burning wood in their fireplaces. That’s New England personified to me.

9. Hot chocolate, hot toddies, hot soup – I like all of these. Need I say more?

10.Knowing that this too shall pass – This was my grandma’s favorite saying. The glistening snow, the icicles on the branches – they are all ephemeral. Spring is on its way before you know it.

Wishing you and your families a winter and holiday season filled with warmth and fun memories.

Gratitude for Our Homes

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I have a confession to make. I didn’t want to live in this town. I had my heart set on a town in southern Westchester. My priority was walkability of a town; at the time I wasn’t driving so I envisioned walking everywhere. It seemed like the perfect transition to the suburbs from the city as the main street was dotted with cute restaurants and boutiques.

We looked and looked for months and nothing was fitting the bill. We saw a ton of fixer-uppers that were charming but with two young kids the idea of putting sweat equity into a home wasn’t appealing to us. My husband who grew up in the suburbs of Miami came to the conclusion that we needed more property too. He craved more land and privacy.

Luckily one of his colleagues mentioned Chappaqua and on our first trip there up the Taconic we stopped at a gas station with a large convenience store so I could properly fuel up with caffeine before going to see a dozen houses that day. My first impression was “Wow, this kind of reminds me of the Catskills. I don’t know if I can do this.” After all, I grew up in Queens and had lived in the city for ten years.

We must have looked at 60 homes in this town throughout a six-month period and my husband and I could not agree on any of them. Some seemed too large. Others seemed too isolated. I didn’t want to have to scream to my neighbors with a megaphone. But then we found it in the nick of time.

We had decided that last weekend in April on our home search that if we didn’t find a home, we’d put a deposit down for my son for another year of nursery school in the city and stick it out–four people in a cramped two-bedroom apartment.

The minute we saw it, we both knew it was “the one.” It had great natural light, wide spacious rooms. I envisioned the kids running around the large backyard and could picture them growing up there. The large dining room abutted the kitchen and was large enough for my whole family to have holiday dinners. The staircase would one day make a perfect backdrop for prom pictures. We made an offer that afternoon.

This fall, it has been eight years here and I love it. Sure, there have been ups and downs and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it took adjustment- from learning how to drive again to figuring out what the heck an HVAC company is. Home ownership requires maintenance and sometimes we are on our game and other times we’ve let things fall by the way side like our doorbell which hasn’t worked for almost a year. I’m embarrassed to admit it but we’ve been relying on our dog to tell us if someone is at the door.

As the holiday season is right around the corner, I’m reminded of a saying whose author is unknown: “A house is made with walls and beams. A home is made with love and dreams.” As you read articles on holiday recipes and get inspiration for your Thanksgiving table settings, I hope your house is filled with warmth and all your dreams get fulfilled.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Loving Learning (Chappaqua)

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By the time this magazine reaches you if you have kids in the school system, you’ll probably know their teachers, classmates and bus schedule for fall. My biggest wish for my kids at school this year besides an easier bedtime routine is that their teachers inspire them for a lifetime of loving learning. We all know that learning doesn’t stop with a diploma from our highly rated high schools or a prestigious graduate program. As Albert Einstein once said “once you stop learning, you start dying.”  And I agree wholeheartedly so be sure to check out the article on  Chappaqua’s Continuing Education Program and find a class that suits your interest. There’s truly something for everyone.

One of the best parts of my job is that I feel like I am constantly learning by reading articles submitted by our talented cadre of writers or by interviewing sources, there is always something new out there happening in our town.

I had the privilege of interviewing Jamie Petrone who is living with transverse myelopathy, a spinal cord injury and see first hand how robotics are helping her to walk again at the Burke Neurological Institute to coincide with September, Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. I also was humbled to reacquaint myself with the four young students in the district who grace our cover and have created innovative programs to honor their friend Scarlett Chwatko, who passed away from brain cancer this spring. After all, learning isn’t strictly about academics. It is also about kindness too and how our actions can help others in need.

Speaking of kindness, turn the page to read about the FoodieBus which also morphs into the the HELP (Healing, Educating, Liberating People) Bus through a partnership with Feeding Westchester, an organization with the mission of ending hunger in Westchester County.

May you enjoy the rest of summer and all of the bounty that fall brings,

P.S. I just had to share this Draw for Paws photo of my dog, Arlo created by a talented sixth grader at Bell, Jake Sheehy. Check out the Draws for Paws article on page 30.