The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Happenings

Seven Byram Hills Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

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Seven Byram Hills High School seniors have been named National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists. Front Row (L-R): Nicole Tissot, Emma Lucchino and Elyse Kanner. Back Row (L-R): Alan Chang, Jonah Schwam, David McDaniels and Joshua Freedman.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BYRAM HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

The school year at Byram Hills High School started off with good news. Seven seniors at the high school were named semifinalists in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The students were Alan Chang, Joshua Freedman, Elyse Kanner, Emma Lucchino, David McDaniels, Jonah Schwam and Nicole Tissot.

“We are very proud of these students for this accomplishment,” Principal Christopher Walsh said. “It’s always great to have our students highlighted on a national level, and to have seven of our students ranked nationally speaks to the tremendous quality of education and support that we have here at Byram Hills.”

The Byram Hills students are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists, academically talented students who represent less than 1 percent of all high school seniors in the country and include the highest-scoring entrants from each state, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation said in a release.

They were chosen from more than 1.6 million high school juniors in about 22,000 schools across the country who took the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

More than 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to earn finalist standing, and about half of those will win a scholarship and the Merit Scholar title. The students are competing for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million, awards that will be announced in the spring and summer.

Enjoying ‘India Day’ at Chappaqua’s First Congregational Church

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PHOTOS BY GRACE BENNETT

The Indian community in Chappaqua came together in October at the First Congregational Church on Orchard Ridge Road to celebrate Diwali–the festival of lights.

One of the most popular festivals of India, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.” The attendees were welcomed by men, women and kids dressed in gorgeous traditional outfits.

Talented kids and adults came together for an hour long cultural event that showcased the diverse and colorful Indian culture followed by craft activities such as henna application and decorating traditional lamps. It was a lovely and lively event in which to celebrate diversity in Chappaqua! – Swati Bhargava

Puttin’ on the Dog Festival by Adopt-a-Dog Brings Out Dog Lovers in Droves

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PHOTOS BY HANNAH ROSENBERG

 
Petunia an English bulldog, in her tutu

Dog lovers were out in full force at the 31st annual Puttin’ On The Dog Festival that took place in Greenwich’s Roger Sherman Baldwin Park on Sunday, September 16th. The annual event was created by Adopt-a-Dog, a non-profit whose mission has been to save, socialize and secure loving homes for unwanted or abandoned dogs. The Armonk-based organization has been serving the tri-state area and beyond for more than three decades and their shelter is open seven days a week.

The fun-filled event had approximately 5,000 attendees and featured dog demonstrations, food trucks, vendors, competitions for dogs to enter and adoptable dogs. Originally the day was conceptualized to help match abandoned dogs with potential adoptive families but the day has grown into an event where people bring out their families, including their furry ones for fun and socializing with other dogs and their owners. The event yielded 20 applications for adoption and the organization was happy to report several matches were made as of press time.

Ellie Gottlieb with dog, Ozzy

Fun & Fitness at Jamie’s 5K Run for Love and the Annual Cider & Donut Festival

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PHOTO BY GARY MUI

Armonk residents of all ages gathered at Wampus Brook Park for the annual Jamie’s 5K Run for Love and the Cider and Donut Festival on September 23rd. The morning kicked off with the run, which had several toddlers racing in the Donut Dash. Older kids got to participate in the McIntosh Mile and runners ages 10 and up raced to the finish line in Jamie’s 5K Run for Love. The race was created in order to honor the memory of Jamie Love, a passionate runner and former member of the Byram Hills cross country and track & field team who died suddenly of a cardiac arrhythmia while attending the University of Vermont.

Every year friends from his former college participate in the race. Rafael Rodriguez from Bristol, CT was one of Love’s friends from college who studied engineering with him. “We were with him the week that he died. No one could believe it. He was like family to us and that’s why I run.” This year the race had 358 participants with some hailing from lower Westchester and others from as far away as Seattle.

After the race, festival attendees had plenty of activities to choose from. Slime making was a hit for the kids as well as the ever-popular train ride. Food trucks as well as fresh apple cider and donuts were enjoyed by many in attendance. Other activities included donut fishing, pie eating contests and listening to live music by Vinyl Countdown. The autumnal weather was the perfect setting for the fun-filled day.

“The Cider and Donut Festival has become a staple of the community,” commented Neal Schwartz, President of the Armonk Chamber of Commerce. Fresh apples and cider are an Armonk tradition, dating back to 1951, when Ed and Mary Schultz opened their renowned cider mill in town. In 1965, they added hot donuts, whose recipe has endured, even after their closing in 2002. Locals still hunger for those memories and get to relive them at the annual fall festival.

“The Armonk Chamber’s Cider and Donut Festival, which includes Jamie’s 5k Run for Love and the Byram Hills Pre-School Association Carnival, has grown to be a local favorite. We give our member businesses and local organizations a chance to interact with the community in a big way. It’s great to see so many families participating in both the races and all the activities. This is what small town living is all about,” noted Stacy Wilder, the Executive Director of the Armonk Chamber of Commerce.

Net proceeds from the event benefitted children’s programs at the North Castle Public Library, the Byram Hills Pre-School Association and the Armonk Chamber of Commerce.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY BURNS BROWN
PHOTO BY GARY MUI
Four-year old Reed Bond of Armonk
won the Donut Dash
PHOTO BY SAMUEL PFEFFER

Spotlight on Community Day 2018: A Yearly Tradition Courtesy of the Rotary Club Filled with Fun for All

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Greeley senior Andrew Kassin said the event was a great opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness for the Matthew Larson Foundation, as he and other students sold T-shirts and sweatshirts in remembrance of their classmate, Casey Taub.

The aroma of roasted hot dogs and cotton candy competed with the sounds of guitar strums and cheering children at the 2018 Community Day. The Rotary Club-sponsored event brought more than 70 organizations to the heart of Chappaqua. Kids sporting butterfly face paint and their parents interested in various local groups lined the train station parking lot. The September 15th  event served not only as a community gathering but also as a chance for organizations to network and fundraise.

“We are here to support the community of Chappaqua,” attendee and Chappaqua resident Dara Dubs said. “It is also great to see old and new friends and our kids love going on the rides.”

While groups including the Chappaqua School Foundation and Chappaqua First Responders return to Community Day each year, Tea Town, and the Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors were a few of several organizations who participated in the event for the first time. This year’s Community Day also featured new activities for children, including a pony ride and a scavenger hunt.

But not only did little kids take advantage of what the 2018 event had to offer, Greeley students also attended, performed and volunteered at Community Day. Executives from Greeley’s largest community service organization, S.H.A.R.E, distributed T-shirts for A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure, adding to the bracelets, pins and flying discs that various non-profits and local businesses also circulated.

(L-R): Barbara Klein, George Furman, Donald Roane, Peter Davidson PHOTO BY MADELINE ROSENBERG

Greeley senior Andrew Kassin said the event was a great opportunity to fundraise and raise awareness for the Matthew Larson Foundation, as he and other students sold T-shirts and sweatshirts in remembrance of their classmate, Casey Taub.

“Jonathan Taub’s message has been to keep Casey in everyone’s mind, to keep honoring him and to never forget him,” Kassin said. “Being here is a great way to carry that on.”

As community members of all ages enjoyed the activities that local groups sponsored, Rotary Club of Chappaqua president Eileen Gallagher said Community Day also serves as a natural way to bring attention to the Rotary Club itself.   

“We look forward to more and more people coming each year,” Gallagher said. “We really want people to know we are here for them.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAWN GREENBERG
(L-R): Sarah Platkin, Catherine Zhu, Jordan Rattner, volunteers from S.H.A.R.E.
PHOTO BY MADELINE ROSENBERG