The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Happenings

The Great Holiday Train Show is BACK!

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It’s all aboard for the New Castle Historical Society’s The Great Holiday Train Show! Back for its third year of what is now becoming a New Castle family tradition, show dates are running from November 18 2023, to January 17 2024. Experience the joy of the Holiday in the historic Horace Greeley House, decorated for the season. New additions to the show are a LEGO Harry Potter Village with all you would expect from Hogwarts and … a never before seen, custom made, Holiday Tree Train – six feet tall with six running trains on six levels!


The New Castle Historical Society Holiday Gift Shop will again be stocked with special gifts for the Trainiac in your life, young and old. Don’t miss The Great Holiday Train Show! For shopping info, dates and tickets, please visit newcastlehs.org

A Visitor’s Appreciation of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show

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The Armonk Art Show had a fascinating and thought-provoking selection of artwork featured October 1st. The show is known to be one of the best and most popular art events in the country where a myriad of styles of art are showcased and presented by various hand-picked artists, most, award winning.

After the first day was cancelled on account of rain, art enthusiasts arrived en masse for a single (and beautiful, sunny) day to appreciate the considerable diversity of artists from across the country – and even the world – and to enjoy the work of talented local artists right here in Westchester. With activities for area families to enjoy, and many local sponsors and volunteers to meet and greet, including Friends of the North Castle Public Library, the show has become a must do for the community, especially.

If I may offer a personal note: of the many artworks presented, the oil paintings drew my attention the most. Oil paintings are known to be classically beautiful, and that’s exactly what they were–intriguing and stunning to look at!

Whatever your favorite art, I’m certain the show is a source of pride to North Castle residents, just like me.

“I Will Survive”… at Dueling Pianos at Club Fit

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I took a brief break from producing magazines to stop by the much anticipated and very popular Dueling Pianos, the live music and comedy event on October 13 at Club Fit in Briarcliff. After picking out a dinner at the buffet, I joined a lovely group of women who filled me in on the ‘how to’ protocol for the event. Fun!  I put in my song request, “I Will Survive”. The song was the first to get the crowd dancing! Thank you, Gloria Gaynor! It was a great event in which to mingle and make a new friend or two! I look forward to coming back to Dueling Pianos next year.

– Grace Bennett

Fundraiser for a New Scooter for Street Artist Michael Bailey

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On October 14, supporters of street artist Michael Bailey gathered to enjoy a delicious lunch and meet Michael (aka ‘Zebra’) at Tesoro D’Italia in Pleasantville. Michael paints prints of sports figures and sells them outside of Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The event was helped to (successfully!) raise money for a new scooter for Michael, who is disabled. Each donation of $25 was earmarked toward its purchase. At the same time, those gathered enjoyed an afternoon of good food and good company. Original paintings by Michael were also available for viewing and/or for purchase. The event was supported by Roslyn Costabile, Dr. J. Loren Russell, Jeff Gilbert and John Sabaljia, and the many Rotary Clubs under the guidance of Rev. Dr. J. Loren Russell.

Byram Hills and King School Student Honors

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Five Byram Hills High School Seniors Are National Merit Semifinalists

L-R: Samara Brown, Aaron Lestz, Daniel Ndocaj, Alexander Woodworth and Yicheng Yang

Five Byram Hills High School seniors have been chosen as semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship competition.

The students are Samara Brown, Aaron Lestz, Daniel Ndocaj, Alexander Woodworth and Yicheng Yang. They can compete for 7,140 scholarships worth nearly $28 million.

More than 1.3 million high school juniors entered the scholarship competition last year by taking the Preliminary SAT, which serves as an initial screening. The Byram Hills students are among more than 16,000 semifinalists, academically talented students who represent less than 1% of high school seniors nationwide.

School leaders congratulated the semifinalists and wished them luck in the scholarship contest.

“We are so proud of the achievements of our outstanding National Merit semifinalists,” Principal Christopher Walsh said. “It is terrific to see their hard work and dedication recognized.”

Guidance Chairperson Kristina Wilson added: “Their achievement is not just a reflection of individual excellence but also a reflection of the outstanding education they have received from our dedicated teachers, staff, and the support of their families. We are immensely proud of these students and cannot wait to see the incredible contributions they will make to our community and the world beyond.”

To become a finalist, students must submit a detailed application that includes information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, work, honors and awards. They must be recommended by a high school official, write an essay and achieve SAT or ACT scores that confirm their PSAT performance. The finalists will be announced in February.

About 95% of semifinalists are expected to become finalists, and about half of the finalists will win a scholarship and the Merit Scholar title. Merit scholars are chosen for their skills, accomplishments and potential to succeed in a rigorous college program.

The winners will be announced in the spring and summer.

Three Byram Hills High School Student Musicians Earn Prestigious All-State Honors

L-R: Aaron Lestz, Valentina Marino, and
Morgan Hecht

Three seniors from Byram Hills High School have received prestigious All-State honors from the New York State School Music Association, selected from thousands of students who auditioned in the spring at music festivals throughout the state.

Trombonist Aaron Lestz was selected for the All-State Symphonic Band and will perform at the NYSSMA All-State Conference in Rochester, New York, this fall. Alto Morgan Hecht and Valentina Marino, a soprano, were selected as alternates for the All-State Mixed Chorus.

The All-State NYSSMA performances will be held on Dec. 3 at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre of the University of Rochester.

Photo and Text of Above Stories courtesy of the Byram Hills Central School District

King School’s Jack Zipper Named National Merit Semifinalist

The National Merit Scholarship Program announced in September that Jack Zipper of Armonk was named a semifinalist for its 69th annual competition. According to the announcement, being named a semifinalist puts Zipper, a student at King School in Stamford, in a pool of less than 1% of high school seniors. Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test as an initial screen of program entrants.

“I am so proud of Jack,” said Director of College Counseling Jessica Landis. “Based upon his outstanding academic and co-curricular achievements, he will be a strong contender for the finalist stage.” Next, Zipper must meet several requirements, including submitting a detailed application, writing an essay, maintaining an outstanding academic record, and contributing to the community.

The nonprofit said only 7,140 scholarships will be given next spring.

Photo and Text courtesy of King Street School