The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Armonk

Building Awareness for Armonk for Autism 5K

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Inside Press Publisher Grace Bennett with the Tateos supporting Armonk for Autism

I was having a stressful morning. No further elaboration needed, but stepping into the Tateo household, the sheer warmth and welcome I felt made that all instantly dissolve. I had arrived for the cover photo shoot with Cathy Pinsky who was assigned to capture the amazing family behind North Castle’s annual Armonk for Autism 5k with photos to accompany Ella Ilan’s article. For the last couple years, I’d noticed signs all over town alerting residents to the walk. We finally decided to delve a little deeper in time for April which is World Autism Month–finding out that the walk was Morgan’s sister Reese’s idea and that she spearheaded it only made this family’s efforts that much more poignant. Kudos to the Tateos for building greater awareness and for fostering community too. In the meantime, spring is in full swing. We have a couple unique ‘Happenings’ suggestions and ‘so much more’ in these pages. We are also hard at work on May and June editions. As usual, we welcome your ideas and your support, too. Write to grace@insidepress.com

Bear Hunting in the ‘Burbs with My Son

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One of the bears sighted during our hunt
PHOTO BY Jennifer Drubin Clark

We were bored. REAL bored. “We” being my 3-year-old son and myself. The school day was over, our stomachs were full, the weather was crummy, and we had just about exhausted every activity within our house AND the tri-town area (Armonk, Chappaqua and Bedford as we refer to them). It was then, with fierce intent, the idea-heavens rained down upon us. Before we knew it, we were packing up bags of snacks, clothes and shoes suitable for any terrain, binoculars, a camera, and a pen with paper…we were going on a bear hunt.

Perhaps Michael Rosen, the famed author of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” got into our heads?

The car was packed and I found myself more excited about this adventure than any other we’d gone in the past. Why? Because I, mommy here, actually had NO idea where on Westchester’s green earth we were going to find a bear. Yes, a fake one…although I wondered at times if we would have more luck finding a real one?  Anyways, off we went!

The sun shade was down and his binoculars were in full effect as we cruised towards Main Street. Never thought my child could be so silent on a car ride. Bless this bear hunt.

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by carved wooden bears, I had a premonition that we might have a sighting if we headed towards Hickory and Tweed. After all, biking plus skiing = wildlife! The door made its’ familiar jingle as we entered and I secretly prayed that our first bear sighting was going to be just around the corner, literally. FAIL.

“Hi, can I help you find something?” a nice saleswoman asked as Spencer knelt down to focus his binoculars on a piece of dirt.

“Um yea.  We’re actually looking for bears….,” I said.

Spencer looked up at me annoyed that I asked for help. He really wants to feel the hunt. I saw it in his eyes. That’s when the saleswoman and I locked eyes, she must have her own kids…she “got it”, and she “forgot” I asked for help as she motioned her eyeballs up the stairs (where they do rentals/ fittings).

“Momma, there’s no bears in here,” he said.

“Wait bud, let’s check upstairs!,” I replied.

Lo and behold, the carved wooden bear I was hoping to see. He stands tall. My son is beside himself. We document our first sighting with time and location, and snap his picture. I give the nice saleswoman a nudge as we walked out in pure elation and off we went to find our next “furry” friend.

This next one wasn’t so easy, BUT the powers of the universe have a funny way of showing us that they’re paying attention. Spencer NEEDED hot chocolate to carry on. He was just so exhausted and that was the only thing that could bring him the energy we needed to keep on trekking. Keeping in line with our animal hunt theme, we landed at The Beehive.  He opted for whipped cream and I took a pass.

Now, this time for real, no help here, we get back in the car, I do the loopty loop to get out of the parking lot, and I hear and feel violent jeers coming from the back of the car.

“BEAR, BEAR, BEAR, BEAR, BEAR, BEAR,” my son screams excitedly.

Holy crap. Kid scared the freaking hot chocolate out of me. But he wasn’t lying and he sure wasn’t seeing things. There he stood, our next beautiful sighting; perched nicely above the westward parking lot.  Anyone wondering how old a kid is before they’re capable of shedding joyful tears? Three. We jotted down the details from our second sighting, snapped his photo, and slowly regained normal heartbeats.

How were we ever going to top this?!!! I mean we went on a bear hunt and actually found a bear all by ourselves!

As I glanced into my rearview mirror, I saw the yawns coming. My hunting partner was starting to fade. It was 4 p.m. and if I let him fall asleep then, bedtime would be brutal. This is when you pull out your mommy tricks…

“Bud, we did so good today. I can’t believe we found TWO bears!  Ice cream time?” I ask.

He stays up. Our bear hunt ends with us sitting on a cow licking ice cream cones for the day. A few days later, we decided to go on another wildlife hunt. As luck would have it our town is a hotbed of other wildlife including the Armonk Eagle and the Guardian Lions sitting outside of David Chen.

Can you help us find more animals in Armonk? Pack up your kid and your car and go and get your hunt on!

Loving the Lake and So Much More About Windmill Farm

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The Windmill Farm section of Armonk has much to offer including unspoiled natural beauty, winding roads and wildlife. Windmill Farm, originally known as Windmill Manor, was the sprawling estate of Dr. Charles Paterno. His son Carlo developed the land into a residential community in the 1940’s. The neighborhood features the Windmill Club, historic windmills and a breathtaking landscape.

The Benerofe family has called Windmill Farm home for nine years. Jenni is a chef and owner of The Balaboosta Chef, offering private and group cooking classes, Jory is Vice President of Creative Strategy for Vineyard Vines, daughter Noa is 12 and son Levin is 10. One of the reasons the family moved to Armonk was to be close to family. “We were also attracted to the small town vibe, top-notch schools, larger plots of land and the built-in, lakeside social life that living in Windmill Farm allows,” says Jenni. 

Access to the Windmill Club has given the Benerofes opportunities to form lasting friendships with many neighbors. Jenni says, “Our entire family has made such special memories as well as lifelong friendships during summers spent at the lake at the Windmill Club.” The Windmill Club offers amenities such as lake swimming, tennis, basketball and a newly-renovated clubhouse. The Benerofes take advantage of the neighborhood’s outdoor spaces as well. “Living in a neighborhood where we can be physically active outdoors is really important to us. You’ll find us running through the streets of our neighborhood and taking our kids on hikes along the trails in Westmoreland Sanctuary,” says Jenni.

Windmill Farm neighbors love to socialize but especially come together in times of need. In addition to the many pot luck dinners, BBQ’s, holiday parties and more, neighbors are there for one another. As Jenni says, “I’m proud to live in a community that is infinitely helpful and compassionate in times of crisis. Our neighborhood always comes through with meal trains, carpools and donations when needed.” The family also participates in and donates services to the Stayin’ Alive 5K Fun Run, held each spring at the Windmill Club, raising grant money for the First Responders of Northern Westchester. Adding up everything the area has to offer Jenni states, “All of these things make living in Armonk so special!”

Banksville: A Quiet Hamlet Bordering Armonk, Bedford and Greenwich

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Banksville is a hamlet in the town of North Castle. Known as the Eastern District of North Castle, it lies on the Bedford side of Armonk and also borders backcountry Greenwich, CT. The hamlet was named for Samuel Banks, a farmer who settled there in 1695 and is buried in Middle Patent Rural Cemetery in Bedford.

Living in Banksville affords its residents the best of many towns including Bedford, Armonk and Greenwich. One family that calls Banksville home is the Katz family. Sara and Lewis both work in financial services and have three children – Natalie, age 10, Mercer, age 9 and Miles, age 6. The Katz family moved to Banksville from New York City in the summer of 2010. They figured if they were going to leave the city, they definitely wanted to move somewhere with lots of land and more space.

They soon found what they were looking for in Banksville. As Sara says, “We loved the land, the homes have a lot of property and our house sits on a preserve.” The family loves the country feel and natural beauty the neighborhood offers residents. Since there is so much open green space, there are more chances for the neighborhood kids to get together and play, whether it be bike-riding, soccer, football and more.

Living further from the Armonk town center gives Banksville residents the chance to frequent not only Armonk’s downtown, but also those of Bedford and Greenwich. This allows for more diverse interactions and the chance to meet a variety of people from different areas. Some favorite spots for the Katz family include Happiness Is, a fine foods market, The Study Fine Wines & Spirits, Greens Nails and Banksville Pizza, all situated along North Street, the small commercial hub of the hamlet.

The Katz family enjoys spending a lot of time outdoors around Banksville, whether it be going for a jog into backcountry Greenwich or playing at Memorial Park in Bedford Hills. The Banksville community is one that enjoys its natural surroundings as well as each other’s company. As Sara says, “Everyone is lovely and giving – people are always willing to carpool or watch each other’s kids.” A true testament to the neighborhood.

10 Years of Fabulous Frosty Fun

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Save the Date: Dec 1 for the Annual Parade

December 1 is the 10th Anniversary of Frosty Day! This year to celebrate there will be 40 different activities downtown starting at noon including three ride-on trains, automated Arctic animal rides, the Bubble Bus, six bands and of course everyone’s favorite Frosty the Snowman plus Santa. A parade with decorated vehicles, costumed characters and marching bands kicks off at 4:00 pm culminating with a lighting ceremony at Wampus Park at 4:30 pm. The parade is organized by Friends of Frosty, Inc., a non-profit organization in charge of planning one of the most anticipated days for family fun in Armonk.

New this year is a set of illustrations by Corinne Malvern for Frosty the Snowman, consisting of 27 illustrations plus the illustrated title page for the Golden Book edition of that beloved story from 1950/1951. The book was issued to follow up to the huge Gene Autry hit Christmas song of the same title in December 1950. The illustrations are all in color and are in excellent condition and will be displayed in the windows of Framings on Main Street in Armonk.

A display at the North Castle Public Library titled “Armonk 1950’s & Frosty the Snowman” from November 10th through December 14th will have Frosty memorabilia, artifacts and pictures of Armonk life in the 1950’s.