The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Briarcliff Manor

Send Me A Sign

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Judging time. PHOTO BY DONNA MUELLER

The privilege of judging a community’s apple pies evokes a deep sense of responsibility! Over 30 were entered into the annual contest at the Pleasantville Farmer’s Market, a town treasure and foodie destination in the county. As one of 11 judges (I joined a good number with ‘real’ culinary experience), I ditched my feelings of inadequacy, drew all my still functioning senses into sharp focus, so that I too could weigh in on which pies stood out the most, both in terms of appearance, basic baking features, and the all-important, TASTE. More info on the winners in the picture captions but the whole community ‘won’ that day for sure, both the contestants and all who purchased and enjoyed apple pie slices for the fundraiser. I was grateful as well to Pleasantville Farmer’s Market Chairman Peter Rogovin for a private tour of the Market, prior to the contest, and look forward to sharing more of what I learned in a future edition.

Pleasantville Farmers Market #ApplePieContest Winners! Best Double Crust pie award to (on right) Jules Putterman from Millwood, NY. Best Single Crust (tart, crumb or crisp) award to Jessica Schlesinger from Norwalk Ct. Junior Chef award to Violet Coppola from Pleasantville! The Friends and Family (board members, interns, employees and their immediate family) pie award went to Eli Neilson-Papish, Pleasantville Farmers Market Intern, also from Pleasantville.  Inside Press Photo

A week earlier, I covered, for a second time, Pleasantville’s now annual ‘Block Party,’ a fun and festive occasion which brought the whole community together for a day of terrific entertainment, tasty treats, a car show, raffles, and more, ever more smiles, that is.

Speaking of smiles… as we headed into press, Briarcliff Manor was also busy planning to hold its first ever Portraits in the Park event by Ann Charles Photography–including a November 20th session in the brilliant fall backdrop near the Low Library, which promised a perfect solution for creating keeper holiday cards and momentos.

Meanwhile, with deadlines looming, I asked God to “Send me a Sign,” so that I could still carve out the time I needed to produce my issues. ‘She’ answered! Because what I got were also multiple ones from Irene Unger who produced the story and gathered pictures about Briarcliff’s eclectic, community bonding and healing collection of signs regularly shared by the Briarcliff Congregational Church and ‘The Sign Lady’ there, Joan Austin.

With PFM Chairman Peter Rogovin
PHOTO BY DONNA MUELLER

Our holiday spotlights this year is a strong nod to anyone struggling this holiday season and to the people who have your back. To that end, we have included in depth features on the Hoarce Greeley Scholarship Fund, 914Cares, Hope’s Door and even the battle to prevent Homelessness in Westchester–in some rare good news, that’s a battle the County, partnering with Westhab, says is being won. We are also grateful to the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester for their work, and have helped sponsor their support of our holiday editions, too.

Please note that we won’t be publishing print again until editions mailing in late February when we move to a quarterly schedule.

In the meantime, wishing you and yours a peaceful, love-filled holiday season.

A Briarcliff Manor first time event–Portraits in the Park–has added a session at Low Library on November 20.
ANNCHARLESPHOTO.COM/NOW-BOOKING
Peter Rogovin, PFM’s chairperson instructing 11 judges before the contest evaluating and tasting 31 pies began!  Inside Press Photo

From Spain to Briarcliff… and into your Living Spaces: How Terra Tile & Marble Beautifies Homes Throughout the Region

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Terra Tile and Marble had its humble beginnings in the town of Alcora, Spain, in the province of Castellon.  Castellon is the heart of ceramic art and tile in Spain where Manuel Gasch, founder of Terra Tile and Marble was born and raised. There he learned the tile trade and met many people who would later assist him in the tile industry. His family was always involved with tile production and the love of tile and marble runs deep in the roots of the Gasch family. 

Manuel came to the New York area in the mid-seventies as a young man, bringing his love of tile with him. It was the post-Franco era and Spanish tile factories were eager to expand to this new market. The U.S. home improvement market was happy to oblige.    

Manuel was soon representing more than a dozen manufacturers and travelling the U.S. selling to importers and distributors. Americans were changing their use of tile from just a few square feet on the bathroom floor to throughout the entire home. There was product demand. 

Establishing in Westchester

He opened a warehouse in Ossining in 1989 for the wholesale trade but soon discovered that there was a retail market here waiting to be served. Establishment of a larger warehouse and showroom soon followed in Briarcliff Manor, and in 2000, another showroom in Fishkill and a stone fabrication plant for countertops in Millwood. The business has grown to the point where Terra Tile is one of the largest sources of imported tile and marble in all of Westchester and Duchess Counties. 

The company caters to architects, builders, interior designers, and homeowners considering home improvement projects. These range from kitchens, home offices, bathrooms. and foyer upgrades to entire new home construction. Clients come direct to the showrooms and meet with a design consultant, or they can preview first the many products on the company website. Products are available from all over the world now–mainly Spain, Italy and American artisans. 

Manuel’s son, David Gasch, also joined the family tradition 25 years ago by working summers in Castellon tile factories in his teenage years and then at Terra Tile during the school year. Dave says he “always feels blessed” that his dad chose Briarcliff to be the location for their first store. He says it’s a great area filled with wonderful people who really care about their homes. Dave takes pleasure in knowing that his neighbors are also his customers. That sensibility is very much in line with the very strong community Terra Tile fosters and supports. 

Today, David is President of Terra Tile, succeeding his late father. From his experience of regularly attending tile trade shows in Italy, Spain and the US, he predicts that bold and bright colored tile is the new wave in home design. Perfect timing since Terra has just unveiled a new spring line “Fado” which exemplifies this trend–one you may wish to check out. 

On the fabrication front, Terra expects large format porcelain slab installations to be an exciting part of their future projects. With this in mind, Terra just acquired new state of the art machinery to make single piece, groutless shower wall installations as well as intricate fireplace and countertop designs an amazing reality for our clients. 

Proudly serving their local retail customers and over 175 tile and wholesale dealers, Terra Tile and Marble has an amazing selection of in-stock tile, marble, and accessories. For more information, visit TerraTileandMarble.com or call the store directly at (914) 923-4295.

Strong & Proud: The Incredible Briarcliff Manor Running Club

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Members of the Briarcliff Manor Running Club        Photo by Donna Mueller

Briarcliff Manor boasts a multitude of trails ideal for biking, hiking and running as well as a large population of residents who enjoy utilizing those trails. But sometimes people need a little motivation to get out there and run. That’s where the Briarcliff Manor Running Club (BMRC) comes in. Established in 2020, the club has become an incredible way for people to meet others, explore new trails and connect over a shared passion.

I recently spoke with Brian Harkins and Craig Motz, two of its coaches, about the club and some of its plans for the near future.

The BMRC was established in October 2020 when Harkins spoke with the Recreation Department about creating a running club for the community. “There’s so many trails, paths and resources, we thought it would be fun to open up a group to explore and take advantage of what’s right in our own backyard.” Along with Motz, two additional coaches, Maria Kucheryavaya and Davey Gibian jumped on board and the BMRC was born. “Craig had just moved to the area, as did Maria and Davey during the pandemic, and they were looking to connect with like-minded people with a passion for running and outdoor activities. We got together and started throwing ideas around of what the group would look like, and its grown from there.”

Grassroots Beginnings

What began with the initial sending of one community-wide email and having 10 runners show up the first day, has now turned into a list of 75 runners. It was an organic, grassroots process to building these relationships, including by word-of-mouth. Motz shares, “We send an email each week with a new running location. We want to keep it fresh. Doing the same loop over and over can be kind of mind-numbing and we want to keep doing new routes.”

The group has meet-ups twice per week–8:00 a.m. on Saturdays and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. They meet at various locations and average 3-6 mile runs. “We do everything from beginner to intermediate with options to shorten or lengthen your run as needed”, says Motz.

Both Harkins and Motz have some favorite trails in the area. “We take full advantage of the Rockefeller Preserve”, says Motz. “13 Bridges, Swan Lake, Buttermilk Hill–it’s beautiful.” The group also runs the North County Trail up to Millwood, Rockwood Hall, Old Croton Aqueduct and even the hilly roads throughout the village. All of the coaches live in the Briarcliff area and have found it to be a great place to set down roots. “The schools, parks and the outdoor activities attracted us”, says Motz, who lives in town with his wife and young son Miles. “The area has a lot to offer in terms of community and raising a family here–we’ve met some really great people and families through the running club.” Harkins, who’s lived in Briarcliff for seven years, wholeheartedly agrees.

Creating Connections

The creation of the BMRC has led to many new connections and opportunities for everyone involved. They’ve started participating in various races throughout the area including the Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon, Sleepy Hollow10K and The Leatherman’s Loop in Cross River and have also collaborated with the Croton and Rivertown clubs. “There are lots of people training for the NYC Marathon, as well as other races in the area and we’re here to help everyone. We are trying to connect everyone as well as promote local races and create new ones”, says Motz.

Harkins is planning some upcoming informational sessions as well. “We’re thinking of putting together some sessions on nutrition, training habits, sleep and recovery. We’d like to have a physical therapist come to provide information on stretching and exercises.”
There’s also talk of working with the Village to hopefully establish a 5K race this fall.

Harkins continues, “The initial thought for the club was that there were so many resources and so many great people running on their own but I’d hear people say, I wish could run more but need motivation. Getting a group together helps people be more accountable–even for myself.” The BMRC has even created a Couch to 5K program for runners of all abilities. “People from all walks of life joined and they all developed friendships–I was very happy to see all the people come together”, said Harkins. “Some joined the club from never having run at all.”

The BMRC and its coaches are happy to introduce residents to one another and to different parts of the area, including its amazing trails. As Harkins says, “People who have lived here for so long will say they never knew some of these trails existed.” Creating connections and keeping things fresh are two of the things the Briarcliff Manor Running Club does best.

For more information please visit the BMRC social media channels.

“A Beautiful Rose”

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Two Community Leaders Share ‘What you Need to Know’ about Briarcliff Manor

Steven Vescio

Briarcliff Manor is truly a wonderful community in which to live as well as visit. I spoke with Mayor Steven Vescio and Jim Domzalski, President of the Briarcliff Manor Chamber of Commerce, to find out what they believe makes Briarcliff Manor so special to both residents and visitors alike. 

What would you like our readers to know about the Village of Briarcliff Manor?

Steven Vescio: I’ve grown up here; it has special meaning for me. A lot of people stay or move away and then come back. It just has a small town feel, you can’t help but see people you know when you go downtown. I may stop by somewhere for 5-10 minutes but be there for 30! You just never know who you’ll run into. It’s a tight knit community made up of dedicated volunteers–so well-run and well-maintained. 

Briarcliff really feels like a good suburban space. There’s lots of trees and wooded areas, it’s very spacious. If you’re working in the city, you can come home, hear the birds; it’s very tranquil. We have a lot of green space. The village owns 600 acres of protected parkland, several trails, baseball, tennis, swimming, a big pavilion. It’s all the features you’d expect from suburban life. There’s always a park within a small distance. 

Jim Domzalski: Briarcliff Manor is a wonderful, picturesque, small town with something always going on. People are drawn here for so many reasons–the incredible schools, the amazing recreation facilities, parks and all-age programming, the wide variety of local businesses. There really is something for everyone! And because it’s a small town, don’t be surprised if after visiting local shops and businesses a few times, you’re welcomed by name!

One thing I’m always hearing people talk about are the bike and hiking trails close to the downtown area. It’s pretty great to be able to go for a ride and then grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee.

Jim Domzalski

What are some of your favorite spaces? Any hidden gems?

SV:  The trails are great hidden gems. I didn’t know about them until I became mayor. I went to the Pocantico Park trail–it was an unpolished gem that could use improvement, which they did, creating signage, parking, etc. Many of our trails are on the the Hiking Project App, where people can see different levels of difficulty before they go out on the trails.* I used the trails a lot during the pandemic to get out with my family. 

The village is working on a project to tie into the North County trail and downtown. There will be a trailway behind the soccer field near the library, creation of a new dog park and the trail will come behind Village Hall and the police station. There’s no train station in town so there’s a limited way to bring people in. We want people to take advantage of bike trails and maybe create a bike repair station–helping bring people back to downtown. 

JD:  I don’t know if this is a hidden gem anymore, but the Briarcliff Summer Concert Series is incredible. It really felt like the whole village turned out for both shows last year. This year, we’re planning an additional two shows, so get ready to rock Briarcliff!

Some other hidden gems would be “Battle of the Bags,” an annual adult cornhole tournament hosted by the Rec Department; the new Pickleball Courts at Chilmark Park; and a revitalized jewel, Scarborough Park–Briarcliff’s own slice of the Hudson River and BMEF (Briarcliff Manor Education Foundation) events, those are always a great time!

What resources are available for new residents?

SV: We have instituted a New Resident Packet, on the Village website (www.briarcliffmanor.gov). It gives people information on recreation programs, dog licenses, train info, etc. We help get people involved. Once they see what Briarcliff is all about, they fall in love with it and want to stay and get involved in volunteering on different committees. It’s great to see the public so engaged. 

JD:  A great place to start is online. Some of the local Facebook pages have a ton of great information and connection opportunities including Briarcliff Moms, Briarcliff Community and Briarcliff Schools. These are a few that come to mind right off the bat. 

In person, many programs available through the Rec Department are a fantastic way to meet fellow residents in the community. Also, the big annual events like Community Day, the Holiday Bonfire/Sing Along, Downtown Window Painting…so much of the village will be there for those. 

And finally, I’ve heard that so many people make their closest friends at the town pool. It’s definitely one of the biggest social hubs in Briarcliff for much of the year…and it’s beautiful!

Any other important info you’d like readers to know about the Village?

SV: Recreation events in the community are a great way for new families and long-term residents to meet each other. We have a cornhole tournament, bingo family game night with lots of new families attending. When pool season comes, it’s a great way to meet people.

JD: These might fall more under the category of fun-facts, but Walter Law founded the Village, hence the name of the downtown park, Law Memorial Park.  

On all the Briarcliff Manor Village signs you will see a beautiful rose. That’s because Law brought this “American Beauty Rose” from England and developed a more brightly colored one dubbed the “Briarcliff Rose.” He then sold these roses to upscale establishments in New York City. 

Please do revisit the Inside Press story by Anna Young about the Manor’s revitalized trails and hiking app. 

“We all Connect Together.” Briarcliff Manor Mom Stacey Winnick on the Beauty of Volunteering and Supporting Community

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Living sustainably and helping those in need means being able to live a better quality of life. This is what drives Stacey Winnick to keep doing good in her community and beyond. With a 30+ year career in the vintage clothing and antique industry, Stacey teaches her clients how to “Turn Your Clutter into Cash” while at the same time, showing them that reducing, donating, and selling items can be truly liberating. 

Our dream team. Nance Dickinson, Stacey Winnick, Merri Satran, Amy Diaz, Elaina Hon

A native of Edgemont, Stacey has called Briarcliff Manor home for the past 18 years. She lives here with her husband and two sons–one in college and the other a high school Junior. Living iand volunteering in Briarcliff Manor really gives Stacey a strong sense of community. 

“You go into town and everybody you see knows your name. I patronize almost every business in town and people will say, ‘Hi Stacey, how’s your son? Let me get your order.’ It’s really just a wonderful town and it’s small enough that you can really make a huge difference.” 

Stacey is very passionate about helping others in the community and beyond, as well as making connections. Living in a small town like Briarcliff Manor allows her to meet different groups of people she never may never have met otherwise. 

“People message me all the time, ‘I just got a house here and feel so lucky. Can you tell me about the town?’ I get to tell people about different services in town and connect them. You can connect with others if you want, you have to make the effort to connect and get yourself out of your comfort zone.”

Volunteering and making connections with and for others is of the utmost importance to Stacey. She mobilizes a 15-person team of volunteers whom she calls her Briarcliff Volunteer Dream Team and uses social media to connect with others, tell people what’s going on and how they can help. “I’m working, taking care of kids and house and I’m busy, but I know that my group of volunteers is making a difference. The volunteers are taking the time because we all connect together, it unites a lot of people.” As she says, she makes it easy for people to get involved. They can see what events are going on and join in helping where they can. “Everyone has their own interests, but you have to make the time to do something.”

We asked the community and we got lots of dresses and boy’s shirts donated. We partnered with Sarang7 dry cleaners and they cleaned 65 dresses for free. All the children were extremely happy with their new outfits !

Stacey has been volunteering with the Ossining Children’s Center (OCC) for 15 years and utilizes social media to get the word out on the families’ needs. “You have to think of all the channels to promote the drives on. The pandemic happened and we said, families need food.” People lined up at the OCC for meals and groceries and then it was expanded to include items like bikes, appliances, clothing and more. “We just couldn’t stop. A woman with a family to support called me. She was out of a job, and we had food for them the next day. It just sparked something in me.” The OCC receives food donations from various organizations including a weekly donation from Trader Joe’s in Larchmont and a monthly donation from the Upper Westchester Muslim Society in Pleasantville as well as various farm stands. It is very competitive to get food donations everywhere. 

Our volunteer Nancy Beard personally put together 80 Christmas bags filled with Christmas toys and candy. She worked with the kids on Zoom to create a Christmas bag!! It was roaring success. There is always something going on with our volunteer dream team.

In addition to the OCC, Stacey is also the Co-Chair of Briarcliff Sustainability. People contact her when they need to get rid of things and she connects the items to those in need. They host a ‘Stash the Trash’ event each April where the community comes out to bag trash throughout Briarcliff Manor. “You can’t imagine the things they find. You never know what’s going to pop up and we’re able to do it all through the volunteers.” And it’s never too early to start volunteering and teaching kids to do so. “My son started volunteering at 8 years old, he’s grown up with that. Both my sons’ hearts are with helping people; it’s the little things that make a huge difference.” 

Ben Jelinek, Briarcliff Manor HS Senior has dedicated two years of intense volunteering. He never said no. He started collecting donations, anything he could pick up from any where in the county. He once picked up an entire room full of baby equipment. He helps sort food or plays soccer kids. Ben can do anything. He has a heart of gold.

Through her main business as well as her Facebook group, Chappaqua Moms Sales, which she co-founded in 2013, Stacey helps people let go of their items as well as connect those items to others. She explains that condition counts, and you need to do your research on items to know what you’re selling. She’s fascinated with what people will buy but also stresses that people are throwing too much stuff away, which is not sustainable. There’s always a need for donations on other channels such as Buy Nothing sites. “My mom helped so many people, it really motivated me. People say, ‘how can you do this much?’ and I say, how can’t you? I feel like I’m a good organizer and motivator towards a common goal.” 

Stacey truly cares about the well-being of her community and believes that providing the resources and tools to help everyone around you can help us all live better, more sustainable lives.

For more information visit staceywinnick.com