Briarcliff Manor

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

June 1, 2022 by Adrianna Cmiel-Walsh

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.

“A Beautiful Rose”

April 8, 2022 by Christine Pasqueralle

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

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.

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

April 8, 2022 by Christine Pasqueralle

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

Spring Spotlights & To Dos in Briarcliff Manor

February 24, 2022 by Christine Pasqueralle

Photo Courtesy of Briarcliff Manor Department of Parks and Recreation

Briarcliff Manor is an idyllic village with much to offer its community. With its mix of charming shops, great restaurants and plenty of bucolic outdoor spaces, there are so many things to explore throughout the village. And spring is the perfect time to take in some special events, hike or bike on a trail, or just bask in a sunshine-filled park and relax for a bit.

Nestled along the scenic Hudson River and at just under six square miles of land, Briarcliff Manor is a wonderful place to raise a family or just visit for the day. The 2020 census put its population at 7,569 and it is situated within the Town of Ossining and the Town of Mount Pleasant. Briarcliff Manor was incorporated as a village in 1902 and it maintains over 172 acres of active and passive parkland.

Easter Egg Hunt Photo by Police Officer Gregory Campus for the Briarcliff Manor Police Department

Discover ‘Famed’ Tree Streets

Some neighborhoods of note in Briarcliff Manor include Scarborough, Chilmark and the famed “tree streets” such as Elm Road, Oak Road and Satinwood Lane–which is an ideal neighborhood for families to trick-or-treat on Halloween. Briarcliff Manor’s Crossroads neighborhood is a development of streets named after local World War II veterans including Schrade Road and Dunn Lane.

This Spring, come see what Briarcliff Manor has to offer! Whether you’re a longtime resident, new to the neighborhood or just visiting, there are many things to explore within the village.

Get Up To Speed On Real Estate Trends

The Briarcliff Manor Chamber of Commerce is planning a real estate event tentatively scheduled for late February at The Briarcliff Manor. Board member Hillary Landau will be moderating a panel of local realtors about trends in the general Westchester area as well as what makes Briarcliff Manor stand out. It will cover what realtors think buyers would like to see in a local community as well as what businesses they’d like to have in their community.

Spring Cleaning Opp

Now is the perfect time to gather up all that unwanted paper and take it to be shredded. The Westchester County Mobile Shredder will be at 10 Buckout Road on Saturday, March 12 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Your space and your mind will feel a lot lighter.

Make Your Voice Count

Make sure your voice is heard – don’t forget to come out and vote at the Annual Village Election. It takes place on Monday, March 14 from 6 a.m.-9 p.m.at the William J. Vescio Community Center at 1 Library Road.

Briarcliff Manor Public Library Photo courtesy of Briarcliff Manor Library

April 9th Egg Hunt

Gather the kids and and come down to Law Memorial Park for the annual Spring Egg Hunt (weather permitting). This event is always a lot of fun and in addition to the hunt there will be jelly bean and chocolate egg guessing contests, a children’s entertainer and even a visit from the village’s mascot Briar Bear–who comes out of hibernation especially for this event.

Summer Concerts Kickoff In May

Briarcliff Manor is a wonderful place to listen to live music. In late May, the Recreation Advisory Committee will sponsor a concert at Law Memorial Park to kickoff the “unofficial” start of the summer season. Further down the road, the Chamber of Commerce will partner with the village on its popular Summer Concert Series scheduled for Thursdays in July at Law Memorial Park.

In Addition…

• Dreaming of those summer days? Memorial Day weekend marks the opening of the Village pool, currently scheduled for Sunday, May 29.

• Time to get out and move! Want to find the best trails for just that? Download the Hiking Project App which features many of Briarcliff Manor’s and other local trails including the Kate Kennard Trail, Pocantico Lake Trail and the Richard Wishing Park Walking Path. Briarcliff Manor has so many park spaces for a wide variety of activities including basketball, playgrounds, baseball and soccer fields, fishing and so much more. One of the village’s newest additions are the Pickleball Courts at Chilmark Park.

• Also in early May, the outdoor clay tennis court season opens–there are three clay courts at Law Memorial Park in addition to a year-round all-weather court.

The Village has a ton of great shops for whatever’s on your wish list. In May, the Chamber will present the Spring Sidewall Stroll, a tag sale along Pleasantville Road incorporating as many businesses as possible. Businesses not located along the road will have tables set up to converse with the community. Also planned for the event are live bands and food trucks.

Jim Domzalski, the Chamber’s President, speaks of the closeness of the community as a whole, as well as the importance of these community events. “There’s something about walking down that main street that is so charming and familiar. What makes us unique is that small town feel. It’s such a wonderful and friendly place. We all want to be able to get together and do it safely.”

So why not take a stroll through town, grab a coffee and treat and head to Law Memorial Park to sit and relax with a good book. Did I mention the Briarcliff Manor Public Library is located right there?

Join A Book Club

The library features many programs for its patrons–including a variety of book clubs on offer, which are currently being held over Zoom. There’s also an online class on Ancient Egypt for seniors being offered through Westchester Community College taking place late February through early March.

The ‘Human Library’

On April 30, the library will host the ‘Human Library.’ This is a learning platform that uses library terminology to match “books,” or those who have experienced prejudice, with “readers,” those who want to learn more. Each reader “checks out” a book for a 30-minute conversation and the idea is to help “un-judge” people.

Human Library is a Copenhagen-based organization that hosts programs on a global level and has received local support here through the Library Board, the Friends, staff and patrons.

The library’s Director Donna Pesce says, “This library is a place that brings the residents such joy. They love to visit, to browse and discover an interesting book or to sit in a comfortable chair to read. But it is the warm and personal environment that our patrons most appreciate.”

Get To Know The History Keepers

Keeping the history of the area alive and well for residents and visitors alike, the Briarcliff Manor-Scarborough Historical Society is anticipating a spring reopening of their space on the lower level of the library. Unfortunately, their space was damaged by Hurricane Ida in September 2021. Karen Smith, the Society’s Executive Director says, “Our center is a project-in-motion.” She hopes people can resume visits in the spring and says, “We’ll be ready to welcome all visitors and ready to answer all questions about Briarcliff Manor history.”

As Josh Ringel, the Village Manager puts it, “Briarcliff offers a rustic residential environment, with top quality schools, ample parks and trails, and convenient access to NYC via the Scarborough Train Station.” It’s truly a fantastic place to live or visit and has so much to offer both residents and visitors alike. Come out this spring and discover what Briarcliff Manor has in store for you.

Dates may be subject to change – please check briarcliffmanor.org, briarcliffmanorchamber.com and briarcliffmanorlibrary.org for the most up-to-date information.

Briarcliff Pool shot circa 1927 … the current pool is in the same exact footprint, and the pavilion is now located directly behind where the kids are standing on the end wall. The original pool shared a common wall with the pond on the right, which has now been reconfigured and pushed further south, away from the pool, to create a grass lounging area. Photos courtesy of Briarcliff Manor Parks and Recreation

My Recipe for Living with Multiple Sclerosis

February 24, 2022 by Irene Unger

Irene at home with her furry best friend, Jesse. He keeps her moving on even the worst days.

My story starts like many others diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). One day I am fine and the next day I am seeing two of everything. This is 1999, I am 22 years old and student teaching while taking four classes to finish my master’s in education. I am planning to start my teaching career the following September.

I did not have the time for a million tests and scans to get to the bottom of the double vision, but I didn’t want to wear an eye patch indefinitely and certainly needed see again. Two weeks later the definitive diagnosis stopped me in my tracks. “You have MS.” I wish I had had a crystal ball and really knew how much MS would take from me.

Fast forward to 23 year later, and I now fully understand what it means to live with multiple sclerosis. There have been many difficult times accompanied by fear and sadness that come with this disease. The strength of my family, friends, and the community where I would set down roots have taught the real meaning of turning “lemons into lemonade.”

Irene along with her husband Geoff and their son Ben walking alone just days after Walk MS 2020 was cancelled.

I have been a Briarcliff Manor resident since I landed my first teaching job at Ossining High School right after graduate school. Eventually, after living in the area for 10 years, my husband and I decided to raise our son in Briarcliff Manor. Along with my parents, these four caretakers have been on the sidelines supporting me through my daily MS related problems, as well as in my darkest days. Without them I may not have the strength to keep fighting to find a cure for MS.

This drive started in 1999 right after the newly diagnosed, social butterfly in me wanted to figure out how to meet others with MS. Just three weeks after my diagnosis, I participated in my first Walk MS with three friends. I created a team called 2Steppers after my favorite Dave Matthews Band song, “Two Step.” The lyrics express celebrating life every day. Little did I know those four friends would triple by the next year and grow into a powerhouse Westchester Walk MS team. Currently, my team a has raised close to half a million dollars, with a goal to break through to the other side of that number this year!

So how did this happen?

It starts with my extremely dedicated team members including family, friends from childhood, college, and many from the Briarcliff Community. We have also continuously tried to get creative in how we raise money. In 2016, my son and I started going door to door asking local businesses on the strip in Briarcliff for donations for a raffle to support Walk MS. Stores like Wonderous Things, Briarcliff Toy Store, March, Briarcliff Market & Deli, Value Drugs and so many others were quick to donate gift baskets, food, gift cards and supplies. Our first two years we sold raffle tickets in front of Value Drugs and raised over $1,000 each time thanks to the generosity of community shoppers. So many community members shared personal connections to MS and this motivated me to be the community voice and local face of MS and am proud to do it!

In the spring of 2018 and 2019 we hosted a shopping boutique event in my home with community donated raffles and seven different vendors. These events proved why it is so important to reach out to your community for support, because I felt the love from every person who came and made deep personal connections with others who confided their MS and other health related challenges.

In early March of 2020, I sat down with my planning partner to finalize details for the next month’s boutique. Five days later our world turned upside-down, so we postponed, and then postponed once more, and then cancelled the boutique plans completely. Little did I ever think that for two years there would be no in person walks, or community events.

However, this year Walk MS and 2Steppers are back. We would love to get you to help all of us out there living with MS! The greater community of Briarcliff Manor, Chappaqua, Pleasantville and Ossining can help support us in many ways.

On Sunday, April 3, 2022, my team will once again meet at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle and join approximately 1,000 other walkers. I would love to grow our team with anyone interested in walking with us. Most people know someone living with this horrendous disease and walking in their honor will help us feel fantastic.

Our team’s next event, Shop, Sip and Support Boutique is on Sunday, March 27, 2022 in Briarcliff. This year we will have local artisans such as Briarcliff’s own tonyBny, nationwide vendors such as Pampered Chef, as well as many others. If you would like to be involved by being a vendor, donating goods/raffle prizes, or just want to come shop, please get in touch with me using the contact information below.

Finally, you can donate to Walk MS and help me to reach my personal fundraising goal and help all of us fighting this incurable and unpredictable disease. All the details about our events, how to join the team, how to donate and so much more can be found at www.2steppers.org. My email is 2steppersteam@gmail.com, and I welcome all correspondence, including hearing from others in our community who have personal connections to multiple sclerosis.