The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Chappaqua

Chappaqua’s Térron Richardson Creates Candles and Soaps to Please in the Age of E-Commerce

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Térron Richardson, founder, Chandel Atelier Photo Credit: Randi Childs

When I want to create a cozy and inviting ambience in my home, I often light candles. The glowing light, the soft scents permeating the room, the candle’s wax melting ever so slowly offers a sense of serenity in a chaotic world. Apparently, I’m not alone in my love for candles as prestige (or what industry experts call premium) candle sales totaled $101.9 million in the US in 2018, according to market research firm the NPD Group. Growth in this category particularly from fashion and fragrance companies who are entering the market is expected to continue. And COVID hasn’t put a strain yet on consumer spending of candles. In fact, premium candle sales grew by 6% this March when COVID hit compared to the previous year, as consumers hunkered down in their homes.

A recent arrival to Chappaqua from Harlem, Térron Richardson knows a thing or two about prestige candles (and soap) as the owner of newly launched e-commerce site, Chandel Atelier. The site sells candles and soaps and Richardson’s background in luxury fashion and design has served him well as he seeks to expand his business. Richardson says that he has always been enamored with fragrance. At any given moment, he owns a “perfume library” with a roster of 20+ rotating scents.

Prior to launching his company, Richardson worked for Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Coach and luxury home décor company Jay Strongwater. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, he credits his professors in igniting an interest in sustainability. Richardson uses eco-friendly slow-burning coconut wax and wooden wicks which burn much cleaner, and don’t get the carbon build-up that needs to be trimmed off of cotton wicks.

In addition, he works with a wooden wick supplier that partners with Trees for the Future, an organization working to end hunger and poverty for small farmers through revitalizing degraded lands.

Many less expensive candles contain paraffin which can release toxins. “Paraffin is not regulated in the US,” explains Richardson and candle companies are not required to disclose it as an ingredient. Richardson wants customers to know what his products are made from and that his products are safe.

A self-taught candle maker, Richardson watched YouTube videos to learn the craft of candle making. “It was a quick process. I knew how to source suppliers from my experience with Jay Strongwater and then I spent 3-4 weeks figuring out how to make candles,” notes Richardson. Before he would settle though on a fragrance for the candle, he sometimes created 20 versions using a scent blotter and then used feedback from friends and family to help him solidify the scents.

Each candle retails for $45 and has a top, middle and base notes and these many layers lead to a sophisticated aroma. He offers new varieties of candles seasonally as well as a core collection of three products. Anguilla, one of the core products was created to pay homage to his birthplace and offers notes of linen, freesia, eucalyptus and moss.

Ever passionate about scent, Richardson decided to expand his product line with bar soaps that are sulfate and paraben-free using either goat’s milk or shea butter and flaxseed while still having a beautiful aroma. These natural ingredients increase the skin’s moisture level which can help combat dry skin during the harsh Northern Westchester winter months.

When not promoting his line, Richardson and his partner are enjoying exploring the area and dining locally. He notes that he is also an active member of New Castle’s Council on Race and Equity. Citing the challenges that BIPOC business owners face such as receiving small business loans, Richardson is hopeful that the Black Lives Matter movement will educate consumers on the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses such as Chandel Atelier.

Plans are in the works for a Chappaqua-inspired candle this spring featuring notes of wet fern, moss, musk, gardenia, ylang ylang, and jasmine.

To learn more, follow Richardson on Instagram, @chandelatelier and visit www.chandelatelier.com.

A Star is Born… in Chappaqua: Meet Skyla

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A still from Skyla Schreter’s film, Unbecoming

During these difficult times, it’s important to come together–even when coming together is/must be a virtual reality. As a community, we can support one another and share the beauty; finding solace in that beauty, we can still enjoy our world. Enter Chappaqua’s own Skyla Schreter, dancer and choreographer, most recently with the San Francisco Ballet Company.

Skyla, daughter of Sena Baron and Daniel Schreter and older sister to Brice, grew up in town and, like most Chappaqua children, attended the local schools–in her case, Westorchard Elementary School and Seven Bridges Middle School. But, there and then, the similarities ended. Skyla, who “knew early-on what I wanted” chose and pursued a self-determined dance path when she was but ten years old.

She recalls, “I started with jazz, and I loved it. My mom suggested ballet as she understood it to be a foundation for many kinds of dance, and could provide the tools I needed to enhance the local jazz classes I was taking at the time.” Skyla says she tried a few classes here and there, but nothing felt somehow “right”, until she found Diana White in Scarsdale. With Diana, things “felt serious, structured and classic. It was like a light bulb went off for me.” So, at ten years old, she auditioned for and was accepted into the School of American Ballet (SAB) in Manhattan.

By middle school, Skyla was going in three times weekly; her parents took turns driving her in to the city and back home until she and they were comfortable with her taking the train by herself. In eighth grade, she was invited into SAB’s advanced training classes. This was another watershed moment in her young life, as the additional training time meant that her academic/dance balance would need to be revisited.

In order to make both work, Skyla transferred to the Professional Children’s School on the Upper West Side. For two years, she “took the 6:35 a.m. train with all (my) friends’ dads on Wall Street.” She’d attend academic classes from 8 a.m.–10:30 a.m., then take dance classes for two to three hours, followed by afternoon academics and then a return to dance. She’d finally take an evening train home in the 9 p.m. hour, starting her homework immediately on the return commute. Then she’d get up and do it all again.

This grueling pace finally slowed and became more manageable when she moved into the city at age sixteen, sharing an apartment with fellow dancers. Still, she’d come back to Chappaqua on weekends to spend time with her family with whom she has always been very close.

At her parents’ urging, Skyla took the SATs and completed the Common App in order to have options after high school graduation. However, as her 2013 graduation approached, she was offered a contract with the Boston Ballet in their second company and immediately accepted.

Skyla danced one season with Boston and, “almost on a lark but based on their first-tier reputation” attended an open audition for the San Francisco Ballet which was held in New York City. To her complete surprise, she was not only offered a position, but a contract with their prestigious corps de ballet. She admits that she had never thought of leaving the east coast for the west, but made the leap (or grand jete if you will) and quickly settled in to her new life there.

Skyla danced with the San Francisco Ballet for six seasons. While she had planned to retire this year to focus on choreography– “one of the things that most intrigues and inspires me about choreography is that it is self-made whereas dance is trained. Choreography is something I feel privileged to be able to share”–and move back to New York where she said: “performing arts is still best and most diverse.” The pandemic stepped up her schedule.

Pandemic Pivot

Skyla allowed that her biggest challenge is the “lack of collaboration available, at least physically.” She loves and misses the “real-time energy and ideas that happen and flow in the studio, working together with the dancers.” But creativity won out; Skyla used the initial lock-down period as one of introspection for herself and work. She began experimenting with different ideas, “taking a lot of time to explore details and nuances in my own personal movement that I normally would not allow myself the time or attention for.” She also began creating new outlines for future dance works, choreography she is “ready to translate to real bodies when the time comes.”

All that said, another challenge is the lack of audience. Skyla believes dance to “be a powerful experience not only for those who dance and create it, but for those who witness and watch it.” She found herself questioning the “point” of her work if it was no longer accessible, and determined that she must find a way to adapt dance to the virtual world. She had doubts about the power of dance on camera vs live, but “dove into creating dance that would end up not just on camera, but created for camera.” She was pleased to discover that “dance on camera can be very interesting and powerful in ways that differ from its live self.” One such dance of which she is quite proud is titled Unbecoming* and explores the many inner voices we all have, whether contradicting or difficult to face, and working to respect and ultimately accept them as part of our whole identity as individuals. It is about how these inner voices shape who we become.” Skyla also felt that Unbecoming was inspired by increased pandemic “alone time”, and the idea that alone time could provoke “a certain level of curiosity in the multi-faceted self.” She adds, “especially with all of the racial and social injustice that is finally coming to light, I feel that artists have a responsibility to speak to and mirror the times that we live in.”

Skyla rehearsing her choreography with fellow dancers of San Francisco Ballet
PHOTO BY ©Reneff-Olson Productions

Identity, Community and ‘In:Between’

Speaking of new choreography, prior to the pandemic, Skyla had planned to bring new dance works to New York: “I knew I wanted to launch my choreography by bringing it to a New York audience, and when I heard that the new Chappaqua Performing Arts Center was interested, I thought it would be the perfect anchor and springboard…In:Between was born out of much of my work which explores and deals with the space in between what we know and what we’re told. Dance can tap into a place that words can’t approach. This choreography explores the grey area between our thoughts.”

The plans included six pieces; five of Skyla’s own and one from guest choreographer and principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, Wei Wang. Skyla emphasized the team-effort involved with the creation of In:Between which, in addition to featuring dancers from the SF Ballet Corps de Ballet, also included 13 new costumes created exclusively for the show by both San Francisco–and NY-based designers.

In addition to dance, Skyla had lately been turning her creative energies to other artistic media–specifically, both film and painting. Her short film, A Flower, which was an official selection of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival in 2019 and the Utah Dance Film Festival in 2020) shows the journey of a flower through dance, and had been planned as part of the In:Between performance lineup. She had also planned to display her painting at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center. “Ballet can be thought of as inaccessible or elite, but it’s really just another form of artistic expression,” she said. “I enjoy emphasizing a multi-faceted approach to artistic expression as more inclusive overall.”

Finally, and because art doesn’t just inform and inspire but can gather people for a cause, Skyla has devoted time to the New York-based non-profit Dancers Responding to Aids (DRADance.org), which is a part of the larger Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids program. DRA was founded in 1991 by Denise Roberts Hurlin, former Paul Taylor Dance Company member and mother of Skyla’s school-friend and fellow dancer Catherine. Skyla recalls attending annual DRA benefits at SUNY Purchase and “feeling the power, even as a kid, of everyone on stage and in the audience coming together.” She notes that “AIDS is very relevant to the performing arts community” and feels it’s important to do her part to support her community.  When audience members and dancers can safely congregate again, Skyla hopes to move forward with In:Between and DRA, perhaps, even as originally planned, at ChappPac!

Encore, Encore

It was impossible to resist asking Skyla many questions, or sharing them further here:

Skyla, you’ve accomplished so much in your young life, kudos to you! People must wonder if you ever felt you were missing out…on a more typical or normal childhood?

Skyla: No, I do not. I feel privileged to have known from an early age what I wanted. My thinking was “I just love to dance!” I recognize what I gave up, but I’m ok with it. There really is no “normal.”

Have you stayed in touch with Chappaqua friends?

Skyla: I left right before high school, and high school is a time when most kids find their paths and deepen friendships, so I don’t really have those friends. But I do keep in touch with my elementary school friends; these were real childhood friendships and they have lasted.

Do you have any advice for today’s kids who, like you, discover a passion early in life?

Skyla: Don’t be afraid to take an unconventional path. It’s not scary, it’s exciting! And, with specific regards to ballet, I think kids should know that you don’t have to be a “tutu ballerina” but can also go in with gym shorts and no makeup. There is no one way to do ballet! Whatever it is you love, go for it!

Finally and before you go–though you’ve graciously shared how you’ve personally pivoted with the pandemic and found new outlets for your creativity, can you briefly discuss your thoughts on how things have changed for the dance community at large?

Skyla: Not being able to train, rehearse, and create together in person has been a huge challenge for the dance community, and not being able to perform for an audience has been such a heartbreaking loss for all of us during this time, on many levels. But dancers are creative, and determined to keep working on their craft in one form or another. I have been taking and teaching dance classes online, virtually. One good thing that has come out of the pandemic is that it has broadened and connected the dance community. What used to be clusters of dancers, kept more or less isolated in their own companies, schools or cities, has spread to become a worldwide community. For example, right now, I am teaching a long-distance “Choreography Workshop” from my apartment living room. Though teaching class over Zoom has its many challenges, I wouldn’t normally be able to connect with these students otherwise at this time! This virtual dance community has so many opportunities for new and fulfilling connections that it takes a bit of the sting away from the physical collaboration we have lost during this time.

I also think what many people miss most, other than working in-person with their friends and dancers, is having the space to move freely. I can’t say that dancing in my living room is anything like an open ballet studio or stage. It is limiting in many ways. I personally have been trying to find ways to dance outside when possible, which is why I chose to shoot my film in various places around San Francisco, all of which were uncrowded enough to be safe for Covid-19 restrictions. Dancers like to be free and expansive with their movements and I think for those who can, finding time to spend in nature in some way or another, is a common choice for helping ease that feeling of being stuck or stagnant.

 

A Cautious Optimism Over ‘Diminished’ COVID-19 Cases Conveyed by Westchester County Executive George Latimer

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A close and unrushed ‘listen’ to George Latimer’s most recent update this week on coronavirus in Westchester offered several reasons to stay at least cautiously optimistic that infection from coronavirus is “diminishing” across the county, including in Chappaqua in the two days preceding the July 6 briefing. Chappaqua experienced a recent spike–27 cases, including 21 in Chappaqua, were tracked to the New Castle hamlet in the last two weeks–but the infection may be leveling off thanks to cautionary measures that have included a mandatory quarantine of persons impacted.

While conveying a message of hope and positivity, Latimer also issued clear warnings for continued vigilance and compliance with recommendations (social distancing/mask wear/hand washing) against the coronavirus to make sure it stays that way.

The continuous decline for two and a half months in active cases has likely been due to the act of compliance with masks in public, stressed Latimer, Westchester’s County Executive who has been providing near daily updates streamed live on Facebook and shared later in a You Tube link. The full press briefing may be viewed here https://youtu.be/ys1l09q1Uks

Coronavirus battling measures included asking business and store owners to wear masks, “influencing society. Now, it has become much more of the norm than it ever was,” he said.

On July 6, Latimer reported 527 active cases of CoronaVirus within the county.

Between March 1 (a period commonly designated as the ‘beginning of the pandemic’) and July 6,  35,084 people tested positive for Covid-19. “However, percentage-wise, there has been a little over 1% of positives as of the night on July 5. In one day, only 41 people were found to have the virus after testing almost 4000 people– indicating the spread is diminishing.”

Compared to March or April, he explained, “arguably the height of the pandemic across America, there was as much as 30% of all people tested coming in positive. But as more testing is being conducted, the percentage of those who have the coronavirus has been substantially lowering”.

More Positive Findings for Westchester

  1. Fewer hospitalizations. In addition: as of July 5 too, 29% of Westchester county residents have been tested for Covid-19, “which again, is a huge number and much higher than in other jurisdictions.” There have been fewer hospitalizations too, he shared, with 61 people having been hospitalized as of Saturday, dropping from the 70 individuals reported a week ago.
  2. Zero fatalities the night of July 5. “To top off the relatively good news, there were no fatalities on the night of July 5 and only three deaths in the recent week, ameliorating from the 30-50 deaths per day a couple of months ago in America.”

Staying cautiously optimistic, Latimer conveyed that “the past week has seen a rise and fall in cases, from the recent Chappaqua outbreak, dating back to over two weeks ago; the rise has increased to 27 positive cases that tie back to the set of activities… that include a graduation drive in ceremony and a ‘field night’ event following the graduation, both in rather large gatherings and minimal masks and social distancing.”

“Of the 27 positive cases, 21 tracked to Chappaqua, three of them tracked to Mount Kisco, two track to Bedford, and one track to Pleasantville. “As of now, there have been no new cases in the last two days that are trackable to the Chappaqua spike. If so, it is thought to be leveling off,” Latimer said. “Keep in mind, if they caught COVID that night, they would have gone through two weeks without having shown symptoms…  Of course, it’s possible that if somebody caught it, and then was further infected later, there are still some ways that the Chappaqua spread may linger on longer.”

“I think we’ve had a good response at this particular outbreak,” continued the executive. “Nothing is perfect, but we’ve gotten substantial compliance. 80-85% of the people have responded… We seem to be in a pretty good place for having understood and dealt with it.”

As for the opening of Phase 4 this week (on July 7) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, major changes are set “for allowable activity.

For outdoor and indoor arts entertainment, low-risk areas have been set to a limit of up to 50 people. As Latimer would elaborate, this would include “the traditional summer band concert in Scarsdale at Chase Park or the theatrical and concert performances that go on in the gazebo in Armonk.” Anything along these lines, while fitting the specific guidelines, will do.

As the last revealed phase of reopening, the governor still has not reopened amusement parks, health clubs, and gyms. “These will not be things that are going to be lifted in future phases; instead, there would be executive orders by the governor on that specific action or function that may happen at any point in time.”

Latimer’s briefings will continue once a week every Monday at 2 pm EST, as opposed to the daily updates Monday through Thursday, he said. Despite a recent uptick in numbers, the steady decrease throughout would mean “we would not need to do this on a regular basis,” he stated from the County Executive’s White Plains conference room.

Editor’s Note: Brian Zhang, a rising junior at Byram Hills High School, assisted in preparing this update, as a first assignment as a summer intern for the Inside Press.

 

Excitement Building for the Chappaqua Summer Sidewalk Sale, July 22-25

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‘Shop Local Shop Safe’ Campaign Theme Launching too in Time for the Chappaqua Summer Sidewalk Sale

For me, the song “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” is synonymous to the holidays and Ellen’s 12 Days of Giveaways. Well, it’s not December, it’s July and we’re not on the Ellen Show, we’re in Chappaqua. But, it’s still the most wonderful time of the year because the annual Chappaqua Summer Sidewalk Sale is back and better than ever! 

After four months of quarantining and social distancing, many people have yet to enter back into the retail therapy aspect of their lives due to the discomfort that comes with entering stores. Well, no need to fear. From Wednesday July 22nd through Saturday July 25th, townies and shoppers from afar can come and browse from over 25 Chappaqua merchants with discounts up to 75%.  Masks will be required, hand sanitizer stations will be available widely and Greeley Avenue will have additional pedestrian walkway with police delineators bordering the parking spots. The New Castle Police Department will be present to enforce all of the above; in short, everyone has been working together to ensure the safety and health of all. 

Many of the stores have implemented a virtual shopping experience by participating in Zoom Around Town or creating text and Facetime services. But more than anything, our merchants are truly eager to see some familiar faces, get that customer interaction that they’ve been missing out on and clear out their spring and summer inventory that hasn’t moved due to the pandemic. 

Tara Mikolay, owner of Desires by Mikolay said, “The sad reality is that this pandemic is going to force approximately 40% of small businesses to eventually close because of it…”

“The world might be feeling heavy right now,” Mikolay added, “but I think the shop local movement and shop small business movement is huge and people especially in this community really, really care about it. It’s a great time to come out, even to shop for Christmas gifts, because you’ll really be helping out small businesses who need that turnover.” 

While thinking about Christmas is a fast-forward, distracting but fun thought, one of Town Councilwoman Lauren Levin’s favorite things about the sale is the season it’s in. 

“What’s great about the timing of the sale is that summer is still not over, and in fact a lot of the products that they sell can easily go through the end of September (pool floats, beach boards, etc.) I just really enjoy that aspect of it because that’s what’s so fun. That’s the ultimate goal, to bring more fun back into the community after months of devastating news and challenging events.” 

The other part of the ultimate goal? To make our town safe enough so that people will want to come shop. The campaign Shop Local Shop Safe is being kicked off with the sale, focusing on getting people to come to our town to shop and support our merchants while doing so in a way that follows health and safety guidelines. Another main aspect that wants to be implemented is simply being social. 

“The challenge with this pandemic is we are not connecting as human beings and I think humans are just naturally social people and it’s really unfortunate that we haven’t been able to do that. With this, I get to see people and get an item like a really cute handbag that is 70% off!” Levin said. 

As a 20 year-old college student who has been at home since March, I have definitely been missing out on that social aspect that comes hand in hand with going to school. I can only imagine that parents, like Levin, are itching to get out and see some lovely new faces – besides their children, of course. 

And, guilty as charged, I have never actually been to the sidewalk sale. I am sure that there are many who join me in the guilty party, and Levin even touched upon the fact there are people who live in this town who had never “stepped foot” in some of our stores prior to Zoom Around Town. So, this sidewalk sale is the perfect opportunity for all of us to get out there, shop and support our local businesses.

Be on the lookout for signs advertising the sale in the coming weeks, as well as maps in town signaling where to park during the sale. You can also get regular town information by signing up for the town e-newsletter! 

Like Mikolay said, “…it’s a great time to maybe treat yourself to a little retail therapy!”

County Executive Addresses New Covid Cases and Announces Playland Amusement Park’s First-Time Closure

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Westchester County Executive George Latimer. Inside Press photo.

George Latimer cites 19 active cases in New Castle, one in Bronxville, and reaffirms county’s commitment to open responsibly.

Town of New Castle and New Castle Police Department issue stern warnings for further violations.

Press briefing on recreational impact focuses on Playland Amusement Park: Latimer describes a tough decision not to reopen a beloved and historic facility for the first time in its 92-year history.

White Plains, NY— Westchester County Executive George Latimer yesterday reported 19 active cases of COVID-19 in New Castle, up one case since the day before and from the five cases initially reported on a Sunday following a June 20th Horace Greeley High School graduation. The cases in New Castle have been traced back to two students’ travel to Florida, where it is believed they became infected, and to a break with social distancing and mask wearing protocol at both a subsequent graduation drive in ceremony and ‘field nights’ events following graduation. In a prior briefing, Latimer called the resulting cluster “a cautionary tale.” He also noted that the outlook for containment is different today than it was earlier in this pandemic “with the widespread availability of Covid testing” and resident cooperation with a mandated quarantine and cooperation with contact tracers. One active case was also recently reported in Bronxville.

The Governor has since ordered everyone who attended the New Castle events to self-quarantine until July 5, and a group of Westchester based contact tracers are calling households to track more possible infection and guide residents further. Kids from other communities also attended field night events which apparently spread infection further. “Greeley covers the Pleasantville post office and has numbers from other communities who might have gone out… Students from neighboring high schools came as well.”

Meanwhile, in an e-newsletter to the community last night entitled “Our Actions Today Will Save Lives,” the Town of New Castle sternly addressed those who flouted the rules or would consider doing so again; the letter included ample warning of potential  civil and even criminal consequences. “We have reached out to and spoken with the Governor’s Office and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office for guidance on how to best enforce social distancing orders whether through civil sanctions and fines or criminal prosecutions,” the letter stated. Chappaqua’s Police Department Chief James Carroll outlined a series of potential fines and even potential jail time for flouting rules and violating the order.

At the afternoon briefing, which streamed live, Latimer noted 408 active cases across the county; he noted the significant progress in those numbers, too. “We once had 12,000 cases, so being down to under 500 is a very good sign.”

 “We want to open up our society, responsibly, to avoid people losing their life over this,” Latimer said.

In Westchester, 266,962 people have been tested for COVID, which is about 27% of the population. 34,338 tested positive since the beginning of March. Last night, while only one Westchester resident died due to COVID (compared to ’45-50 some nights’), Latimer reminded, “That’s somebody’s loved one.”

PHOTO by June Marie Sabrito

Latimer also shared news of park closures around the county, most prominently, the closing of Rye’s Playland Amusement Park for the first time in the park’s 92-year history (Playland Amusement Park opened in 1928). He described the closure as ‘emotional’ for him. “There was a lot of drive and determination to make Playland come alive, so it’s the last thing I wanted to do…” The decision comes in tandem with an executive order “to shutter all amusement parks in New York.” The north part of Playland, including its beach area, will remain open.  (Note, the Inside Press has inquired for an official list of closures and openings and will update to here  as received.)

The closures around the county, Latimer said, come with an approximate price tag of about $130 million in lost revenue.

“Sales tax is a big loser, hotel tax revenue is lost, summer parks revenue is down dramatically…although six golf courses will remain open (due to ‘natural social distancing’ associated with this activity)…we have had more revenue from our golf courses in the past.”

As for the total impact of the budget: “We won’t be spending as much, so it may not be as dramatic as we think.”

 North Salem Town Supervisor Warren Lucas representing the Town of North Salem was invited to this briefing; he spoke proudly of a historic and bucolic northern Westchester town and its 1200 acres of open land and trails. There have been complaints., he said, of visitors flouting social distancing rules, too. “At the beginning of this, my biggest question was “when can the horse shows start up again…I’m glad for the opportunity to talk about this town.” He mentioned the town’s work with Feeding Westchester and members of the local Lion’s Club and high school volunteers who are reaching out to those in town, who financially speaking, “have run out of funds.” Today, Latimer plans a briefing focused on the economic impact of COVID and “how to deal with the work force impacted… and the fiscal impact on small businesses, large businesses and not for profits.”

He also said he plans an update about a county task force formed to address police reform since the death of George Floyd, and to continue the work toward racial justice.