The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

community

Creating the Bethany Arts Community

by

It’s all about “Community” for David Lyons, Executive Director and Founder of the Bethany Arts Community (BAC) in Ossining and he’s quick to correct anyone who calls “Bethany” an arts center.

“In 2015 I was introduced to the property with a vision of creating an art community. And when I say community, that umbrella is very large. We have 44,000 square feet on 25 acres to work with from performance art, gallery exhibitions to children’s camp and many things in between,” says Lyons who grew up in Westchester and lives in Sleepy Hollow. Maryknoll Foreign Mission Sisters of St. Dominic, who originally owned the property referred to it as the Bethany Rest House. For Lyons, “Bethany,” as he affectionately refers to BAC, is a canvas.

Inspired by Salem Artworks in Salem, New York, Lyons wanted to create a community of artists that not only interacts with each other but with the community as a whole, locally and globally. BAC is a place where all levels of artists can gather to help each other and each other’s art flourish, and to enrich the creative process.

BAC has been up and running since January 2018. Lyons says what makes BAC special is that they were able to take all the individual arts and bring them under one roof: theatre, gallery space, theatre space workshop and children’s theatre. They host Theater O quite often.  “We love working with them,” says Lyons. “We’ve expanded everything we’ve done two fold since last year. We ran after school workshops and work closely with Ossining School District.”

BAC has offered workshops in drawing, painting, mosaics, jewelry making and art history classes and hosted such talent as the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, a prominent modern dance presence on New York City and global stages. Their summer camp programs were expanded by two additional weeks this year and BAC was able to offer 11 inner city children full summer camp scholarships.

In September, BAC launched their first signature residency program, a juried selection including 24 lead artists in residency.  There were 56 artists and collaborators onsite at BAC over six weeks.  The residency program is designed to attract artists at different stages of their careers from around the world.  “And there is always a community giveback—a performance, a reading, a demonstration,” says Lyons. “It is an important part and we weigh it heavily.” During their time on site, these artists will develop new works while engaging with local artists and the whole community. BAC attracted artists in residence from around the world–as far as Thailand–as well as hyper local. They received an Arts Westchester Grant to support the residency program

This fall they will host the Hudson River Potters Fall Showcase from November 8-10, have an exhibit in the gallery. They also plan to hold a Winter Solstice Concert.

One idea on Lyon’s plate: A “Seed to Belly” culinary education. “Everyone eats! I want the community to share a meal.” The property has a half-mile trail, replanted orchard, and hives.

A short-term goal is to solidify and shore up the foundations. BAC won a NYSCA grant for infrastructure and they are in the middle of that now. Lyons wants to take what they have and expand it. “Community to me is the world, we started in the local community, the Village of Ossining. We hope to expand to Briarcliff, to Chappaqua, Mount Kisco in a much broader sense, so our community will grow.”

While not an artist himself, Lyons passion for the arts is evident. “A lifetime of things got me started. My grandfather was a patron of the arts. Artists have always been very important to me for different reasons. Ultimately, the core of this and everything I do is for children.”

Lyons is optimistic about the future. “The scope in which we are able to offer in one place makes us unique. We had listening sessions. I said, ‘this is my vision, what do you need? There is plenty of art, plenty of artists and not enough space’.”

He wants to enhance the mission statement and their aim is to inspire sharing, connection and collaboration in a culture designed for the benefit of the local community and beyond. “We’re here, we’ve been growing organically, gaining notice in the world. My feeling is what can’t we do?”

Bethany Arts Community is holding its second annual fundraiser “ART IS COMMUNITY” on November 15 at 7 p.m.  Supporters will enjoy an evening of cocktails, food, performance, exhibit, silent auction and more.

For tickets go to bethanyarts.org/calendar/artiscommunity/.

Bethany Arts Community is located at 40 Somerstown Road, Ossining, NY.

For more information go to bethanyarts.org

Photos courtesy of the Bethany Arts Community

Welcoming James Carroll: New Castle’s New Police Chief

by

Police Chief James Carroll
PHOTO BY RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN

There’s a new Chief in town, but New Castle’s new Police Chief James Carroll is hardly new to New Castle. Carroll was sworn in on June 28th upon the retirement of Chief Charles Ferry. “We chose Jim Carroll based on his experience. Chief Carroll has more than 15 years of police supervisory experience. He has been, and will continue to be, an asset to the Town,” said Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein about the Board’s decision to promote Carroll.

Carroll lived in the Bronx until he was five years old and then moved to Dutchess County where he still lives. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Marist College and worked briefly as a claims adjuster until he began his law enforcement career in April 1990 as a Dutchess County Deputy Sherriff.

In October 1993, Carroll joined the New Castle Police Department as a police officer. He trained new police officers for five years, was promoted to Sergeant in 2004, and then Lieutenant in 2016. “I didn’t know that I wanted to be Chief. I always wanted to move up in the ranks because I thought I could help shape the department. The further I got up, the further I wanted to go,” says Carroll.

Vicki Bergstrom whose family owns Lange’s Little Store has known Carroll since he started in New Castle. “It’s nice to see him rise through the ranks. He’s always been a great part of the community.”

“Service is our goal and primary function,” says Carroll. “I’d like to make this town the safest, and provide the best possible police service in the County or anywhere.” He is proud of his accomplishments to date that include increased productivity of traffic enforcement and community checks. “I want people to know that if they have a problem they should call. I tell the officers that if the phone rings I want a police officer to go speak to the caller.  Sometimes it’s not a police matter, but we can talk to them and maybe steer them in the right direction, and that helps.”

Chief Carroll hosted his first “Coffee With A Cop” on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at Lange’s Little Store in Chappaqua with plans for one soon in the west end of the town. (L-R): Lt. James Dumser, Caroline Wood, Chief James Carroll, Nate Wood and Lt. Estuardo Pazmino. PHOTO BY RONNI DIAMONDSTEIN

Strengthening Relationships in the Community

Carroll is pleased with his good relationships with fellow first responders. “Jim has always brought a sense of calmness to his role as a police officer and his presence at emergency scenes is not only comforting to the residents, but the first responders as well,” says Chappaqua Fire Chief Russell Maitland. “We are very lucky to have someone like Jim at the helm of our police department.”

Carroll has also developed a strong relationship with the school district. Amy Kaiser, a Chappaqua teacher met Carroll when she was Greeley’s faculty advisor for the annual Relay for Life.  “For the first time, we decided to hold the event at the Bell field, which we knew would require lots of support from our police department. Lt. Carroll was totally supportive and a true pleasure to work with.  He and his officers were on-site throughout the evening, ensuring the event was safe and successful.”

A priority for Carroll is to have full-time school resource officers, one in the high school, one in each middle school, or one for both middle schools, and he’s working with the school district to get that done.

“We’re here as a resource to help and guide. We want to have a relationship with students so they feel comfortable and can go talk to an officer. If you do it with the kids when they are young, it helps with their social and emotional growth.”

As Chief, Carroll’s increased responsibilities include personnel selection, promotions and the budget. “You’re responsible for things that no one else is, and for everyone in the department from detective sergeants to the civilian staff.” He knows he will face some challenges. “Recruiting and selecting officers are more difficult these days. Fewer people are interested in going into law enforcement as a career.”

On the Horizon for the Police Department

Going forward, Carroll wants to improve their social media presence on Facebook and Twitter to give the department more transparency. “There are a lot of things we do that people don’t know about. We have a brand new police car, and we’ve reunited lost dogs with their owners.” He’d also like to build relationships with the officers and the community. “I want to do ‘Coffee with a Cop,’ ‘Coffee with the Chief,’ have an open house, and bring back the bike and motorcycle patrols.” says Carroll.

Carroll is grateful to his predecessor. “Chief Ferry has been a great mentor, co-worker, leader and friend. I wouldn’t be here now without him. It’s exciting to take over and put my own stamp on it.”

In Armonk, Re-thinking College Admissions Success

by

Bruni’s book will be part of the first community
book read event on October 17th

Armonk–and surrounding communities–is filled with residents who live there often because of the high quality of the school system. Parents and community members believe that Byram HIlls High School students are well-prepared in general for a competitive college application process. And they are right.

Last year, 68 percent of the Byram Hills graduating class was accepted into the top 11 percent of colleges in the country, according to the district website. These are schools identified by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges as Tier 1, which is also called ‘most competitive,’ and Tier 2, referred to as ‘highly competitive.’ Yale, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Tulane are examples of schools recently ranked Tier 1, while schools that earned the Tier 2 designation recently include SUNY Stony Brook, the United States Coast Guard Academy and Baylor.

Partnering with Challenge Success

Yet, Byram Hills High School Principal Christopher Walsh does not think a student’s future is solely determined by his or her college acceptances–and he is not alone. That’s why the district entered into a partnership with Challenge Success, a nonprofit that partners with schools to “create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for their kids.” Challenge Success seeks to help communities “embrace a broad definition of success,” and also help students engage with learning more. The program was generously funded by the Byram Hills Education Foundation (BHEF) and the Debra Leipman Yale Memorial Fund. The Debra Leipman Yale Memorial Fund is a fund within the BHEF that honors the life and memory  of Debra Leipman Yale, and supports initiatives that are consistent with her values. 

“Byram Hills is part of this little cluster of schools in the Westchester area that all partnered with us last year,” Jon Kleinman of Challenge Success said. “When schools do this in concert with their peers, it’s easier to make changes.” Kleinman said that Challenge Success works with schools to “identify where they want to make progress and help connect them to research, tools and ideas.”

Walsh, who attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), said the district is proud of its success in placing students in many competitive colleges, but he also thinks that there are many ways to become successful and start a fulfilling life without attending a top-tier school. For Walsh, attending USMMA “really came down to a financial choice,” he said, adding that “The more I looked into USMMA the more I realized I’d have great opportunities there. After I graduated I was commissioned as an officer in the Navy, I received a B.S. in marine transportation.” It was while traveling around the world that Walsh began seeing and thinking about the educational opportunities in different places, which eventually led him to graduate school at Harvard, he said.

Different Pathways to Success

“We’re trying to look at the overall student experience,” Walsh said. “We want to make sure we have everyone involved in the conversation about moving away from this idea about a single path to success” and “the idea that you need to have everything nailed down by December of senior year.”

Another way to go is to take a gap year after college, Walsh pointed out. “Some students have decided to take gap years and they report feeling much more prepared and not caught in the current of stress and anxiety,” Walsh said. Others decide to attend schools that may not be the most competitive institutions that have accepted them – an example, Walsh said, is a soccer player who was being recruited by Yale but chose to attend Ithaca. “I just heard from her,” Walsh said in early July. “She has an on-air internship with Fox Sports and she’ll be covering the World Cup.”

Part of choosing the right college is looking beyond name recognition, Walsh said, and to that end, college counselors at Byram Hills are expected to “know the students and know the best choices for them. There’s really an expectation that the college counselors should have an idea where the students should apply.”

Community Book Read Event on October 17

Students, parents and others who wish to be part of this conversation can participate in the first Byram Hills Community Book Read. The book is Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, by New York Times columnist Frank Bruni. Bruni describes many high-achievers who flourished at less competitive colleges–and in many cases attribute their success to those institutions.

“It’s a book that’s really accessible to the community and it’s a great jumping-off point,” Walsh said. The book is recommended for students as an independent reading selection on the Byram Hills High School summer reading list this summer, and Walsh said, “We have had a number of students who have chosen to read it.”

On Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m., members of the steering committee that worked with Challenge Success will lead a discussion in the Byram Hills High School library. All community members are welcome to attend the free event.

Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce: Linking Community to Businesses

by

Colorful awnings, decorative displays and windows adorned with local flyers: These are the storefronts that line downtown Pleasantville. Businesses spanning from gift shops to restaurants offer the village a variety of local options, many stores of which belong to the town’s business network, the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber supports and promotes its 154 members who comprise an estimated 70 percent of the village’s businesses, according to Chamber President Bill Flooks. Information on the chamber’s website and social media pages, as well as its annual events and award ceremonies, helps make community members aware of what Pleasantville offers.

“We try to link the community with the businesses,” Flooks said. “That’s our goal, because that’s what you need for a successful business.”

On October 23, the chamber will honor businesses and service groups for their contributions to the village at the annual Chamber Appreciation Awards. Members also gather each April for the Business Person of the Year Event, a ceremony that celebrates the person who “consistently demonstrates business excellence, vision, innovation, leadership and community spirit,” according to their website. In addition to these events, the chamber holds six member meetings a year, which serve as “meet and greet” opportunities for local business owners and a way to communicate updates on community projects.

As apartments materialize on Washington Avenue and Memorial Plaza, the people who populate them will further the chamber’s goal of supporting local businesses, Flooks explained. The more people in the area, the more foot traffic.

“We’re trying to make Pleasantville a destination for people to come,” he said. “As we continue to grow, with what’s going on in the village, we will approach more businesses. And, hopefully more businesses will get involved when they realize that we can help promote them.”

At the Heart of Community

by

One thing I’ve heard consistently about Pleasantville lately is how fiercely proud residents are of their town and of Mount Pleasant at large. As I produced this edition over the summer, and learned about Break the Hold, via Sabra Staudenmaier’s cover story for us, it was not hard to see why.

I feel like I’m getting to know a community that yes, celebrates all its gifts and good fortune, but also enthusiastically embraces solutions to challenging problems via its open hearts and extended hands. To me, such sincere involvement feels central to understanding the heart of a caring community. This story pulled my heartstrings right away. We also have a proud history covering mental health issues, and specifically the topics of depression and suicide. The Inside Press was the recipient a few years back of a Media Award from the Mental Health Association of Westchester. We hope to continue to shine a spotlight on mental health in future issues as well.

In additional heart sharing coverage, I am also thrilled to publish Ronni Diamondstein’s story about Pleasantville’s Gordon Parks Foundation; if you’re like me, you might be one of many who has walked by and felt curious about the foundation’s window on Wheeler Avenue. Its mission is to preserve the powerful images of artist and photojournalist Gordon Parks whose work has done so much to help bring attention to racism. It accomplishes that and so much more.

If you need more reasons to love Mount Pleasant, there is no shortage in this edition. We asked a long time savvy area resident and Inside Press contributor Jennifer Sabin Poux to compile ten, and she does a fantastic job of that too.

Two summer interns, Charlotte Harter and Madeline Rosenberg, have also helped turn our attention to community, with stories about how the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce helps support local commerce, coverage of the town’s dedicated conservation efforts plus a look back at Pleasantville Community Day and the town’s firefighter parade.

We know fitness figures ‘big’ around here too, so please don’t miss the piece about area marathon runners either, which includes a Pleasantville resident!

Finally, we also keep hearing the music. In our debut edition, we offered a preview of the Pleasantville Music Festival (another mega successful day!), and in this issue, we give a nod to the area’s vibrant ‘music scene,’ as writer Miriam Longobardi spotlights a couple Rocker bands led by area moms!   

Enjoy the edition, and we hope to see you again in 2020. Our plans for now are for at least four a year, so stay tuned!  Follow Inside Press Magazines on Facebook or insidepress on Instagram, and soon enough, another surprise pub covering your town will be hiding in your mailbox!