The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Green

Pleasantville: A Close-Knit Community with Walkability

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It can be said that residents of Pleasantville “bleed green” (the school district’s official color). Many in the community don’t just consider themselves residents, but members of a tight-knit community that is always there to help one another. The Gorsuch family has called Pleasantville home since 2008. Abe, a private financial advisor for a large bank, Jenn, co-owner of Go Take a Hike Dog Walking with fellow Pleasantville mom, Beth D’Alessandro, Elizabeth, age 15 and Jack, age 12 love living in Pleasantville.

The family moved from the Upper West Side citing the great schools and quick city commute and soon embraced everything Pleasantville had to offer. It was hard to adjust with both parents working full-time in Manhattan, but as Jenn said, the community made it so much easier. “I met so many wonderful families just because we don’t have any buses. This is a walking community, we were forced to make new friends at school pick-up, the library, the playground. Lifelong friendships were made and I then knew we had the ideal community to raise a family in.”

The Pleasantville community comes together both in happy times and times of tragedy. After a recent loss in the community, Jack said to Jenn, “Mom, we did not have to know the family to be sad, this is Pleasantville, we are family.”  Jenn continues, “We don’t just support each other during a tragedy, we are there to celebrate each other, coach each other, parent together.” One event the family participates in each year is Break the Hold’s Into the Light Walk, which aims to break the stigma on mental illness and honor the memory of Pleasantville’s own Brian T. Halloran.

The Gorsuch family enjoys walking to most places in town. Some favorite spots include the farmers market, Jacob Burns Film Center, Arc Stages and countless restaurants such as Bistro 146. There are many community events throughout the year such as the Halloween Ragamuffin Parade, Pleasantville Day, and the fire department parade.

As Jenn says, “There is nothing like this village. I am truly blessed and so lucky to be part of it and my family is too. You can see as people come back to raise their own families here after growing up here. We are a special mix of people.”

Exploring Wampus Pond: A Bucolic Beauty

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One sunny spring day last month, my family and I packed a light lunch and set out to explore the bucolic beauty of Wampus Pond in Armonk. The expansive pond is certainly the focal point of the park and the first thing you see as you enter. It’s amazing to think that right off one of the busiest roads in the area, such a peaceful enclave of nature exists. Wampus Pond is one of those hidden-in-plain-sight gems that you don’t want to miss. If you’ve never been, may I suggest a visit in the near future–you won’t be disappointed.

Located right on Route 128 in the Town of New Castle and the Town of North Castle, Wampus Pond is a breathtaking jewel of a park. The park offers an array of activities for all–whether you want a bit of an adventure or you just want to sit peacefully with a good book while enjoying nature.

Wampus Pond was named after the Indian from whom the land was originally bought in 1696. The name Wampus means “opossum” and the natural pond was formerly known as Wampus Lake Reservoir. Wampus Pond was once part of the New York City water supply and in 1963, Westchester County bought Wampus Pond and 93 acres from the City of New York.

Recently, a cultural resources inventory was performed which unearthed several Native American artifacts as well as remnants of historically significant residential developments in or near the park. The rich history of the land makes for a truly thought-provoking visit through Wampus Pond. You never know what you may come across or who may have walked the same path hundreds of years ago.

Activities All Year Long

Throughout the year, there are many things for visitors to do at Wampus Pond including ice skating, fishing, boating and bird-watching. Dogs are welcome in the park but must be on a leash at all times and are not permitted in the picnic areas. One activity that many anticipate in the warmer months is the opening of the pond for row-boating. Take a few hours to enjoy a peaceful sail across the pond or pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it.

Rowboat rentals are available on weekends and holidays, Memorial Day through Labor Day, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visitors may rent the boats in the building situated between the parking lot and the water. Boat rentals can be purchased hourly or daily and the fee is discounted for those with a Westchester County Park Pass. Visitors may also choose to bring their own car-top boats but must have a permit.

In addition to the rowboats, there are picnic tables set up throughout the park so visitors may be able to relax and enjoy the serenity of the park’s natural surroundings. Wampus Pond makes for the perfect spot to enjoy a quick lunch-hour break, relaxing in its quiet serenity. Please note the park is a carry in/carry out facility.

As Westchester County Parks Deputy Commissioner Peter Tartaglia says, “Wampus Pond is a fantastic spot for a picnic, to study nature or take a few turns in a rowboat on a beautiful summer day. Its location on Route 128 between Armonk and Mount Kisco make it an easy spot to visit when you’re visiting either or both towns.”

Take some time to visit Wampus Pond throughout the year. In the spring, the buds on the trees start to come alive, while in the fall all of the gorgeous autumnal colors of the leaves frame the pond. Kids and adults alike will enjoy ice skating in the winter while summertime is made for boating. Wampus Pond is one of Westchester’s loveliest spots and it’s right here in Armonk. Plan your visit soon and prepare to be amazed with its splendor.

At Greeley, a Plant Garden Goes Native

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Last spring, the main office courtyard of Horace Greeley High School was transformed into the new Greeley Native Plant Learning Garden (GNPLG). More than a dozen students, faculty and PTA parent volunteers planted more than 3,000 native plants in what used to be a neglected area of turf grass surrounded by a hedge of burning bush, a non-native invasive species.

PHOTOS BY HIDENAO ABE, STUDIOABE

Native plants are those that occur naturally in a region, having co-evolved over a period of time with other plants, insects and animal species, developing complex interdependent relationships. They instill a sense of place and emotional connection to our environment. Here in the temperate deciduous forests of the Northeast, native species include trees such as sugar maples and oaks, grasses such as little bluestem and purple love grass and herbaceous perennials such as violets, goldenrods and asters.

Unfortunately, many native woodland species, particularly flowers, have been eradicated because of the accidental introduction of non-native invasive species. Traditionally chosen for ornamental planting on our suburban landscape, these species, such as barberry and pachysandra have escaped cultivation, taking over our woodlands and right-of-ways. Oriental bittersweet is just one of the many invasive vines you see along the Saw Mill River Parkway that has over run native trees and shrubs. Ornamental species were chosen precisely because they did not have any natural insect predators or diseases and this has allowed them to outcompete our native plants, upon which a whole host of pollinators and wildlife depend. Non-native plants in general support far fewer native insects and birds than our native ones do. Add an overabundant deer population, which browse on saplings and early spring bloomers, and the situation seems dire.

The good news, however, is that if you plant it, they will come and come indeed they did to GNPLG. By the fall, GNPLG was abuzz with hundreds of pollinators, our native bees, flies and butterflies.  Pollinators move pollen from one flower to another flower of the same species, helping plants to produce fertile seeds and fruit and are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. The pervasive use of pesticide coupled with habitat loss has led to the decline of many pollinators, including our native bumblebees, which are considered threatened in North America. Monarch butterfly populations have been steadily declining and are down for a second year in a row, according to a report by Monarch Joint Venture, an organization of more than 70 academic, business and NGO partners dedicated to conservation of monarch migration. But both were present in abundance at GNPLG, happily nectaring and foraging on orange butterfly weed, smooth aster and goldenrod.

Migrating birds also stopped by GNPLG to feast on the berries of the mature dogwood planted in the courtyard in the late 70’s. When nesting in the spring, these birds rely on caterpillars and insect larvae (think soft, yummy protein) to feed their young. The majority of insect larvae and caterpillars are specialists dependent on native plant species for food. A few holes in your leaves? Not to worry, the birds will find the culprit. According to Doug Tallamy, entomologist and author of Bringing Nature Home, it takes an incredible 6,000-9,000 caterpillars to make just one clutch of chickadees, which is just a tiny bird, weighing less than three pennies in your pocket. No native plants, no caterpillars. No caterpillars, no chickadees. And who doesn’t love a chickadee?

“The garden at Greeley is an important tool in helping students learn about the many benefits of native plants,” says Carol Capobianco, director of The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College. “Native plants provide valuable sources of food and shelter for wildlife and define a local sense of place. And because they are adapted to the local weather conditions, soils, and predators, they require less maintenance and no pesticides or fertilizers. Plus, they are beautiful.”

Not only is the GNPLG a beautiful place for students and faculty to relax on a break, it also offers a wide range of place-based and project-based learning from botany and ecology to photography and art. Students from Greeley’s Students and Teachers for Our Planet (STOP) Committee along with members of the Greeley Garden PTA and the Chappaqua Garden Club plan to manage the garden ensuring its success going forward.

Join STOP, Chappaqua Garden Club and the Greeley Garden PTA for an open house of the GNPLG on May 17, 2018 (rain date May 22) from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Native plant experts and students will be on hand to answer questions and students from the Greeley Chamber Orchestra will be performing. Come check it out!

Top 5 Things To Consider When Adding Natives to Your Landscape

Reduce Your Lawn: A reduced lawn saves both time and money. Lawns require a tremendous amount of resources including water, pesticides and fertilizers, not to mention weekly mowing. Expand existing garden beds and shrub areas by adding or encouraging low maintenance native groundcovers, such as violets, ferns, goldenrod and asters.

Leave Leaves Alone: Leaves provide a natural source of soil nutrients as they break down, as well as habitat for overwintering beneficial insects and other pollinators. Use a mulching mower to mulch leaves directly in your lawn and let them overwinter in garden beds and under shrubs to build healthy soil. Instruct your landscaper not to use a leaf blower in those areas. Wait until late winter to cut back perennials, allowing birds and insects to take advantage of seed heads and cover.

Green Mulch: Let the plants work for you! Add native groundcovers under shrubs and in perennial beds to act as a living mulch, suppressing weeds and moderating soil temperature. Great deer resistant choices include golden groundsel (Packera aurea) which is evergreen, produces yellow flowers in early spring and grows well in both sun and shade and native grasses such as sedges (Carex spp.) and ferns. Hay-scented fern even grows in full sun!

Oh Deer!: There are many choices of native trees and shrubs that deer typically do not browse that can be substituted for non-native ornamental plants. American holly (Ilex opaca), Blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) and Viburnum nudum ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Winterthur’ are just a few that provide berries for birds and cover in winter.

Succession of Bloom: Choose hardy, deer resistant plants that bloom all season long and plant them in groups of 3s and 5s. Columbine flowers (Aquilegia canadensis) open just as the ruby-throated hummingbird returns in early spring. In summer, orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) host monarch caterpillars.  Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) is a pollinator magnet and blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) is covered with bright purple flowers (and butterflies!) in late fall.

DeCicco’s in Millwood: Dec. 30th Grand Opening and The Talk of the Town

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By Grace Bennett

The end of the year Grand Opening of DeCicco’s in Millwood is THE talk of the town this week, and very good news for New Castle residents long anticipating the opening of a supermarket in the area. Meanwhile, the DeCiccos are pulling out all the stops and are as excited as any New Castle resident.

“It’s the perfect community for us to expand to,” stated John DeCicco, Jr., in a joint release from the Town of New Castle and the DeCicco family this morning.  “John Jr.” is the President of the award-winning DeCicco & Sons chain of family-run supermarkets. 

He pointed out that the Milllwood location marks the seventh store for the DeCicco family, and proudly pointed out “the advanced environmental-friendly technologies which are proudly setting the standards of ‘clean & green’ supermarkets throughout the country.”

Some facts if you are planning to stop by tomorrow’s opening of the new DeCicco’s:

  • The 20,000 square foot store is located at the Millwood Shopping Center on Saw Mill River Road at Routes 100 & 133,  Millwood is the “sister hamlet” of Chappaqua, part of the Town of New Castle.
  • The Grand Opening will be Friday, 3 p.m. on December 30th
  • Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino will cut the ceremonial ribbon, declaring it “DeCicco & Sons Millwood Recognition Day in Westchester County.

And more, here, per the release (this story will be updated with original coverage following the grand opening):

Stated DeCicco “This is a true team effort made possible by the incredible assistance and hard work from Town of New Castle Supervisor Rob Greenstein, Deputy Supervisor Adam Brodsky, Steven Wolk of The New Castle Sustainability Advisory Board, and shopping center owner Chris Santomero.. just to name a few,” said DeCicco. They have worked with us hand and hand throughout every detail, assuring us and the community that our newest DeCicco & Sons market will become a reality in Millwood.”

“Congratulations to the DeCicco family on opening its newest supermarket in Westchester County,” said Astorino. “Their commitment to quality, customer service, the community and the environment is a true recipe for success. I wish them all the best and thank them for their continued dedication to the people of Westchester.”

 Commitment to the Schools

DeCicco expressed how impressed he is with the New Castle-Chappaqua-Millwood area: “DeCicco & Sons has a strong commitment to the school districts in every community we are a part of. We look forward to supporting the over 4200 students and their families who make up the three elementary schools, two middle schools and Horace Greeley High School in the area. We provide “Cashier Receipt Give-Back Programs” that accumulate a percentage of the receipts collected throughout the school year, then contributed back into the many educational and community programs that assist the students and their families. This is a huge part of what we believe in.”

Their benevolence has not gone unnoticed, as DeCicco & Sons continues to be acknowledged with significant awards, most recently, Westchester’s Best Family Run Business, The PTA Golden Oak Award, the Rotary Club’s 2015 Honorees, and the 2016 Pelham Civic Association’s Persons of the Year Award.

Green & Clean

“Green & Clean” technologies with the old world philosophy of Quality First, DeCicco & Sons has established itself as a visionary supermarket that stresses consistent quality of the food & service that they and their family have been known for over 40 years.

In addition to this year’s 2016 Best of Westchester’s “Best Gourmet Market,”  this new DeCicco & Sons is one of the nation’s most energy-efficient, and cleanest & Greenest supermarkets. In fact, it has just achieved the EPA’s highest certification: The Platinum Level Green Chill Certification.

Visually, the 20,000 square ft. store will be a sparkling beauty, complete with a Beer & Wine Tasting Bar, a multi-level Café… and rotating selections of world-renowned craft beers on tap…,a full-service Sushi counter… and hot seafood selections …and more!

Remarkably, this area is only one facet of DeCicco & Sons’ magnificent shopping experience. It’s the unique, technological advancements that’s “behind the scenes” that makes this extraordinary new DeCicco & Sons supermarket, well, extraordinary.

Ensuring the Health of the Planet for Future Generations

According to John DeCicco, Jr., President of DeCicco & Sons, “Life is only important when it has an impact on the lives of others. So when it comes to the world we live in, our generation has to make a commitment to meet the energy challenges put before us and sustain a clean and healthy environment… for now, and for future generations. With our new DeCicco & Sons store in Larchmont, we have the opportunity to continue to provide our customers and employees with a new paradigm in the supermarket shopping experience: a store that incorporates intelligent, energy-efficiency and on-site clean, and green renewable energy, every minute, every day. At the same time, it will continue to be true to our Quality First brand by delivering the very best quality food and products, the very best selection, with the very best service”.                                                                                                                                             

Technologically Advanced Heat Reclaiming Refrigeration System

This is only the third in the State, and the second of its kind in Westchester County. (the first being the DeCicco & Son in Larchmont) So advanced, this zero-ozone, state-of-the-art equipment will be the subject of a comprehensive case study being conducted by leading governmental scientific and engineering agencies.It systematically takes all of the wasted heat that’s generated from the refrigeration system and transfers it to reusable energy to power machines to chill water, and provide heat and hot water for the entire store! Simple, clean, reusable energy. cost efficient, and ultimately, less reliance on fossil fuels. Think of 80,000 less cars this year because of the CO2 emissions we save by using CO2 in place of HFC refrigerant. And also 120,000 more trees can live this year, thanks to our reduced carbon emissions.

“Technology Teamwork”… at work.

DeCicco continued,” I have learned that the successful solution for utmost energy efficiency is not doing only one thing, but doing many things …  having all of the advancements and technologies working together as one… not individual or independent installations, but a multiple of components that feed off one another. So it’s a significant investment, but we firmly believe, a smart one with long lasting dividends for this generation and the ones to follow.”

Quality First – In More Ways Than One

As DeCicco explained, “Our brand mantra ‘Quality First’ extends far beyond our superior food products. It means caring for the environment and the communities we serve by supporting clean energy technologies. We have a “green philosophy” that includes protecting our environment with advanced, innovative energy solutions. The objective is to increase energy efficiency with renewable energy, and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. The benefits the environment and our economy, and helps move our country toward a cleaner energy future.”

So DeCicco & Sons brings to Millwood a supermarket that includes their high level of taste and culinary knowledge…  their “Quality First” brand and philosophy…  and their leadership commitment to an intelligent, clean and safe environment. In other words, they’re re-writing the cookbook for all other supermarkets to follow! The new DeCicco & Sons Millwood will be located on the site of the former A&P in the Millwood Plaza, 230 Saw Mill River Rd, Millwood, NY 10546. For more information, visit our website at www.DeCiccoAndSons.com Also, be sure to follow us on our new Facebook page: facebook.com/deciccosmillwood

About DeCicco & Sons…

For over 40 years, DeCicco & Sons has a proud history of bringing the largest selection of high quality food available to customers with a personal, family touch. In addition to the finest meats, poultry, seafood, fish, fruits and vegetables, deli, bakery, pizza and sushi, they offer their famous Signature Series product line of homemade foods…one of New York’s largest selection of world-famous craft beers…and DeCicco & Sons Events & Cuisine to meet any size catering and event needs. They have stores located in Pelham, Harrison, Ardsley, Armonk, Brewster, Larchmont and now Millwood.