The Inside Press

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Embracing Growth & Community in Pleasantville

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Board Members of the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce. BACK ROW (L-R): Karen Cammann, Ed Elliott, Maria Amato, Allen Wallace and Lynda Lederer-Natale. FRONT ROW (L-R): Evelyn Tierney, Bill Flooks, and W. Paul Alvarez
PHOTO BY DONNA MUELLER

Full disclosure: When I moved to Northern Westchester about a decade ago, I fell in love with Pleasantville. Although I live in a neighboring town, I found myself spending a great deal of time in this charming village. It all started with a much beloved independent business, the toy store, Try & Buy. As a newcomer to the ‘burbs with kids of nursery school age, it seemed that every Friday I was scouring the aisles for presents for the upcoming weekend which would be chock full of birthday parties. 

But my love affair with this village didn’t stop at the now defunct toy store. With my stroller, I found that it was a remarkably walkable town which was key for someone accustomed to tallying up miles in the streets of Manhattan. Here, I could grab a cup of coffee, walk into the bookstore and bribe my kids to behave with sweets from the candy store.

Now that the deluge of birthday parties has ended and my kids are no longer toddlers, I still find myself drawn to Pleasantville. With the Jacob Burns Film Center and plentiful restaurants, I am here at least weekly. Turns out, I am not alone in my love affair with Pleasantville as the latest housing market data shows demand outstripping supply and the median sales price for single family homes steadily increasing from $665,000 (pre-pandemic in 2019) to record sales highs last year with a median of $739,000. It seems that the magic of Pleasantville is attracting buyers from the city and lower Westchester looking for more space, a place to raise a family with a great school district plus a pedestrian-friendly layout to access shops and restaurants easily. Buyers frequently cite the convenience and walkability of the village as key factors influencing their home purchasing decisions.

Linking the community and commerce has been at the forefront of Bill Flooks mind since he joined the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce in 2004. Fast forward a few years and he is now the President of the Chamber for more than a dozen years. As the owner of local business, Beecher Flooks Funeral Home on Bedford Road,  he is distinctly aware of the many challenges that small independent businesses face to ensure that Pleasantville remains a vibrant village for both businesses and residents alike.

Flooks describes his Chamber position as “fun.” He enjoys meeting the business owners and residents and “helping the community get to where it wants to be.” Currently with almost 150 members in the Chamber, Flooks and his team help the businesses gain exposure so that people in town know about the many local services and retail spots available to them right outside their front doors. The Chamber also organizes fun-filled events that attract Westchester residents to visit the village and hopefully patronize its many businesses.

Chamber’s Website Relaunch

Chamber members run the gamut from accountants, lawyers and non-profits to several restaurants as the 10570 is quickly becoming a foodie destination in Northern Westchester (more on that later) and beyond. The Chamber recently relaunched their website at pleasantvillechamber.com with a user-friendly member directory plus parking information including rules and regulations including meter payment through the Pango app. Flooks and the Chamber members wanted the revamped website to be as user and mobile-friendly as possible for shoppers and businesses. 

Businesses can also now apply or renew their Chamber membership online. So far, the relaunched website with a new look and enhanced navigation seems to be a hit and the Chamber is already ahead of membership renewals in Q1 2022 versus previous years. 

Keeping Chamber members and residents informed of construction in the village is a top priority for Flooks. With the ongoing construction on Manville Road and by Memorial Plaza, Flooks wants local businesses to know when key segments of projects are completed and how that will impact parking for customers. The website includes information about various infrastructure projects and e-newsletters are sent to Chamber members detailing the various construction phases.

Chamber Events Enhance Pleasantville’s Appeal

“Linking community and commerce” has been the Chamber’s tagline for more than a decade and Flooks lists a number of key events and initiatives that help accomplish this goal. From ribbon cutting ceremonies for new businesses in town captured on film by Pleasantville Community TV to the Chamber’s well attended Business Person of the Year event, the Chamber is always looking for ways to help members achieve exposure and grow their business.

One such event was the 1st Annual Oktoberfest Street Fair held this fall when COVID was on a downward trajectory featuring live music and ping pong plus a variety of foods from local Chamber members on Wheeler Avenue which was closed off to vehicular traffic. Commenting on the inaugural event, Flooks noted that “people were looking to get out [then] and do social stuff. We will definitely do it again, expanded hopefully, with some children-friendly events. It showed we are back and willing to help the businesses and the community.” Echoing Flook’s enthusiasm for the event, Chamber Administrator Evelyn Tierney said, “It didn’t hurt that people were able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage and eat in the open air and move around to see and talk to friends. Businesses on Washington Ave had spillover from Wheeler Ave – so it was good for their businesses too.” The event was well-promoted with flyers on Facebook and Instagram plus the 10570 Facebook group shared Chamber posts about it with their 5,000 subscribers. The Chamber is also hoping to help support the Pleasantville Music Festival which is currently scheduled for July 9, 2022. “The festival is a great event that brings thousands to the village and historically we’ve always had good weather,” Flooks commented.

Pleasantville isn’t just beloved by local residents. People from neighboring communities and Southern Westchester are also drawn to the village. County Executive George Latimer notes that “Pleasantville’s critical location in the Saw Mill River Valley draws people from all around it. The Jacob Burns Film Center is a key asset offering entertainment that you can’t find elsewhere.” Latimer, a Rye resident, often frequents it as well as the bustling restaurant scene. “Pleasantville has terrific restaurants and the farmers market adds to the town’s appeal. The farmers market was one of the first in the county to go year round and people are willing to travel to it because it is so unique and well organized. It brings a distinct energy level to the village. There is a certain vibe of Americana that you feel in Pleasantville. People say hello to each other on the street. Plus the school system is great and you have a non-partisan local government truly looking after the best interests of the village.” 

While many beloved local independent businesses have been mainstays in the community for years like Glass Onion Originals, Black Cow and the Village Bookstore, there are several national chains such as convenience and coffee shops that are also part of the village. The majority of these chains are not Chamber members but Flooks doesn’t view that as a serious problem to contend with. “We go back to them and ask them to join but many of them have to go through corporate and they just view us as another town to do business in. Maybe you grab a coffee [from a chain] and then pick up a sandwich from Sundance Deli or Frank & Joe’s. The great thing about America is you have choices,” he adds.

It is clear that the Chamber members do not just view Pleasantville as a place to do business in. They support many local charitable initiatives from PTA events to the Tina Shaina Gambino Memorial Foundation 5K, an event which raises money for organ donation named in honor of a local Pleasantville High School senior who passed away suddenly in 2004. Several Chamber members donate thousands of dollars a year to hyperlocal causes or by providing services or food pro-bono.

10570: A Foodie Destination

On the topic of food, Pleasantville is one of the top foodie destinations in the county. With specialty shops such as Second Mouse Cheese Shop and Flour & Sun Bakery plus the all new Root2Rise, a 100% plant-based café, recently relocated suburbanites and foodies with a sophisticated palate have plentiful options. Restaurants such as Southern Table have even received Michelin recognition. “In the evening parking eases up in the village, so if you can’t get into one restaurant, you might discover another that’s also really good,” explains Flooks. “Once you park your car, the restaurants are all within easy walking distance of each other.”

Many of these restaurants on Wheeler Avenue set up outdoor seating during warmer weather and have had to pivot to expanded take-out options and curbside delivery during the pandemic.

Pleasantville truly is a walking village and the people who are moving here to a house or apartment may only need one car or none at all as many now work from home. “People can walk to whatever they need here to buy, eat, drink or see a movie. The way the village is set up with business and residential so close to each other is a homerun,” exclaims Flooks.

“I think with the recent housing explosion a lot of the businesses are happy. You are going to have more shoppers, more eaters, more drinkers and more visitors coming to the village.” The future of the village seems poised for success and continuous growth. “This will only make Pleasantville more vibrant and [ultimately] more profitable for business,” sums up Flooks.

Note: This article is based on excerpts from an interview with Bill Flooks that aired on Pleasantville Community TV. To access the full interview, visit www.pctv76.org.


Photos Courtesy of the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce

Impact of Racism Hits Home as a School District Self Examines and Commits to Change and Growth

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Chappaqua, NY— Growth. The banner sign outside the administration building for the Chappaqua Central School District could not be more symbolic. For we are all learning. No community is immune or free of the ravages of systemic racism that is being addressed in unprecedented protests in cities and towns around the nation following the death of George Floyd while in police custody-aggravated by the delay in bringing murder charges against the Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s for his actions in Floyd’s death. 

That includes the community of New Castle, where last night, the Inside Press learned, a group of Chappaqua students and parents, especially those who have been directly impacted, are holding the Chappaqua school district and school board accountable for experiences they say indicate a tolerance for systemic racism within the school district.

Currently, a Tik Tok video circulating in social media depicts a group of Greeley teens offensively using the N-word. According to parents calling out the incident and by those discussing it in social media, there was a weak/inadequate disciplinary response–a brief suspension. A new source points out, however, that the video was withheld from the school district for an unspecified period impacting the disciplinary action. But the problem is more ‘systemic’ too, according to these same discussions.

An on the record open letter received last night by one former Greeley student to the Inside Press was within hours retracted by a legal team for this student who reversed course and asked that it not be published. The student offered, however, that it can provide insight of pain and trauma experienced by students of color inside the school district.

The Chappaqua School board,  in the meantime, this morning responded to a collective voicing of “grief and outrage” with the following statement promising to bring about change:

Dear Chappaqua Central School District Community, 

As our nation confronts the continuing scourge of racism and oppression faced by African Americans and people of color, and as we continue to witness horrific and brutal events around our country and racist incidents in our own community, we know that we must commit to change.

We are appalled and devastated by racially divisive incidents in our schools and our society as a whole. We know that our staff, students, parents, alumni, and community feel the same. From the many letters which were sent to us today by our students and alumni, we are bearing witness to an outpouring of grief and outrage, and the recounting of personal experiences of racism in our school community. We thank you for reaching out to us and want you to know that the actions you have taken will make you a part of the solution. 

We are resolute in our commitment to address and support social justice education in our schools. Here are some examples of what we are doing to help bring about change:

  • The District will continue to work with Facing History & Ourselves so that our curriculum can better address and examine racism, anti-semitism, and prejudice at pivotal moments in history, and so that we may help students connect choices made in the past to those they will confront in their own lives.
     
  • Our faculty will engage in professional development to help facilitate important conversations with our students that address racism and enable all of us to meaningfully process the events unfolding in our country and our community.
     
  • We have made a commitment toward addressing diversity in our staff, and have made progress in doing so, through our involvement in the Regional Diversity Recruitment Fair.
     
  • The District has created an Equity P.R.I.D.E. (Promoting Racial Inclusivity, Diversity & Equity) Fellowship. This is a team of K-12 educators who will focus on understanding bias and how it impacts our work as educators as we strive to promote equitable, diverse and inclusive learning spaces where all learners, both adult and student, can feel seen, heard, valued and respected. The Equity PRIDE Fellowship will analyze feedback sent to the Board of Education and our District Administration as a part of their work. They will present recommendations to the Board of Education on how we can enhance our social justice instruction District-wide.
     
  • We continue to support student-led initiatives including the Black Student Union and ENOUGH at Greeley, and the Diversity Clubs at both middle schools. These student clubs are focused on promoting equity, inclusivity and diversity in our schools and the larger community.
     
  • The Board of Education has recently accepted a substantial grant from the Chappaqua School Foundation, which will enable us to further diversify our elementary classroom libraries.   

We acknowledge that we can, and must, do more as we work and interact with our students, especially students of color, to listen to and understand their experiences with incidents of racism in Chappaqua schools. We will continue to review our curriculum to ensure that we are educating our students and school community about systemic racism which continues to perpetuate discrimination and oppression in the nation and within our own school community. 

We are committed to doing better and will work to do so by maintaining and promoting an anti-racist stance. Please continue to provide feedback. Please continue to report incidents. We will listen, we will share information with our community, and we will hold ourselves accountable in helping our district bring about change.

Sincerely, 

The Chappaqua Central School District Board of Education

Jane Kimmel Shepardson, President
Holly McCall, Vice President
Hilary Grasso, Member
Warren Messner, Member
Victoria Tipp, Member

 

Let’s Talk About It: Raising Resilient Kids

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L-R: MHA’s Head of Personal Development, Education and Training Dr. Barbara Bernstein; MHA Board Member Sean Mayer; Educator Shari Applebaum; Byram Hills High School Principal Chris Borsari; and Reverend Frances Wise Grenley of Scarsdale Congregational Church
L-R: MHA’s Head of Personal Development, Education and Training Dr. Barbara Bernstein; MHA Board Member Sean Mayer; Educator Shari Applebaum; Byram Hills High School Principal Chris Borsari; and Reverend Frances Wise Grenley of Scarsdale Congregational Church

By Deborah Raider Notis

We live in a community in which everyone is hyper-focused on raising successful children. But do we spend nearly enough time teaching these successful children how to recover from disappointment, failure, and stress? How do we raise resilient children?

This was the focus of the Mental Health Association (MHA) of Westchester’s community conversation held in November at the Rosenthal JCC.

Moderator Sean Mayer, an MHA board member who lost his brother to suicide, asked a panel of experts, “In today’s high stakes, technology driven world, how do we help our youth develop strength and buoyancy?” The event, sponsored by The Inside Press, concerned reducing and identifying factors that cause anxiety, stress, depression, and the potential for suicide in children and young adults.

According to the MHA’s Dr. Barbara Bernstein, counselors are seeing more children with more mental health issues nowadays. Over one-third of college students polled said that they cannot function because they feel sad and hopeless, one half of these students suffer from anxiety, nine percent considered suicide, and 17% of high school students polled thought about suicide. She urged, “Early identification of these issues is critically important. We have to figure out why kids are not developing coping skills.”

“Teacup Children” Phenomenon

Panelist Shari Applebaum noted that resilience begins in childhood. “To build resilience with our kids we have to take a step back. Kids must find self soothing skills and must learn to handle disappointment on their own while still knowing that there is a support system.” She and Mayer believe that today’s parents are creating “teacup children,” children who are exceptionally fragile and break easily when faced with challenges. Applebaum feels that our community as a whole must reduce the emphasis on academic and athletic achievement as these pressures are overwhelming to many children–and don’t guarantee fulfillment.

Byram Hill’s Chris Borsari agreed that academic and athletic achievement are priorities in our community. When he started at Byram Hills High School, he wanted to understand why so many students were struggling. “We started out discussing stress,” as he was initially afraid to broach the subjects of mental health and suicide with his faculty and community. He developed Learn to Inspire workshops for his faculty and held coffees for parents to pinpoint what causes stress and anxiety for students. “Over time, people started to discuss suicide. There was a slow acceptance and realization that suicide is a health issue, just like broken bones and concussions but with potentially greater consequences.”

Reverend Francis Wise Grenley suggested that we prioritize kindness and compassion. She thinks local teens need to look beyond themselves and place themselves in a different context to give them some perspective on their problems. “In the modern era, we are the centers of our own attention, everything we do is so important to us.” To help give teens perspective, the Scarsdale Congregational Church takes teens on a Midnight Run to bring clothing and homeless into New York City and also takes them to a community in South Dakota living in trailers–with no windows, no indoor plumbing, and no heat. Grenley points out, “This give our teens a chance to see an entirely different reality.”

The hope is that experiencing this alternate reality will give them a stronger sense of priorities. Borsari notes that we live in “pinnacle communities” where people have found a unique level of success and prosperity. “The American Dream has always meant that you are going to do better than your parents,” notes Borsari. “If that only means money, then kids from these pinnacle communities are going to have a particularly tough time. We need to redefine success to make it more attainable for this generation.”

Technology: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Stress and anxiety are pervasive among children, teens, and young adults–some of whom are plugged in seemingly 24/7. So Mayer asked the panel whether they feel that technology is making growing up harder for our children. The whole panel agreed that it is extremely challenging to deal with texts, Instagrams, Snapchats, and all of the other apps that compel people to constantly compare themselves to everyone else.

Mayer also points out that many of these children have “duck syndrome,” they look perfect on the surface but are paddling furiously beneath the surface to keep up. He says, “It is hard to see all of these posts and think that everyone is having so much more fun than you are.”

Grenley acknowledges, “None of us are strangers to our smartphones. But kids are getting lost in their phones and missing out on face-to-face conversations. How many times have you seen kids sitting next to each other in the car texting each other?” Grenley and Mayer agreed that people are missing out on the beauty of the world around us and losing the ability to be present in the moment.

Teens and young adults need emotional downtime, away from social media outlets. Borsari believes,“ One of the hallmarks of adolescence is to be connected to the group. But you used to be able to go home and escape. Now there is no escape.” He is particularly concerned about kids’ inability to shut down and escape technology.

Grenley implores parents to stick to their standards because kids do better with boundaries. “Hearing the word ‘no’ is not a bad thing.” These rules and boundaries against which kids fight can ultimately give them a sense of belonging and a foundation for success. Most importantly, people need to know about the many available resources throughout our community that can help those struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, and thoughts of suicide. Michael Orth of the Westchester Department of Mental Health said that the county offers peer-to-peer support groups for college-aged young adults, for example. The Scarsdale Congregational Church has a support council and works with neighborhood associations to foster a sense of community.

Byram Hills High School has an open door policy, Transformation Workshops, and is working to reduce the stigma associated with suicide.  And, of course there is the Mental Health Association of Westchester. Just ask Mayer. Six months after his brother committed suicide he turned to the Mental Health Association for support, and today he works with them to create a network of support systems and conversations for others.

Deborah Notis is a writer and co-owner of gamechanger, LLC, a free referral service connecting Westchester families to highly qualified, competitively priced academic, athletic, music, and
art instructors.

RESOURCES

Westchester County Crisis Prevention and Response Team
914-925-5959

Mental Health Association of Westchester
Mount Kisco, 914 666-4646
White Plains, 914 345-0700
Walk-in Services; phone to confirm hours

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Bereavement Center of Westchester
914-787-6158

Westchester Jewish Community Services
To Inquire about a Support Group:
914-761-0600