The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Inside Press

Enjoy Our Debut Edition

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Grace’s cut and blow dry by Lisa Koebbe Bevan, owner and Master colorist at BELIEVE Beauty Lounge, a full service salon on 95 Manville Road in Pleasantville, believebeautysalon.com Makeup (and photo!) by Kara Delfino, karadelfino.com.

Please know that a lot of heart and soul went into producing this first issue of Inside Pleasantville! If you have lived in the area long enough, many of you may already have seen an Inside Press publication in a neighbor’s home, or perhaps at a real estate office–where the magazines make a giant impression (I’m told!) with area visitors considering a move here.

I’ve been publishing for 16 years after launching the first edition of Inside Chappaqua, The Magazine for New Castle and Beyond in April 2003. Five years ago, following that success, I decided to get two Castle pubs underway and produced our first Inside Armonk. And now here we are delighted to be covering your vibrant Mount Pleasant communities too with this first edition of an Inside Pleasantville!

I’m always grateful to my Inside Press team, including Caroline Rosengarden who lives ‘Inside Pleasantville’ with her beautiful family. She is positively a most enthusiastic proponent for the community.

Also, enjoy the work here by Lisa Samkoff, our consummate professional designer who brings a special flair to every page. Wonderful Stacey Pfeffer edits our Chappaqua and Armonk editions from which you may see some relevant articles appearing here too. First and foremost, as a publisher, I understand no community’s residents live in a bubble, so I do share from other communities, and will continue to as much as I can.

I also so appreciate Ryan Smith and Rick Waters, who designed and maintain our site theinsidepress.com. You can find all the stories here online too, a downloadable edition, along with other ‘in between postings,’ all as much as time and energy permit! Behind the scenes, we have Analia Boltuch, our invaluable account manager, and always a rotating group of talented ‘regular’ freelance writers and photographers. This issue’s cover work plus the photos for the Pleasantville Music Festival, for example, are from Pleasantville’s very own Lynda Shenkman, who shot many of my first Inside editions too.

Ultimately, this pub comes to you after 22 years of happy Westchester living, having raised two terrific children: my daughter, Anna, 26, and son Ari, 22, both living in the city. I also visit my dad a lot in Yonkers. He’s going on 97 and still in good health at a senior residence. Being empty nest, and having this amazing Inside Press team in place, I’m expanding our publishing efforts.

Chappaqua’s also is just a hop, skip and jump to Pleasantville. In fact, when I think of ‘fun times’ in Westchester, Pleasantville elicits those feelings enormously, whether it’s at gorgeous Rockefeller Preserve, or enjoying countless movies at the incomparable Jacob Burns Film Center, or even acting classes I discovered with Rachel Jones at the Howard Meyer Acting Studio/Axial Theater! In the meantime I can live vicariously enjoying others performing in stellar shows such as those at Arc Stages, or setting aside a day to dance or sing along with the mega talented musicians at the Pleasantville Music Festival.

All these places and institutions and more – don’t miss a terrific story on Cycle for Survival! – are covered in this debut edition, which I hope you will treasure and keep as a collector’s item. We will be ‘back again’ with a back to school September/October 2019 edition arriving in your home by late August too. Remember, you can read us online too at theinsidepress.com and follow our assorted musings primarily on Facebook and Instagram.

I am aiming for at least four editions in 2020, so stay tuned for more fun and meaningful coverage in which we will keep on ‘Sharing the Heart of Your Community.” And I’d be remiss if I didn’t also communicate a resounding THANK YOU to all the generous sponsors and contributors who made this edition and future ones possible. ENJOY!


Grace Bennett
Inside Press Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Imagining the Glorious Possibilities of ‘I Can’

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Can I do this? Yes I Can!

When you are Empty Nest and single, but still living in the suburbs, ‘Back to School’ feels more like an experience from the sidelines—I admit to being more observer, than participant. It’s also easy to fall into ‘missing my kids’ mode, and I so do. However, this year, I plan to celebrate their wings by approaching life with a hefty dose of joie de vivre.

Indeed, the possibilities are rather glorious. While I consider others’ September scramble for book supplies and finding out teacher assignments, and while I certainly wish our Chappaqua Schools a very happy 90th birthday at Greeley’s homecoming, in truth, my mind wanders a bit as I plot multiple ways to fill more ‘me time.’

Two words I’m saying more: ‘I can.’ I can get to the gym more. I can go to karaoke or a favorite musician’s gig (if I can take a nap first, that is). I can take more walks in our amazing ‘hoods and parks. I can sleep longer. I can meditate or schedule an occasional massage. I can write a novel or a movie, or start a new publication…yes, I think about that, if I can simply pull myself from social media a bit more! Or I can get over myself and accept however each day plays out!  I can volunteer. I can get more politically involved, as fraught with ‘issues’ that sometimes feels. I can binge on a hot TV series, wrack up movies at the Burns, and I can cook more or I can treat myself to lovely meals. I can hop Metro North more to take advantage of the amazing city we live a stone’s throw from. I can make a bucket list travel wish come true. One certainty: I can keep soaking up precious time spent with my 96-year-old Poppy.

I can… I can…

Fortunately, anytime I feel like stepping up Community life, I can do that, too. I’m ultimately blessed to live in an area where, in truth, fun opportunities abound at any life stage–our ‘Happenings’ section makes that clear–whether its stopping by Community Day, the Chappaqua’s Children Book Festival or Armonk’s Outdoor Art Show and Cider and Donut Festival–these are all on my I Can calendar too. Ultimately, I plan to do it my way, in Can Do…the world is my oyster…mode.

Choosing a Necessary Focus

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Photo by Andrew Bordeaux

I was planning a personal reminisce about 15 years of publishing for this 15-year anniversary edition.* Instead, my mind has been squarely focused on the massacre that took 17 precious lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine’s Day. I’ll save going down memory lane for some other day.

In the week that followed, I visited a rally in White Plains quickly organized by Indivisible Westchester, Up2Us and Million Mom March, northern Westchester chapter. Erin Fuller, a 30-year-old survivor of the Oct. 1, 2017 Las Vegas massacre which killed 58 people, and injured nearly 500 more, spoke to hundreds gathered. Our story about the rally can be found online here.

More recently, I attended a roundtable of local teens (including ones from Greeley, Pleasantville, White Plains, among others) who joined several police officers to meet with Congresswoman Nita Lowey. To hear our kids grappling over what can be done was both heartening and heartbreaking.

 

Rep. Nita Lowey with a group of Westchester students and several law enforcement officers following a February roundtable.  https://www.theinsidepress.com/westchester-students-voice-their-ideas-to-tackle-the-challenge-of-gun-violence/

Heartening–in that we are giving our kids a platform to voice their concerns and ideas.

Heartbreaking–in that it was a poignant reminder that it is KIDS who are on the front-lines, and too often, the victims of these shootings.

I asked a reporter to contact a group of area Superintendents for statements about campus safety and to speak with some of our students too; our story will be here at theinsidepress.com too as I try to stay current and share info into social media. 

On March 14, high school students throughout the County will have an opportunity to express themselves–for 17 minutes to honor 17 lives. On March 24, many more will be advocating for overdue change too all around the county. Please visit marchforourlives.org for more info.

15 years ago, before Sandy Hook, before Las Vegas–before the reportedly 18 school shootings just this year–I was not, I must confess, preoccupied with these issues. I am now, however. So many are, including many who have not ‘stepped up’ before. A dear friend noted recently, “The winds are changing.” I believe that’s true, too.

The weather is turning soon. With more sun, comes more brightness and reason for optimism, too. Enjoy the edition! So much hard work went into it, and always appreciative of that.


P.S. A special congrats to our newly sworn-in town officials! At a historic and packed ceremony at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center, President Bill Clinton presided, speaking of ‘A New Beginning,’ and the positive aspects of that.

*Fortunately, we have a terrific compilation of 15 major milestones in the community since 2003 on page 24 of this edition already, so do take a glance! The story is on our home page, and you can always download the entire magazine edition from there too.

On Love and Caring in the Age of Trump

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You know… as a local publisher, I have received assorted criticism from both sides of the political aisle.
 
For not doing enough with my press and my time even at the local level to counter the age of Trump. When I try, it can feel like a Herculean task as I try to keep up with community coverage, press deadlines, paper work, etc. This local publisher gig is frequently a full time job, and then some.
 
From others: for being ‘too political’ with my press.
 I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer. And navigating these tugs and pulls from both directions can feel somewhat exhausting as I ride this see saw, still. I maintain my independence so that I’m not pulled too much in either direction, actually.
 
Whether I’m doing enough, or not enough, whether I miss the mark, or am on target, I always try to convey: that while love lost a round, its power is unbeatable, and I’m confident it will win at the end. And that I appreciate and am grateful for all the activist efforts, too.
 
As erratic as I can be, I  always, always try to strike a note that conveys that at the very least, I am awake, and that I CARE.
 
I CARE about the environment, and supporting real science.
I CARE about women’s hard fought for rights under siege and protecting choice.
I CARE about the aggressive accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few.
I CARE about supporting a vision of a Rainbow over America, and compassionate leaders who would never marginalize any one group, resort to hard core exclusionary tactics, or consider one group more deserving than another.
 
Well, you get the idea.
 
Happy Valentine’s Day, with love and care.  — Grace

Meet the Inside Press Team

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We have a talented group of writers and artists who contribute on a regular basis but we also have a strong core group of dedicated professionals who ensure that each issue of Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk is chock full of local news that you won’t find in other news outlets. With the growth of online media, we ensure that each issue’s content is available online and we also love to share our stories via social media. All of this though would never happen though without the generous support of our sponsors so we are all grateful for the support. In keeping with this issue’s gratitude theme, please take a moment to ‘meet’ the Inside Press team. We also thank you, dear readers, for the intense interest in our pubs.

Grace Bennett

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Following a career in newspaper and magazine journalism, and also raising two kids (Anna and Ari) to the first and fourth grades, I launched the Inside Press in 2003 and went live in 2009 with theinsidepress.com. I greatly enjoy the role of overseeing the editorial and working closely with so many generous sponsors in this incredibly beautiful and happening corner of Westchester. Long walks keep me centered through it all.

Stacey Pfeffer

Editor

After working in public relations in NYC and London for more than a decade, I decided to switch to freelance writing after the birth of my first child. I have written for a variety of regional media outlets.For the past two years, I have also written numerous articles for Inside Chappaqua and Inside Armonk, before assuming the role of editor. I love highlighting local stories in our magazines and online that you won’t find anywhere else.

Caroline Rosengarden

Advertising Manager

I’m the Inside Press Advertising Manager, which means that I communicate with advertisers all day long! I liaise with sponsors old and new alike to ensure their ads appear in the magazine exactly the way they expect. In the past, I managed national brands at ad agencies in NYC and San Francisco. I enjoy baking, walking with my husband and Ruby (our Golden Doodle) or reading books with my girls, Lucy (10) and Sadie (8).

Ryan Smith

Website Developer

I’m the company’s website developer who ensures the articles that go to print are available for consumption on The Inside Press website, theinsidepress.com, as well as in social media. I help keep the site fast, fresh, and secure!

I’ve previously served as the IT Director for a worldwide design agency and was in charge of development for a financial technology start-up. When I’m not taking things apart to figure out how they work, I enjoy hiking, ballroom dancing, and costume parties.

Lisa Samkoff

Art Director

A year ago I joined the Inside Press team as art director. In my role, I redesigned our company logo complimenting it with a complete re-design of the magazines giving them a more modern look. As an independent graphic designer and consultant specializing in branding, logos and signage, I often work on packaging and website design as well. When I’m not working, I’m cooking, planting, crafting, or going to games with my friends and family.

Rick Waters

Website Designer

I am responsible for making sure the articles and ads are neat and tidy for the Inside Press website. I transfer the Inside Press magazines into online articles and provide photo-resizing work. I also post various Inside Press articles throughout the year while optimizing photos and videos. When I’m not in the office, I am an avid cyclist, hiker and swimmer. I also enjoy cocktail parties and going on adventures with my dog.

Analia Boltuch (with her son Oliver)

Account Manager

I am the account manager for the Inside Press handling all bookkeeping needs. When not wearing my bookkeeping cape, I enjoy providing virtual assistant services to small businesses and entrepreneurs ranging from office management to social media. I’m also a wife and mom of three boys (one of them being of the four-legged variety!)