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New Castle

New Castle Holocaust Memorial Dedication: Wednesday, November 6th

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Planting daffodils: Alexandra Rosenberg (left) and Stacey Saiontz, co-chairs of the recently established New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee.

Residents of the New Castle community will gather on Wednesday, November 6, at 6pm, to dedicate the New Castle Holocaust Memorial located by the Gazebo in the town of Chappaqua near 200 South Greeley Avenue. The opening of the Memorial will coincide with and commemorate Kristallnacht. The project is the fruit of the efforts initiated by New Castle residents Alexandra Rosenberg & Stacey Saiontz, the recently appointed chairs of the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee.

The New Castle Holocaust Memorial will serve as a place where individuals and families can come together to learn, to remember and to reflect on lessons from the Holocaust.

Last week 750 daffodil bulbs were planted at the memorial as part of the Daffodil Project, a worldwide project to commemorate the lives of the children lost during the Holocaust. The goal is to plant 1.5 million flowers across the world – one daffodil for every child killed. https://www.daffodilproject.net. As the daffodils begin to blossom in the spring the community will hold an annual event that coincides with Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day commemorating the six million Jews and other victims who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

The dedication of the New Castle Holocaust Memorial follows the creation of the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and the Horace Greeley High School Club E.N.O.U.G.H. – Educate Now On Understanding Genocide and Hate.  The New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee will work to educate our children and create community awareness about the Holocaust, other genocides and human rights violations.  The mission of E.N.O.U.G.H. is to empower students to stand up to hate and to develop a community of tolerance through education and the understanding of people’s differences.

Alexandra Rosenberg commented, “I proposed the idea for the New Castle Holocaust Memorial, the New Castle Holocaust & Human Rights Committee and the student run organization E.N.O.U.G.H. as a way to combat the significant rise in hate that is permeating our world, our children’s world and more specifically our schools.  The New Castle Holocaust Memorial will serve as a tangible reminder of the impact that each human being can have in creating positive change. Together, the residents of New Castle and the students of Horace Greeley will work to make sure that the horrors of the past never happen again.”

Stacey Saiontz commented “As Elie Wiesel stated, ‘the opposite of love is not hate. It is indifference.’ I am so happy that New Castle is taking action. The creation of the Memorial, the Committee and E.N.O.U.G.H. will serve as a platform to educate the community and future generations about the lessons of the Holocaust. The Holocaust did not start with the gas chambers and killing, it started with indifference to hate. We need to teach people to stand up to hate wherever it may fester. Never Again.”

New Castle Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein stated “This is one of the most meaningful projects that I’ve worked on over the last six years. It’s crucial that we remember the lessons of history and provide future generations with the tools to combat hate and bigotry. The idea for these projects started in the heart of New Castle resident, Alexandra Rosenberg, who along with fellow resident, Stacey Saiontz, have led these incredibly important initiatives. I want to thank them for their efforts.”

The materials for the memorial as well as the landscaping, were generously donated by Manzer Landscape Design & Development.

 

News Courtesy of the Town of New Castle

Filming in the Castles: Why Our Suburban Towns Appeal to Moviemakers

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Westchester County is increasingly being used as a location for television and film crews
Photo courtesy of Westchester County Tourism and Film

Shooting movies and television in New Castle and North Castle might be sparse, but the right to film in these suburban towns is strict.

Before residents hear “lights, camera, action!” in North Castle and New Castle, even big shot producers, directors and actors need to abide by town codes and receive the town’s blessing. Just like the average local Joe, people in show business need to respect local ordinances.

While there isn’t necessarily a large influx of camera crews coming to either New Castle or North Castle, the Westchester County Tourism and Film Office said there is a certain appeal to both towns.

What makes these towns a draw, Caputo said, is they can pass for almost anywhere. Suburban street, small-town centers and lush parks are always in demand.

“And both North Castle and New Castle have that and more,” Caputo said.

And while some residents might bemoan the occasional road closure or traffic delay due to filming, Caputo said most people in the vicinity of filming find it to be an exciting prospect that scenes from the big screen are being shot in their town.

“It makes the news and the social media rounds – so it is exciting. Also we are very fortunate that most producers and location managers are very sensitive to neighbors’ concerns,” Caputo said. “The last thing they want to do is to burn bridges and make it more difficult to film in the future, so they’re transparent about what they’re doing and when, and are willing to make adjustments and accommodations for neighbors – both residents and businesses – whenever possible.”

More Films Being Shot in the 914

Overall, there has been an uptick in film requests throughout the county, Caputo said. That trend is due to more productions being based in and around New York City and the reputation Westchester has earned as a convenient and “film friendly” location.

Film friendly doesn’t mean free rein, with municipalities requiring film companies completing an application that needs approval from town boards.

Filming in North Castle

North Castle town clerk Alison Simon, whose office handles filming requests, said in her four-year tenure, there are only 3-5 filming requests consistently each year. It can be a mixture from movies and television shows to shooting or even still photographing of commercials.

Most recently, the CBS television show FBI, created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk that stars Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki and Jeremy Sisto, filmed in town.

Last year the Showtime series Escape At Dannemora, which is based on the upstate New York prison break where a married female prison guard helped two male inmates who she was having sexual relations with escape from Clinton Correctional Facility. That limited series starred Oscar winners Benicio del Toro and Patricia Arquette and Golden Globe nominee Paul Dano with Emmy winner Ben Stiller directing. The filming in town took place near the reservoir.

“By the time the application gets to the town board, it’s usually pretty well vetted,” Simon said.

Still, there are times residents aren’t happy with the filming if it’s occurring in their neighborhood. There is one Bedford residence in a quiet area that is a hot bed for film projects, which has a few bothered neighbors, Simon said.

Mostly though, strict parameters ensure residents won’t face much acrimony as a result of some filming.

“We work with the applicants and the neighbors to make sure that they’re all aware of what’s happening and make sure the applicant doesn’t start filming too early or stay too late so they will disturb neighbors as little as possible,” Simon said.

Filming in New Castle

In New Castle, the filming application is submitted to the Office of Town Administrator, which then sends it to the police department for a thorough review. Chief James Carroll said the department focuses on how the filming could affect traffic safety and flow and whether or not officers need to be hired and roads need to be shut down during filming.

During Carroll’s tenure with the department, he can’t recall a time where filming would be too intrusive that it would’ve been denied by the town board. Carroll said a few years ago there was a massive filming project that even rented out the Whippoorwill Country Club for staff and crew to stay between shoots. Most filming is done on private properties with equipment and trucks stationed on side roads. Officers are used to direct traffic, Carroll said.

The biggest celebrity that Carroll can recall coming to town is Jessica Chastain when she was shooting A Most Violent Year, which is a crime drama film from 2014.

Carroll estimates there are only a couple times a year filming is done in New Castle and typically, residents are more curious than annoyed when filming is done nearby. The town requires applicants to send a note letting neighbors in a 250-foot radius of the shoot know five days prior when the filming will take place so there are no surprises.

And even if a resident or two might be displeased, as Carroll said filming in town is “not on a regular basis.”

So the next time you spot a film crew or their van in the castles, know that they have been vetted thoroughly by your town board and if you are lucky, you may even spot a star or two.

Why Men’s Softball In Our Hometown is a Homerun

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The Thunder Dads with their kids

When Andy Benjamin first started playing in New Castle’s adult softball league more than three decades ago, his son Matthew would watch from the sidelines and cheer him on. As he got older, he would sit on the bench to keep score. Once he graduated from high school, Matthew (better know as Matty B) finally got to play alongside his old man.

“Most of us have the same story,” Andy Benjamin said. “Our sons said ‘keep playing until I can play with you.’”

The Chiefs at Quaker Hill Tavern
Bill Clinton hanging with The Marlins
Andrew Bourne of the Marlins with Bill Clinton

It’s a cherished memory for Benjamin and one of the many reasons he’s played and managed in the recreational softball league since 1982. With the New Castle softball season in full swing, a remarkable 24 teams and close to 500 players are part of the program that is filtered into three leagues. It’s an impressive number of participants considering when Benjamin first started there was a little more than half that number of squads.

Benjamin, who played baseball in high school, described a league that has evolved and changed over the years. It’s a “user friendly” league, which makes it more enjoyable for those involved, Benjamin said. When he first started, anyone who worked at a business in town could play, even if they didn’t live in New Castle. That would result in an influx of “ringers” (superior players who would join the game under false pretenses.)

“In the beginning it was like the Wild West,” he said. “Everybody worked for somebody in the town. If there was a restaurant (that had a team) everybody was a part-time waiter there.”

Now, players need to live in the town or work for the town, Benjamin said, and that has resulted in more parity and fair competition in the league. He said two forms of proof are necessary to enter the league.

There are three divisions in the program depending on talent level and age. The A, B, or C league, with the A league the most competitive and the C league the least. Games typically last about an hour and 15 minutes.

New Castle recreation supervisor Doug Scott, who runs the softball program, said for the size of the town, the number of teams and players is above average. There are multiple teams that have been in the league for at least 20 years, he said and there are some players that are into their 60s that still play.

One advantage compared to other towns that New Castle can boast is it has lights at one of its softball fields, which can lead to more games per week. For those residents that commute to and from New York City on weekdays, it gives them the chance to still make their game that night. Instead of playing only one game a night, New Castle’s softball league can fit three games in, Scott noted.

Overall, it’s just a good group of guys engaged in friendly competition, Scott said.

“It’s been a community tradition,” Scott, who is in his second year running the softball games, said. “A camaraderie thing for a lot of guys. They get together, get outside, have a good time, go to the bar after. It’s just a good, fun way for them to spend time together.”

Aaron Podhurst, who ran the softball games for 17 years when he worked for New Castle, said considering only residents are allowed to play, to have close to 500 players is an impressive number. If there were more fields in town, Podhurst, who is now the Hastings-on-Hudson recreation department superintendent, thinks the program could’ve even expanded to more teams and players. There is generally a waitlist of players that want to join the league, Podhurst said.

Podhurst also mentioned having lights at one of the fields as a “tremendous advantage” that helps attract more players.

“It’s a great way for the adults to have some recreation,” he said. “They love to devote some time to something they actually enjoy. It’s just a great way to spend a night.”

While some towns and villages that have softball leagues include business and corporation teams and are simply looking for the most skilled players, New Castle prefers people within the community.

It’s led to special bonds between the men.

Benjamin said he doesn’t just consider his longtime teammates friends, but brothers. After almost every game on Tuesday nights, they all go to Quaker Hill Tavern to relive the ups and downs of the ballgame. They’ve gone to each other’s weddings, birthdays and their children’s bar mitzvahs. They even all went out to Arizona together once to play in a softball tournament hosted by Sports Illustrated.

Even players on different teams cultivate relationships with each other, Benjamin said.

“We do it for the fun, we do it for the competition, we do it for the camaraderie and when you play with guys for a long time, you develop a brotherhood,” Benjamin said. “There are 500 guys who just want to get out and go hit a ball and have some fun and share some good times.”

HOME TEAM NAMES

New Castle Men’s Softball 2019 Leagues Play Ball: April 22nd – July 28th

Visit for location info and regular updates!
https://newcastle.leaguelobster.com/schedule/leagues

A League

Rampage

Raiders

Dirty Ol Dawgs

The Dirty Mac

Thunder Road

Quaker Hill Tavern

Krabs

B League

Chiefs

Hooters

Raptors

Rebels

Thunder

Water Buffalos

Wings

Wolfpack

All About the Dress

C League

Eight Men Out

Marlins

Matrix

Scramblers

Stallions

The Challengers

The Sea Horses

Without a Prayer

New Memorial Day Tradition Suggested: Hug Your Children!

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From Victory Corners to Memorial Plaza, a village gathered to enjoy Chappaqua’s 2019 Memorial Day parade and ceremonies

Article by Madeline Rosenberg    Photos by Hannah Rosenberg

The echo of drums and bagpipes competed with the cheers of parade watchers who lined downtown Chappaqua for the 2019 Memorial Day Parade. Waving miniature American flags, residents and visitors honored the veterans and organizations* who proceeded down King Street. Chappaqua Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts were among the first groups to march down the hill, as they held American and troop number adorned flags. Some expressed that walking in the parade was an opportunity  to present themselves to the community.“I love representing the troop because a lot of people don’t know we have a boy scout troop,” Thomas Macchetto, a troop member and Greeley senior, said before the parade began. “It’s fun to see everyone come together because you don’t see people like this very often.”  

As these groups walked past seas of families and friends dressed in red, white and blue, parade marshals, as well as federal, state and local officials followed them, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, ‘first neighbors’ who made their annual parade day appearance.

Governor Andrew Cuomo, Town Supervisor Rob Greenstein, and board members Lisa Katz, Ivy Pool and Jeremy Saland joined the Clintons in the procession, as did State Assemblyman David Buchwald and state Senator Peter Harckham, and area clergy including Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester.  Clapping and waving parade watchers greeted them. (Editor’s Note: A tiny group of hecklers found their voices dimmed by the crowds so enthusiastically greeting those in the procession.)  
Please also visit: https://www.facebook.com/theinsidepress/ for additional coverage and footage of Memorial Day 2019 in Chappaqua

 Organizations spanning from the Chappaqua School Board and Library to AYSO and Town of New Castle Senior Citizens also participated in the event, along with veterans who paraded in military vehicles. Parade watchers saw no shortage of students in the procession, as the Greeley, middle school and elementary school bands each performed patriotic songs, which became the background for the First Responders who followed them, trucks included.

Student and adult volunteers from the Chappaqua and Millwood Fire Departments and the Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps,  and officers of the New Castle Police Department, all marched in their uniforms reminding parade watchers of the importance of honoring those who serve, beyond Memorial Day.

But the presence of veterans and the town’s first responders was not the only reminder of the importance of service or the holiday’s meaning. As the parade finished at the train station, attendees gathered around officials, veterans and girl scouts for the Memorial Plaza Ceremony.

Captain Jonathan Luttwak

Chappaqua resident and Captain Peter Gaudet led the ceremony for the first time, which included biographies of New Castle World War II veterans, in a recognition of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.** Along with recognizing the dignitaries and veterans present at the ceremony, Guaudet asked parents to hug their children as part of a new tradition.

“A lot of us veterans have friends that can’t hug their children because they didn’t make it back — gave the ultimate sacrifice,” he said.

A keynote address was made by U.S. Army Veteran Captain Jonathan Luttwak,*** who served in Iraq and Kuwait. 

Continuing to honor those who served, Luttwak reminded attendees in his speech that Memorial Day represents more than a time to barbeque and celebrate with friends and family, but a day to pay tribute to those who died while serving in the armed forces.

“Today we continue that tradition and pause together to pay our respects to our fallen hero,” Luttwak told the audience. “We honor their sacrifice. We honor their selflessness, their patriotism and the legacy of service they leave behind.”

Madeline Rosenberg is a senior at Horace Greeley High School where she was a section editor for The Greeley Tribune. She will be attending Cornell University in the fall.

Hannah Rosenberg is a photography intern at Inside Press and a senior at Horace Greeley High School where she was a photo editor for The Greeley Tribune. She will be attending Cornell University in the fall. 

 

 

Captain Peter Gaudet and Christine Maffucci

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma Grace Jorgensen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Info from the Town of New Castle:

*The procession proceeded as follows: New Castle police escort; Color Guard of Chappaqua Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts; Parade Marshals; Dignitaries-Federal, New York State, Westchester County, Town of New Castle Board, Justices and Officials, and Clergy; Chappaqua School Board and Chappaqua Library Board; The Kerry Pipers; World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq-Afghanistan Veterans, NY Guard, Gold Star Mothers, and Military Vehicles; 5th New York Regiment-Revolutionary War Squad; Parade of Historic Flags; Town of New Castle Senior Citizens; Horace Greeley High School Band; Chappaqua Girl Scouts, Brownies and Daisy Troops; Robert E. Bell School Band, Chappaqua Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts; Community Organizations; Chappaqua Elementary Schools Band; American Youth Soccer Organization; Chappaqua Pre-School Parents Association; Seven Bridges Middle School Board; Town of New Castle Fire Commissioners; Chappaqua and Millwood Fire Companies; Chappaqua Volunteer Ambulance Corps; and town of New Castle Police Escort.

** World War II Veteran Biographies compiled by David Egerton; read by Chappaqua Girl Scouts Troop 2576:  Private William Viscomi, U.S. Army, 4th Armored Division-read by Christine Maffucci. Sargent Peter J. Lynch, U.S. Army 78th Division-read by Emma Grace Jorgensen. Following these readings was The Honor Roll of the New Castle War Dead

*** Mr. Luttwak is the founder and CEO of DHC Real Estate Services, a certified service-disabled veteran owned business. Founded on the belief that real estate is the ‘where’ that enables all we do as a nation, DHC is a full-service commercial real estate firm that combines the successful execution of real estate strategies with a sense of purpose and exceptional service to its clients. A seasoned real estate professional, withmore than ten years of transactional experience, Mr. Luttwak has worked with many of the world’s most demanding enterprises and completed numerous real estate transactions worldwide. Hisreputation for delivering value and unrivaled customer service was honed during more than a decade at Cushman & Wakefield, where Mr. Luttwak worked in the New York City headquarters alongside the Chairman of Global Brokerage. Prior to entering the private sector, Jonathan served six years as a United States Army officer reaching the grade of captain. He qualified through Airborne and Air Assault school and deployed to Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror. Mr. Luttwak is deeply tied into the community professionally and personally. He is the Vice President of the West Point Society of New York and an officer on the Board of the West Point Jewish Chapel Fund. He is also an active contributor to numerous charitable organizations and passionate supporter of initiatives that serve to better the veteran and active military community. Mr Luttwak earned his Bachelors of Science undergraduate degree in systems engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Columbia Business School with concentration in real estate.