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Sponsors

Gullotta House Presents ‘Escape from Sing Sing Plunge 2020’

January 17, 2020 by Inside Press

Saturday, February 15, 12 p.m. – 12:10 p.m at Louis Engel Park Beach in Ossining

A Benefit to Help Westchester Residents Facing Hardships

Much Needed Funds Will be Raised for Scholarships Supporting Local High School Seniors

By Grace Bennett

Get ready, get set… everyone is invited to join the fun and take the Escape from Sing Sing plunge at beautiful Louis Engel Park Beach in Ossining! You’ll be helping to benefit Westchester residents facing hardships and raise some much needed dollars for local high school scholarships too, thanks to the efforts of the Gullotta House, an an all volunteer organization and all its sponsors supporting this now third annual event. Matthew Gullotta asks that each participant commit to raising at least $100. The event will take place on February 15th, 12 p.m.-12:10 p.m.. 

There’s a happy pay off too for each courageous plunger: “When you raise $125 it gets you a long sleeved event shirt!” says Gullotta.

In fact, there are a whole range of benefits to becoming a sponsor, too, at the $50, $250 and $500 and up levels (which includes a three minute talk about your business at the event!). Find out more by emailing your team or businesses name, or your individual or family interest to gullottahouse@gmail.com. To sponsor this event or a person, visit www.gullottahouse.org

Please note: Everyone must wear sneakers or water shoes and sign waivers. Costumes are allowed. Most important: HAVE FUN!     

 

Grace Bennett is founder, publisher and editor in chief of the Inside Press since 2003.

Inside Press is a proud media sponsor of ‘Escape from Sing Sing Plunge 2020’ 

AERIAL PHOTO BY JIM DROHAN

Filed Under: Not for Profit News Tagged With: benefit, fundraiser, Gullotta House, High School Scholarships, Ossining, Scholarships, Sing Sing Plunge, Sponsors, Volunteers

The Making of the Pleasantville Music Festival

March 8, 2019 by David Propper

Managing ‘a zillion moving parts’ to create an all-day music extravaganza

Save the Date: July 13, 2019

When longtime Pleasantville resident Bruce Figler attended his first ever Pleasantville Music Festival, it was in 2005. That happened to be the inaugural year for the event, and Figler, who has been in the radio business, helped the original founders hook in a music station to be part of the all-day affair.

“I was perfectly happy sitting backstage with a beer hanging out with the radio station people, with the bands, going on stage introducing an act, hanging out with my family in the field for awhile,” Figler said.

“That was my life, it was a pretty easy life.”

Fast-forward more than a decade later, and Figler, who owns Creative Sound Works on Wheeler Avenue, is now the executive director of the yearly music festival that brings about 4,000 people to Parkway Field to hear a jam packed lineup of musical talent perform. His life is a little busier now than back in 2005 with months of planning going into the creation of the festival.

Figler works with an executive staff of about ten people and a volunteer base of more than 100 that live in the region (mostly Pleasantville and Chappaqua). Each year, he and staff members discuss what worked and what didn’t work that year with the desire to be more efficient the following year. A survey is also sent to attendees so Figler can receive feedback.

Once a review of the previous year is over, finding a new set of bands gets underway as early as December. Figler said he and the other staff members try to nail down different musicians that will please a wide range of demographics with Figler compiling a “wish list” of about 30 bands and musicians he’d love to go after.

ALL PHOTOS BY LYNDA SHENKMAN

But because the festival is a municipally run–rather than private–event, there are limitations Figler has to grapple with. Other festivals can offer more money to performers and some festivals have exclusivity rights, which means a band can’t perform within a certain radius within a certain time frame. He estimated that for every ten more prominent bands/musicians he reaches out to, seven reject him.

For the bigger bands, Figler said he tells them if they come to Pleasantville, it would be “an easier festival, it’s very manageable, you can be in and out pretty quickly.”

Additionally, because the festival is involved with a radio station (107.1 The Peak), that station supports the booked musicians which result in airtime for them leading up to the festival. A band could find a new base of fans in the suburbs, Figler said.

While the pursuit of big acts can be an arduous task, the festival also needs to find smaller bands and musicians, which begins two or three months before the festival.

Up and coming bands can submit through the festival’s website with staff members taking trips to hear different contending bands. “We’re becoming very diverse musically so I try to find something for everyone,” Figler said.

Pleasantville resident Jim Zimmerman, who founded the music festival in 2005 with Bernie Gordon and the late Lisa Wenzel, said the first year he helped put it together, it was like a second full-time job. Part of his motivation to start the festival was to give smaller bands and musicians a larger stage to perform. Some bands have gone on to bigger and better things, he pointed out.

“I had to develop all the systems and recruit so it was quite a project nevertheless,” Zimmerman said. “Everything had to be done by scratch.” Figler joked he doesn’t have to create the wheel like Zimmerman did, only keep it spinning.

While the music lineup is the most significant set to put together, Figler has to secure sponsors and vendors, many of which are eateries from Pleasantville and surrounding towns. There is also a push by a recycling group to ensure it is a zero waste event. Law enforcement and the department of public works are conferred with considering this is the largest public gathering in the small village each year.

The day of the event, Figler said weather is always an uncontrolled variable that has to be monitored. The last three years there has either been rain or a threat of a storm so the village recreational offices become a makeshift weather station. Said Figler: “There’s a zillion moving parts to this thing.”

Filed Under: Pleasantville Cover Stories Tagged With: Bands, Bruce Figler, festival, guide, Moving parts, music, musicians, Parkway Field, Pleasantville, pleasantville music festival, Sponsors, Volunteers

Enjoy Our Debut Edition

March 8, 2019 by Grace Bennett

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

Filed Under: Pleasantville Just Between Us Tagged With: 16th year, BELIEVE Beauty Lounge, Contributors, Debut Edition, Grace Bennett, home, Inside Pleasantville, Inside Press, Inside Press team, Just Between Us, new edition, Pleasantville, Publisher, real estate, Sponsors, visitors, Westchester living

All About the Dress

March 6, 2016 by The Inside Press

white dress

Focused attention and the perfect selection of dresses help to make the special event shopping experience personal and fun. “Our goal is to have the same girl return to us many times throughout her teenage years and rely on us as a trusted resource,” say owners Julie Paget and Liz Templeton. These are happy occasions and a positive shopping experience becomes part of the memory itself. allaboutthedressny.com

Filed Under: Health and Wellness with our Sponsors Tagged With: advice, Sponsors, wisdom

Thank You

August 5, 2015 by The Inside Press

THANK YOU!

We are deeply grateful to all our sponsors for their support of “Inside my New Castle.” Special thanks to Music in Chappaqua, Kiwi Country Day Camp and Chappaqua Crossing for their generous cover sponsorships, and to our real estate offices–Douglas Elliman, Houlihan Lawrence, Julia B. Fee/Sotheby’s International, and William Raveis. Each of our realtor sponsors will have guides available for prospective residents throughout the year.

Beecher Flooks Funeral Home, Inc.
418 Bedford Road
Pleasantville, NY
914-769-0001
beecherflooksfh.com
Bet Torah Nursery School
60 Smith Avenue
Mt. Kisco, NY
914-666-7595
bettorah.org
Breeze
1 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-1900
breezegifts.com
Camp Connection
914-273-8010
thecampconnection.com
Chappaqua Crossing
55 Station St.
Southport, CT 06890
203-354-1500
chappaquacrossing.com
Chappaqua Paint and Hardware
59 South Greeley Ave.
Chappaqua, NY 10514
914-861-2777
ChappaquaPandH.com
Doublevision
PO Box 502
Chappaqua, NY
914-954-4770
doublevisionphotographers.com
Douglas Elliman
101 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-3988
elliman.com
Dr. Lydia Evans
229 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-1500
lydiaevansmd.com
Drug Mart of Millwood
Millwood Town Plaza
230 Saw Mill River Rd
Millwood, NY
914-923-9200
drugmarts.com
Emmary Day Spa
24 South Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, New York
914 238 8830
emmarydayspa.com
Family Britches
70 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-8017
familybritches.com
Financial Asset Management Corp.
26 South Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-8900
famcorporation.com
Friedricks Interiors
113 King Street
Chappaqua, NY914-273-6892
friedricksinteriors.com
Hickory & Tweed
410 Main Street,
Armonk, NY 10504
914-273-3397
hickoryandtweed.com
Houlihan Lawrence
45 S Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-4766
houlihanlawrence.com
Jodi’s Gym
25 Hubbels Dr
Mt. Kisco, NY
914-244-8811
jodisgym.com
Kiwi Country Day Camp
825 Union Valley Road
Carmel, NY
914-276-2267
kiwicountrydaycamp.com
Makom Shalom
107 North Greeley
Avenue #183
Chappaqua, NY
914-393-9261
mymakomshalom.com
Matero Fine Jewelry & Design
Millwood Town Plaza
238 Saw Mill River Road
Millwood, NY
914-944-1495
materofinejewelry.com
Millwood Hardware
235 Saw Mill River Rd
Millwood, NY
914-762-2828
millwoodhardware.com
Mount Kisco Child Care Center
95 Radio Circle
Mount Kisco, NY
914-241-2135
mkccc.org
Music in Chappaqua
225 North Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-3123
musicinchappaqua.com
New Castle Physical Therapy & Personal Training
16 Schuman Road
Millwood, NY
914-488-5440
newcastlept.net
Noelle Marie Photography
140 King Street
Chappaqua, NY 10514
914-861-8400
nomaphoto.com
Oak Lane Child Care Center
49 Memorial Drive
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-3756
oaklaneccc.org
Old Stone Trattoria
425 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-8822
oldstonetrattoria.com
Prescriptions for Fitness
255 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-0500
prescriptionsforfitness.net
Julia B. Fee / Sotheby’s International
Joanna Rizoulis
Amy Smith Sroka
Joanna.Rizoulis@JuliaBFee.com
Amy.Smith@JuliaBFee.com
Rosenthal JCC of Northern Westchester
600 Bear Ridge Rd.
Pleasantville, NY
914-741-0333
rosenthaljcc.org
Salon 228
26 South Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-3172
Samalin Investment Counsel, LLC
297 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-666-6600
SICounsel.com
Seven Bridges Field Club
P.O. Box 482
160 Seven Bridges Road
Chappaqua NY 10514
914-666-2102
sevenbridgesfieldclub.org
Steffi Nossen School of Dance
Church of Saint Mary the Virgin
191 South Greeley Ave
Chappaqua, NY
914-328-1900
steffinossen.org
Tazza Café
230 Saw Mill River Road
Millwood, NY
914-488-5227
tazzacafeny.com
Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester
220 South Bedford Road
Chappaqua NY
914-238-3928
bethelnw.org
Temple Shaaray Tefila
89 Baldwin Road
Bedford Corners, NY
914-666-3133
shaaraytefila.org
Wags & Whiskers
392 King Street
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-0244
wagsnwhiskersdoggrooming.com
Westchester Youth Choirs
607 Millwood Road
Mt. Kisco NY
914-218-3518
westchesteryouthchoirs.com
Whispering Pines Flower Shop
83 South Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-5661
whisperingpinesofchappaqua.com
William Raveis
75 N Greeley Avenue
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-0505
raveis.com
World Cup Nursery School & Kindergarten
160 Hunts Lane
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-9267
worldcupschools.com
World Cup Gymnastics
170 Hunts Lane
Chappaqua, NY
914-238-4967
worldcupschools.com

Filed Under: Inside My New Castle Tagged With: Business, Local, Sponsors

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Inside Press is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse or not endorse any advertisers, products or resources referenced in either sponsor-driven stories or in advertisements appearing in this publication. The Inside Press shall not be liable to any party as a result of any information, services or resources made available through this publication.The Inside Press is published in good faith and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in advertising or sponsor driven stories that appear in this publication. The views of advertisers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher’s.

Opinions and information presented in all Inside Press articles, such as in the arena of health and medicine, strictly reflect the experiences, expertise and/or views of those interviewed, and are not necessarily recommended or endorsed by the Inside Press. Please consult your own doctor for diagnosis and/or treatment.

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