Hello everyone! Welcome to our first 2022 editions, including Inside Pleasantville & Briarcliff Manor (Inside P&BM). We gratefully brought a third title back after a Covid pause. I chose a theme called ‘Spring’s Possibilities’ as we set out to produce three editions.
To that end, you’ll find our press enthusiastically supporting local commerce as in the Inside P&BM cover story written by Stacey Pfeffer and photographed by Donna Mueller. It hopefully conveys our focus and was even generously taped by Pleasantville Community Television. Stacey’s entire interview with Bill Flooks, president of the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce, is available for viewing at https://www.pctv76.org/video/2907/.
Meanwhile, for all our editions, Christine Pasqueralle interviewed Mary Jo Ziesel, the new Jacob Burns Film Center director, for an always welcome update on ‘all things Burns.’ Christine also gathered a host of fun and rewarding activities ‘to do’ in Briarcliff Manor–amazing to consider in a small village.
The debut of Orchestra 914 in Pleasantville, with new conductor Russell Ger, as reported by Jean Sheff, is reason alone to celebrate. At Arc Stages, too, I’ve discovered there are always so many creative offerings to engage the community. Rich Monetti shines a spotlight on a fascinating spring exhibit at Arc Stages, as just one example, that of photographer Chad David Kraus’s work.
A real special treat is a Pleasantville Puzzle, created by Will Shortz, who took time out from running his amazing Westchester Table Tennis Center to produce it. The idea for a puzzle came my way from the newest addition to our Inside Press team, John Fisher, a (very) long time Pleasantville resident and now Inside Press Director of Business Development. Lisa Samkoff, our long-time Art Director, designed all the beautiful pages for us.
In the interest of ‘Sharing the Heart of the Community’–our mission–we support Briarcliff Manor’s Irene Unger who describes living with Multiple Sclerosis and who spotlights the MS Walk on March 27th in Briarcliff. In Inside Armonk we share resident Jennifer Drubin Clark’s journey with breast surgery, and the poignant thoughts she courageously shares, surrounding her community of healing and support.
There’s a big ‘sports’ component this go round too, as we celebrate an Armonk Girls Varsity Tennis Team’s path to victory–Girl Power!–and in Chappaqua, Nolan Thornton’s interview with Geoff Curtis, the district’s athletic director, gets to the heart of what sport team efforts are all about, too.
Enjoy the online stories, and please do consider the online subscription. As we inch toward 20 years of publication, print advertising can be a tough sell, so reader support is deeply appreciated more than ever to help fund the editions and maintain a healthy online presence.
We have an awesome team! We also have two more spring editions coming, one mailing April 8 and another mailing June 1, so keep an eye out! And this spring, as always, keep imagining the possibilities.
— Grace
Photo by Shane McGaffey, Pleasantville Community Television
A real special treat is a Pleasantville Puzzle, created by Will Shortz, who took time out from running his amazing Westchester Table Tennis Center to produce it. The idea for a puzzle came my way from the newest addition to our Inside Press team, John Fisher, a (very) long time Pleasantville resident and now Inside Press Director of Business Development. Lisa Samkoff, our long-time Art Director, designed all the beautiful pages for us.
In short, we have an awesome team! We also have two more spring editions coming, one mailing April 8 and another mailing June 1, so keep an eye out! And this spring, as always, keep imagining the possibilities.
When I think back to my 9th grade journalism class, I still remember my teacher saying that “everybody has a story to tell–you just have to ask the right questions, sit back and listen.” Her advice still rings true today. Because we live in affluent communities in a prosperous time, people often think that all is copasetic here in bucolic Northern Westchester but everyone has their struggles. Sure, some are bigger than other’s but it’s all relative.
“Joyful living” – two simple words that sum up this month’s theme of the magazine just in time for Mother’s Day. It should be easy enough to achieve. After all, we live in one of the most beautiful parts of Westchester County. But honestly, I’ve been having a hard time lately embracing “joyful living” with this never ending winter. I’ve tried to trick myself by thinking that spring is on the horizon. I’ve painted my toes a lovely shade of pastel pink. I’ve done a thorough spring cleaning in my house but still Mother Nature refuses to cooperate.
We had been talking about getting a dog for the past year for my daughter’s 7th birthday this October. She had her heart set on a particular breed and frankly we hadn’t exactly gotten the ball rolling with doggie research. We were doing a big construction project in the house and were too busy with that.
